Within the match in opposition to England he performed fifteen minutes, had ten touches of the ball, gained one duel and had 4 losses. Declan Rice ran as much as him. He bowed and stated that he revered Josip Ilicic very a lot. The Slovenian had emerged from the darkness of the jungle wherein his mind, coronary heart, legs and complete physique had been wandering for the previous few years.
The writer of the comparability of the pinnacle of a person consumed by despair to a jungle is Gian Piero Gasperini. We owe him probably the most evocative descriptions of Ilicic’s life drama. In October 2023, for instance, he was moved by the reminiscence of the pandemic Champions League season. Earlier than the quarter-finals with PSG, he visited the Slovenian in hospital. A couple of months earlier, he had scored 4 objectives in a 4-3 win over Valencia. That day, nevertheless, Gasperini noticed a wreck of a person, about twelve kilograms thinner. He couldn’t imagine his eyes, in spite of everything, he would have preferred to offer him the Ballon d’Or probably the most…
Phobias
Earlier than the pandemic hit, Josip Ilicic was top-of-the-line gamers in Europe. He virtually single-handedly threw Valencia overboard within the Champions League. In Serie A, he scored doubles in opposition to Milan and Parma, added a hat-trick in opposition to Torino and three assists in opposition to Lecce. He matured like wine, not the uneven magician of temporary moments at Palermo or Fiorentina, however a fully-fledged star on the rising Atalanta.
His colleagues from Italian golf equipment additionally advised La Repubblica that Ilicic had all the time been a horrible hypochondriac: always drained, wincing on the slightest ache, affected by well being issues. A lot of it accrued that within the locker room he earned the sarcastic nickname “Babulka”. In 2018, medical doctors suspected he had most cancers. He suffered from lymphadenopathy, enlarged lymph nodes, a critical bacterial an infection, spent a number of weeks in hospital, and antibiotics helped. He panicked when Davide Astori, captain of Fiorentina, consultant of Italy, comfortable husband and father, died in his sleep in a lodge in Udine as a result of a hidden coronary heart defect. Ilicic fell into hypnophobia: he averted naps, postponed going to mattress, couldn’t shut his eyes as a result of… he was afraid he would by no means get up.
Not everybody knew that his fragile psychological construction was influenced by the phantom expertise of the Balkan conflict. He was born in Prijedor, the place ethnic cleaning led to the dying of virtually 5 thousand individuals. There have been additionally three focus camps within the neighborhood of the town: Omarska, Trnopolje, Keraterm. As well as, Ilicić’s father died when he was seven months outdated. The boy couldn’t even keep in mind his voice, didn’t know the phrase “daddy”, and fled along with his mom and brother to the security of Slovenia.
He was pushed into despair by the pandemic, of which Bergamo was the European epicenter. The day after his nice match in opposition to Valencia, the primary optimistic case of coronavirus was recognized in Lombardy. Giorgio Gori, the mayor of the town, will name this assembly a organic bomb. The data noise shall be completely insufferable for Ilić. – He bought sick, he closed himself in his world, the isolation was ruining him, he could not stand being separated from his household, with every passing day his life was getting worse and worse. It was the start of one thing far more highly effective than a virus. Every thing accrued and exploded in his head – advised by Gian Piero Gasperini.
La Gazzetta dello Sport gossiped that he had returned to his native Slovenia, sick, subdued and several other kilograms thinner, to catch his spouse Tina Polovina, a former athlete employed by the native authorities, having intercourse with one other man, however this was by no means confirmed. The couple by no means cut up up.
Put away
Within the autumn of 2021, he returned to the pitch. He had flashes of success: he scored a aim in opposition to Manchester United within the Champions League or two objectives in opposition to Empoli in Serie A. In 2022, the demons returned. Despair took away the following months, he modified bodily, gained weight, wasted away, his hair was coated in gray, his eyes have been unhappy, Atalanta introduced the official termination of his contract. On the Gewiss Stadium, he was given a farewell, he waved to the followers who chanted his identify and raised their jerseys with the quantity “72”.
He was taken in by NK Maribor, from the place he left for Italy in 2010. Returning to Slovenia was like a dream come true. He got here on for fifteen minutes in a match in opposition to NS Mura. Within the 89th minute he was fouled within the penalty space. Ilicic transformed the penalty right into a aim. For a second the world of soccer remembered the existence of the PrvaLiga, photos of the previous Atalanta star beating the goalkeeper and de facto recovering from despair went viral on the web, so the story may have ended there. It did not.
Ilicic performed fourteen instances for Maribor within the 2022/23 season, scoring simply two objectives and offering simply two assists. The championship and nationwide cup have been gained by Olimpija Ljubljana, and the ageing finest participant in Slovenian historical past was dominated out of the ultimate spherical of the competitors by a thigh muscle drawback. What’s extra, just a few months later coach Damir Krznar determined to take away Ilicic from the Maribor first group. He delegated him to particular person coaching, explaining this along with his poor bodily situation.
In October, Krznar was not on the membership. Amir Ruznić, the participant’s agent, prompt that Maribor had sided with Ilicić, who had been sidelined. After he left Josip is smiling once more, he has grow to be far more optimistic and communicative, thus setting a superb instance for the youthful guys – he stated in an interview with Sportklub TV. The membership was headed by Ante Simundza, who labored in Maribor when Ilicic performed there in 2010.
The 36-year-old footballer is again in type. Within the 2023/24 season, he has scored eight objectives (most of them from penalties) and offered eleven assists, creating two scoring alternatives for his teammates on common per match, collaborating in three profitable dribbles and successful six duels. He was significantly spectacular in Might, when he offered two assists in victories over different high groups within the league – NK Celje (3:1) and NK Olimpija (2:1). Within the meantime, he was visited by a delegation of Atalanta followers. They stated: “We love you, Jojo”.
I respect your story
In June 2024, he was referred to as as much as the Slovenian nationwide group. It was simpler for him as a result of the coach is Matjaz Kek, underneath whom he made his debut within the nationwide group a dozen or so years in the past. The 62-year-old coach admitted that he by no means stopped treating Ilicic as a member of the group, though he performed his final match for the group earlier than his profession collapsed in November 2021. On June 4, Ilicic got here on for half an hour in a pleasant match in opposition to Armenia. A couple of minutes later, he scored the successful aim for 1-0. A fraction of our interview as we speak with Erik Janża, the left defender of the Slovenian nationwide group.
“What did you suppose if you noticed Josip on the listing of gamers referred to as up for the European Championships?
No large deal, I took it positively. I watch the Slovenian league and I understand how Josip has been doing within the final ten rounds. Sure, it’s kind of decrease degree, however scoring a aim and giving an help or two in each recreation will not be a straightforward process. He had his issues, however he is an incredible particular person, an incredible skilled who offers his coronary heart to the group.
Have you ever modified your strategy to him due to his off-the-field points?
No, no, no. Me personally, positively not. Possibly somebody who’s in day by day contact with him has a special opinion, however I knew Josip as a optimistic, smiling, always joking particular person, an vital determine within the dressing room and he’s nonetheless the identical particular person.
What’s his position within the locker room?
When you noticed our coaching, a recreation, you’ll know instantly that Josip has one thing extra. Dribbling, one-on-one, he can win a match by himself. In Slovenia, there usually are not many gamers like that and it might be a disgrace if somebody like that weren’t with us.
I learn that he selected the quantity “26” additionally as a result of he was not with the squad through the qualifiers and needed to emphasise that others did extra work.
I do not know if that was the case, however he himself is aware of that those who certified bought promoted. If he may help us, he needs to be with us.
Was it a shock in Slovenia?
Possibly a bit of bit like that. Some individuals requested why he was going to the championship, they stated he was taking another person’s place. I do not agree with that, he’s a brilliant expertise, a brilliant participant who has given rather a lot to the Slovenian nationwide group for fifteen years. He has a whole lot of expertise that he can go on to us.”
Optimistic followers, Ilicic’s power and the aim of the event. Erik Janża talks about Slovenia
Zlatko Zahović, one other vital determine in Slovenian soccer, was vital of Ilicić’s call-up. – He did not participate within the Euro qualifiers and now all eyes and cameras shall be on him – he complained in an interview with the EkipaSN newspaper. It was almost definitely a non-public grievance that spoke by means of him: the appointment of Ilicić blocked the nomination of his son, Luka Zahovic…
His fears about all eyes and cameras turned in a single route turned out to be unfounded, Ilicic spent the primary two group stage matches on the bench, with England getting fifteen minutes. And it was most likely price it, if just for these phrases from Declan Rice: “I respect your historical past.”
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