Markovic to Slovan: Potential & Early Impact

Slovan introduced the dream reinforcement at the stopper position. Svetozar Markovič came from Pilsen. “He certainly has more potential than his career shows so far. In my opinion, he should play at a higher level than where he has been,” says journalist Przemek Siemieniako. As an expert on the Serbian league, he followed Marković practically from his first years in adult football.

How would you describe Markovič?

He is a strong defender who likes to play hard, sharp. He looks very good in one-on-one fights – on the ground and in the air.

Slovan urgently needs a pillar at the stopper position. Will Markovic be an immediate reinforcement?

Yes, he should be a reinforcement. He is at an excellent football age and is in good physical shape.

A Czech journalist told us that Markovič is not fast and that he is rather old school. Can you confirm this?

Yes, I can relate to that comparison. Markovic reminds me of the old Italian school of defenders, types like Giorgio Chiellini or Andrea Barzagli.

He had a reputation for great talent, already playing in the league at the age of seventeen for Partizan Belgrade. How did you see him?

Markovic was a great talent. When he entered adult football, everyone assumed that he would play in one of the top 5 leagues in the world. When he was a teenager at Partizan, many said he had the potential to play in the Premier League. He impressed with his play in the air and by winning one-on-one battles, he was very strong for his age. Several clubs from the Premier League were interested in him, there was talk of Manchester United, but no concrete offer came. He decided to transfer to Olympiakos, but he got lost there.

He was rumored to play in the Premier League, but failed to make the cut at Olympiakos Piraeus. What happened to him?

He simply got lost in Olympiakos. He didn’t fit in, he couldn’t handle it mentally and he gave up too quickly. He didn’t have the strength to boast about that period.

He was not able to assert himself and began to play worse. His talent was not enough, he had a weaker period. You stopped believing. He did not manage the engagement in Greece. The club sent him on loan to AE Larissa, but he didn’t catch on there either. In the 2019/20 season, as a twenty-year-old talent, he played only eight matches in the Greek league. He didn’t try hard enough and couldn’t find himself. Mentally he was really in crisis, after a weak period in Greece he had to return to Partizan to restart his career

However, he also gradually declined in Partizan, and in Pilsen he also did not quite live up to expectations. Do you believe that he will restart his career in Slovakia?

Markovič is still unfulfilled in football and has great ambitions to establish himself at a higher level. He will do everything to win an important position in Slovan’s team and show himself in the best possible light in European cups.

The specialized server Transfermarkt gives a price tag next to his name: 3.5 million. Is it realistic?

It is very difficult to determine its exact price. Markovič certainly has more potential than his career shows so far. In my opinion, he should play at a higher level than where he has been so far.

According to our estimates, Slovan bought him for about one million euros. What do you think about it?

In my opinion, this is a very good price. Markovič has not yet shown his full potential, but if he plays regularly, Slovan can sell him for a significantly higher amount in the future.

What is Svetozar’s character?

He is very combative and likes to fight, but sometimes he can get angry quickly.

In Slovan, they will expect a lot from him from the beginning. Can he handle a lot of pressure?

Maybe it used to be difficult, but in recent years he has gained more confidence. If he receives trust from the beginning, he can be a very important figure in the team in Slovan.

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