EXCLUSIVE: Former Blancos striker Davor Suker talks
about an old colleague and his former club ahead of a tantalising Madrid
derby in Tuesday’s UCL last-eight first leg
Atletico have won four and drawn two of their six meetings this season and Suker, now the president of the Croatian Football Federation, is expecting a reaction from Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.
“Atletico were stronger in their recent meetings but that could also give Real greater motivation,” Suker, 47, told Goal. “We will see. It is great to have Croatian players in such a clash but I sure hope Real win. I would love to see my old club in the Berlin final.”
Suker was referring to compatriots Mario Mandzukic, the Atletico striker, and Luka Modric, the Madrid midfielder. Both have had stop-start seasons, with Simeone revealing that the former Bayern Munich forward’s slump in form was down to an injury he had been carrying for 10 matches.
Modric, meanwhile, missed most of the winter with a thigh problem – Suker even admitted he “was a little afraid that Modric could get injured in the last Clasico because he had just returned after long term injury."
Suker, the 1998 World Cup golden boot-winner, spent three seasons at Real Madrid and was a Sevilla team-mate of Atletico boss Diego Simeone before moving to the Bernabeu in 1996.
He still keeps a close eye on events in the Spanish capital and is encouraged by Madrid's recent resurgence after March defeats to Athletic Bilbao, Schalke and Barcelona.
"There was no crisis. March is always tough, it is normal for big clubs to have a period when they don't win every game,” he added. “It is better it happens in March than in May. And in June we will see who did or didn’t have a crisis and how it affected the team."
One player in particular has emphatically returned to his best after an alarming loss of form - Ronaldo. The 30-year-old scored five times in the 9-1 win over Granada and took his career Madrid tally to 300 during the 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano before adding another against Eibar on Saturday.
When asked whether he preferred the Madrid man to Lionel Messi, Suker made it clear where his loyalties lie.
"Ronaldo is my favourite player because I am a 'Blanco'! They are two extraordinary players, from outer space, but I prefer Ronaldo."
Real’s focus on Tuesday turns away from Liga title rivals Barca to city adversaries Atletico. The capital derby is quickly becoming one of the big showdowns in European football – but it wasn’t always this way.
“Back in my time Atletico were not as strong as they are today. Of course El Clasico is bigger, with the whole world in expectation days ahead of the game. Everyone watches it. And to play it is fantastic.
“For that game you don't need a coach, you only need him to give the shirts to the players, because all the players know they have to be the best on the day. They’re very motivated and can't wait for the match to start.”
A huge factor in the Madrid derby’s rise to one of the bigger games on the calendar is Atletico coach Simeone. The Argentine has turned his side into a title-winning outfit, despite operating on a quarter of their city rivals’ budget.
Under Simeone, Atletico have won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League, the Spanish and European Super Cups and were seconds away from victory in last season’s Champions League final before Sergio Ramos’ late goal took that Madrid derby to extra-time.
Suker played with ‘El Cholo’ between 1992-94 in Andalucia and, while he always admired his passion, did not foresee his transformation into one of the top coaches in world football.
"It is very hard to predict things in football... No, I didn't expect him to be such a successful coach. He was a very good midfielder with a big temper!
“I am glad to see he managed to transmit that temper from the pitch to the bench, that he passes that desire on to his players. I am glad he succeeded and I always speak to him about Mandzukic – we have a good relationship.
source: Goal.com
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