Former Udinese coach Andrea Sottil shared his thoughts on Lazar Samardzic, following reports that the midfielder is close to joining AC Milan. Sottil, who worked closely with Samardzic during his time at Udinese, offered high praise for the young player’s abilities and potential.
“We’re talking about an extraordinary player between the lines,” Sottil remarked. “For me, he’s a born trequartista. He’s very humble and has a great desire to improve. He will have a great career.”
Sottil’s comments highlight Samardzic’s natural talent as an attacking midfielder and his positive attitude towards personal development. These qualities have undoubtedly contributed to the interest from top clubs like Milan.
However, Sottil also addressed the prolonged transfer negotiations between Samardzic and Inter Milan last year, which ultimately fell through. He believes this situation had a significant impact on the player:
“That situation took a lot away from him. He had completed the entire pre-season training: he was very focused, then the negotiations arrived. This is also part of football. Udinese, like many other teams, makes capital gains of this type. This long negotiation made him lose his rhythm a bit.”
The coach also touched on the role of Samardzic’s father in the player’s career, stating, “I’m told that his father is involved in almost everything.” Despite this, Sottil believes Samardzic managed to regain his focus for the season, though the failed transfer undoubtedly affected him: “Samardzic then entered the season with the right mindset, but this thing certainly disturbed him.”
