Inter completed the acquisition of Petar Sucic for next summer. The talented Croatian, born in 2003, will arrive from Dinamo Zagreb for 16 million euros plus bonuses and there’s much anticipation among Inter fans to see what he can bring to Inzaghi’s team.
His former coach, Nenad Bjelica, who coached him at Dinamo Zagreb for a few months in 2024 before being dismissed in December, spoke about Sucic in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport:
PROFILE – A pure talent. He’ll have a great career at Inter. A deal for 16 million? Given the prices that are being quoted for midfielders these days, absolutely yes. He’s a perfect 10 player and boy. I only coached him for 8 games before he injured his metatarsus and we started to draw or lose. He was fundamental.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES – He offers balance, he can play as a playmaker and mezzala and has great ability to get forward. Under my management, he scored three goals, including two in the Champions League against Monaco and Slovan Bratislava. The third strength is his running power. He’s a box-to-box midfielder. Where does he need to improve? In game management. Sometimes he has breaks.
SIMILARITIES – Who does he resemble? I would say Barella. Give him a midfield three and he’ll feel at home. I’ve also had him play as a playmaker, but he’s given his best as a mezzala. Better, perhaps, on the right, but in the Champions League, for example, he scored starting from the left. In any case, he is the ideal number 8 for any team. He has the ability to tackle and the wit to create and penetrate.
BROZOVIC – He’s a bit like him, but Sucic is much more offensive and knows how to score more goals. Also, he knows how to put the ball in all ways, especially if he starts from behind and goes forward into the box.
FRATTESI – Potentially, Sucic is stronger. He’s smart, often enters the box and then returns to midfield to manage the ball and tackle when needed. We’re talking about a hard-worker: he’s got fire inside.
ANECDOTE – In November 2024 he was called up by the Croatian national team and was sent off after half an hour, but chose to stay with the group. I called him on Monday asking how he was and testing his willingness to play from the start once he returned. I needed a hand, he was straightforward: ‘What’s the problem? I play and we win’. He was the first to arrive and the very last to leave. Occasionally, at the end of training, he would stay back to practice shooting at the goal alone. He was our most important player, in fact after his injury we struggled a lot.
ADAPTATION – I don’t believe. With me he adapted to any scheme. In the Champions League I used a 3-5-1-1, in the league a 4-3-3. He was always the best. Believe me, Inter has made a great deal.
