Ilicic: I was very close to joining Napoli, Milan and Bologna also contacted me

October 15th Slovenia forward Ilicic has played in Serie A for many years. He spent the most glorious period of his career in Atlanta. Now the 37-year-old he plays in Koper, Slovenia. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Ilicic looked back on his career.

On whether to consider retiring

Actually I have thought about retiring, but I have known the director and chairman here for 25 years. When they asked me for help, I immediately agreed. I want to continue enjoying football as long as my health allows.

About his career in Atlanta

When I met Paratici in London two years ago, he said that our striker strength was enough to win the championship. At that moment, I understood everything. I played with the likes of Papu Gomez, Muriel and Pasalic and scored goals with my eyes closed. We did what others couldn't do, we scored two goals at Anfield and five goals against Milan and Parma. That team just lacked a trophy, we reached the Coppa Italia final twice but that game in 2019 felt like we never played at all.

What can I say about Gasperini calling himself worthy of the Ballon d'Or

? I never say how good I was, but I was in really good shape. I didn't know what it would be like to join Real Madrid, but I went to the gym for the first time in 2010 when I was playing at Palermo. If systematic training is carried out from the age of 17...

Regarding which teams have wanted to get me

I have negotiated the joining with Naples and also talked with Ancelotti, but Percassi (Atlanta chairman) stopped everything. I was also contacted by Milan and Bologna, where Mihajlovic was still coaching at the time. However, I have no regrets about such a thing. Rather than being an ordinary player in a big club, it would be better to play a starring role in Atalanta.

On why I left Atlanta

The Achilles tendon problem coupled with the weight fluctuations made me very painful, and I will never be able to get back to my previous state. I tried acupuncture and many other treatments to no avail.