CF Montreal | Mihailovic ‘could play next weekend’, says Johnston
It was a little phrase simply launched by Alistair Johnston, Tuesday, at the end of his media availability. A few words… which were full of information on the Djordje Mihailovic case.
Posted at 3:00 p.m.
Updated at 5:43 p.m.
“I spoke a little with Djordje, replied the defender to a question from The Press. He seemed in a good mood to me. I believe he will be back in action next weekend [contre Chicago]. That’s the plan. »
Johnston thus confirmed what the club had still not specified, namely whether Mihailovic would be back in Montreal to end the MLS season there. So that seems to be the case.
Which would mean that his transfer to AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch first division, as reported by several media, would only take place at the end of this season. Good news for the club and its supporters.
Mihailovic was absent from last Saturday’s match due to an “imminent transfer” to a “European club”, CF Montreal confirmed at the time.
Olivier Renard had mentioned, on TVA Sports, that the club had given him permission to travel. According to what we understand, Mihailovic is currently in Europe to conclude the agreement and carry out the necessary medical tests.
We are still waiting for an official announcement from the Bleu et Noir.
Joel Waterman, for his part, said on Tuesday that he « probably knew as much as [nous] » on this subject. « He’s doing his business, and I imagine we’ll see what happens in the next few days, when an announcement is made. »
win-win
In terms of pure talent, Djordje Mihailovic is CF Montreal’s best player right now. It was inevitable that a move to a club in Europe would be in the cards. The player was talking about it openly. The club too, since the idea is part of the philosophy of sports director Olivier Renard: to obtain talented young players by means of an attractive sum, and then resell them at a profit.
During his two years in Montreal, Mihailovic has evolved greatly. In 2021, the midfielder had the profile of an effective playmaker, energetic offensively. He finished the season with 16 assists, a record for the club after Ignacio Piatti’s 13 in 2018. But he still lacked that flair in front of the net, having scored 4 goals in 34 games.
In 2022, he added this important string to his bow. Before his injury at the end of May, he was all fired up (7 goals and 4 assists in 14 games) and was dominating discussions for the title of league MVP.
His great season took a sad turn when he injured his foot against FC Cincinnati on May 28. His recall to the United States a few weeks later – an opportunity he had long cherished – would fall through. And perhaps also his chances of winning a position with his selection before the World Cup in Qatar.
This injury also likely resulted in Kamal Miller being the Montreal player selected for the MLS All-Star game. Miller did not demerit this selection at all. Quite the contrary. But the fact remains that the disappointment was strong for the American.
Mihailovic finally returned to action on July 16. But it took time to find his bearings. He recently compared this period to a kind of « pre-season ». And precisely, his last game against Houston was his most successful since. The midfielder has not blackened the score sheet since his return, but we feel that he is approaching it.
Or that he would approach it, if he actually stayed at CF Montreal to conclude the season. Which would be win-win, for the player and the club.
