After the first part of our interview (read that here), where the former midfielder and now coach recalled his time at Real Madrid and figures like Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola, this part focuses on other subjects, including his deep admiration for his compatriot Luka Modric.
What does Guardiola still do better than anyone else these days?
"He’s an exceptional coach from a tactical perspective, but you also need some luck to be at the best Barcelona, the best Bayern, the best Manchester City... He’s made for these teams. We were very good friends; he’s someone who only talks about football and is only interested in football, and it’s amazing what he’s achieved with all his teams."
Are you still in touch nowadays?
"No, you know how it is, life goes by so fast. You’re always moving around, and there’s little time. I follow all his games and keep up with Manchester City. Last year he had a rough patch, but I believe he’ll do something special again."
Let’s talk about Hansi Flick. Did you ever imagine a German coach leading Barcelona with this current style?
"No, I never thought about it. He’s an impressive and friendly guy, and I get along really well with him. You can tell he’s a great coach. He was with the national team, at Bayern... Barcelona needs that kind of football. What happened in the semi-finals (in last season's Champions League) was just luck. A final against PSG would have been incredible."
Hats off to 'special' Modric
I’d like to ask about Peter Dubovsky, who was a Slovak star in his time but sadly died in 2000 at 28, while on vacation in Thailand...
"I played with him at Real Madrid, not at Oviedo. He was an extraordinary person, and everyone liked him. He was very calm. I was really saddened by what happened. I don’t know what else to say. We got along very well; we’d go for coffee and lunch together. He was a fantastic guy."
Sinisa Mihajlovic also passed away. How do you remember him, and what was he like?
"He was great with friends and family. I was with him in the national team and spent a year at Red Star, where we won the Champions League. He scored amazing free-kick goals in Italy for Inter, then became a coach... He was a positive person and always believed the illness wasn’t serious. It’s been three years now. He was a wonderful guy."
Let’s move to England and Portsmouth. How did Harry Redknapp manage the group when you were there?
"I spent a year with him, and it was incredible. He gave me a lot of freedom. He was different from everyone else. There, it’s all about football. I didn’t stay longer because my father was very ill. I have great memories.
"I was there recently, and people still remember (me). I ran into Peter Crouch, who was very friendly. Now he has a radio show where he talks about everything with a lot of humour. He was two meters tall and played football really well."
We have to talk about Luka Modric, who signed for AC Milan last summer...
"He’s special, he’s 40 years old and still playing at the highest level. So many years at Real Madrid, now at Milan, still with the national team... He finished second and third at the World Cup with a country of four million or three and a half million people. That’s not normal.
"Physically, what can I say? It’s incredible to keep going at this level for so long, not in minor leagues. Only he can do that. He went to Italy because of his mentality, to win the league there. And he’ll be at the World Cup. Chapeau."
Prosinecki reveals his ideal XI below...
Croatian international Petar Sucic is at Inter currently. How far do you think he can go?
"He came from Bosnia and Herzegovina and had a great spell at Dinamo Zagreb. You can see he has a lot of talent, works for the team, has an impressive mentality and knows how to play. I hope he has a career like (Marcelo) Brozovic (in terms of his path in Serie A). He probably isn’t at Luka’s level, but he’s there and can definitely play at a high level."
What’s your view on Bosnian legend Edin Dzeko?
"He’s a natural goalscorer, with more than 50 goals in every league he’s played in. Manchester City, Roma, Inter... Impressive. At 1.90 meters, very tall, he’s technically good. He’s very important for his national team, probably the best ever.
You’ve had lots of coaches, but was there one who influenced you more than the others?
"When I retired, I said I didn’t want to be a coach, but then you start to like it. Football is my home. There were many, but one who changed me a lot was Radomir Antic, with whom I was in my first year at Real Madrid. Then he went to Oviedo and helped me a lot there.
"There’s also Johan Cruyff, and Ljubko Petrov at Red Star. In the end, you learn something from each one. It’s not easy being a coach. For me, the best I had was Johan Cruyff."
To finish, I’d like us to put together a best XI of players you played with or against!
"I’ll tell you about the players I played with: Paco Buyo; Chapi Ferrer, Fernando Hierro, Miguel Nadal, Gordillo; Dejan Savicevic, Guardiola, Michel, (Luis) Figo, Ronaldo and (Goran) Vucevic.