Widely regarded by pundits as the greatest Montenegrin player of all time, while Savićević often received praise throughout his career from pundits, players, and managers, for his playing ability, technical skill, success, talent, and creativity, he also came under criticism over his poor work-rate, lack of discipline, and inconsistency. Sports journalist Gabriele Marcotti, for example, once described Savićević as "the languid genius who played the game at his own pace and, for long stretches, appeared to be in his own world".