 Hoping to reach top form once again, Kovačević moved to La Liga side Real Sociedad in 1996.It was with the Spanish club that Kovačević put on some of his best performances and became one of Europe's best once again, finishing as one of the top scorers in the UEFA Cup during the 1998–99 season, with 8 goals.Larger clubs soon came calling, with Italian giants Juventus acquiring the big Serbian in the summer of 1999 for 33 billion lire (£12 million).