The elimination of Serbia at the hands of Scotland on penalties has sting a lot in the Balkan country. Nobody expected that Serbia would not be in the Eurocup, playing the decisive game of the play-off at home, but the Scots were better from eleven meters. Criticism has been fierce of the Serbian disaster. “False stars and dancers,” called them veteran former player and former coach Stanislav Karasi.
A selection, the one trained by Tumbakovic, that does not raise its head in this XXI century. Has failed to qualify for any of the European championships (2004-2008-2012-2016 or 2021) and in the last World Cups he has not passed the group stage: 2006, 2010 and 2018. He did not attend Brazil 2014 either. The coach has the days counted at the head of the national team, which he arrived in the summer of 2019. Criticism for placing Sevillista Gudelj almost as a left back and Kostic in the starting eleven instead of Mladenovic have lit the fuse. He stoked the fire by pointing to the locker room after the match: “The players did not respond. There are probably several reasons. We will know them when we do the analysis. “
The one that was international and authorized voice Stanislav Karasi does not save anyone from the hard defeat and pointed directly to the captain: “Dušan Tadić plays as a ballet dancer. You can play nonchalantly for Ajax but not for the national team. He decides everything and does nothing. Many things did not work. They showed that the national team is not well done, Gudelj played as a left back, unimaginable. A player who poses battle in the middle of the field to the Scots, remains on the sidelines. There are footballers who play in their clubs with better players and that is why they do it well. They are false stars“.
Operation Qatar 2022
The truth is that Serbia is already thinking about the next World Cup. Everyone remembers that just five years ago, Serbia managed to surprise and win the U-20 World Cup against Brazil. That group was led from the bench by current Reading coach Veljko Paunovic. Now everyone in the Balkan country points to him as a savior. Milinkovic-Savic; Gacinovic; Rajkovic; Maksimovic or Grujic were part of that group and the one that failed against Scotland.
“These things happen in football. They tried, everyone gave their best, unfortunately we didn't get the result that we all wanted. I want to give my support to the national team, to our people. I know that at this moment it is difficult for everyone “Paunovic noted of the elimination. Along the same lines was the message from the Real Madrid player Jovic, author in extremis of the tie. “Guys, let's move on!”
“In ten years these players will be European champions,” predicted Paunovic at the time after winning the U-20 World Cup. There is still time for this generation.