Serbian winger Dusan Tadic announces retirement from international football

7/18/2024 9:52:50 AM

(MENAFN) On Thursday, Serbian winger Dusan Tadic announced his retirement from international football.

"The main reason for this announcement is that I have made the decision to say goodbye to the jersey of the Serbian national team," Tadic said on Instagram.

"I stand by the views I expressed. I emphasize that I had no intention of insulting my teammates or anyone else who was part of the Serbian team in Germany, so I have the need to explain certain things about which I know there was controversy for the last time," the 35-year-old stated, referring to his dissatisfaction with Serbia head coach Dragan Stojkovic for limiting his playtime during EURO 2024.

Having played for Serbia since 2008, Tadic expressed that representing his country "has always been a love" for him. He reflected on the journey with his national team, saying, "Love for the country, love for the people, love for the game, competition, socializing... We went through a lot together - joy, sadness, smiles, blood, happiness, and there was a lot of pain and suffering." He also highlighted the "privilege" of playing for Serbia in two FIFA World Cup finals, EURO 2024, and the Olympics.

Tadic remarked that he was never motivated by records and found special responsibility, honor, and trust in wearing the captain's armband. "I am saying goodbye to the national team, but I believe that one day I will be there again," he added, expressing gratitude to Serbian fans for their applause and criticism.

Tadic is Serbia's all-time most-capped player with 111 appearances and has scored 23 goals. Last season, he joined Fenerbahce from Dutch giants Ajax and became a key player for the Turkish club. He scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists in 56 appearances for Fenerbahce during the 2023-24 season.

Before his stint at Ajax, where he won three Dutch league titles, Tadic played for England's Southampton.

MENAFN18072024000045015839ID1108455276

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.