Seething Matic to quit duty for Serbia
CHELSEA midfielder Nemanja Matic has threatened to walk out on Serbia after Friday’s 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Czech Republic.
Matic, frustrated at Serbia’s failure to qualify for next summer’s European Championship, was furious following the loss in Ostrava.
‘I always try to lead by example but some people don’t want to see that,’ said the 27-year-old.
‘The attitude of some players is unacceptable, not just on the pitch but off it, too, and it was obvious from the moment we got together on Monday.
‘I told our coach [Radovan Curcic] there is no point in me carrying on with the national team if things don’t change.’
And it looks as though Serbia’s woeful Euro 2016 campaign — which saw them finish a remote fourth in their five-team group — will also cost ex-Aston Villa striker Savo Milosevic his job as the national team’s managing director.
‘Reading between the lines of Curcic’s statements after the Czech game, one could see that he is on the brink of stepping down and I am in the same boat with him,’ said an angry Milosevic.
‘I have asked for support and patience from the players in the past eight months but their lack of commitment is quite simply indefensible.’
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, who came off the bench to scored in Spain’s 2-0 win over England in Alicante on Friday, will be rewarded with a place in the starting line-up against Belgium in Brussels on Tuesday.
Cazorla will replace Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara, who has a swollen knee.
Elsewhere, Southampton boss Ronald Koeman is sweating over the fitness of Virgil van Dijk after the Dutch defender withdrew from Holland’s squad to face Germany.
Van Dijk, who has been outstanding for the Saints after his summer switch from Celtic, picked up a knee injury in the 3-2 win against Wales in Cardiff on Friday, leaving the filed at half-time.