Matic warns against Serbian 'viruses' Red Star and Partizan

Nemanja Matic, a former Premier League star, has gone on an explosive tirade against Serbian soccer. The head of the soccer association, as well as the two most prominent teams in the nation, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade, have also been targeted by his criticism.

“Serbian football is sick, infected with viruses called Red Star and Partizan! What’s important is that there is a cure…”, the ex-Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder said on the X social network.

For the Balkan nation’s sports, Matic’s remarks couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment. Concurrently, Nemanja Vidic, a past Football Association of Serbia (FSS) presidential candidate, has brought attention to the issues he perceives. During the FSS presidential elections, it was Matic who backed his former national team teammate, Vidic.

What did Nemanja Matic previously say about FFS?

The administration of Serbian soccer has been the target of Matic’s criticisms before. Not long ago, he spoke about the Eagles’ youth players on the YU Planet YouTube channel and warned them against signing with Red Star and Partizan.

Both teams are among the finest in the nation, and the now 35-year-old played for both when he was a youngster. Before he got to Kolubara, everyone in the Serbian capital thought he was just a young, inexperienced player.

If he could go back in time and offer his younger self any piece of advice, the Rennes player would tell himself to steer clear of the dramas at Zvezda and Partizan.

“Don’t go to Red Star and Partizan! I think I wasted my time there and they didn’t teach me anything. Everything they taught us there was wrong. When I went to a more serious level, they taught me everything about counterattack. Then I sat down and thought if it was possible…

“A lot of parents make mistakes with that. Red Star and Partizan scouts travel around Serbia and look for talents, which is normal. It’s hard to say ‘no’ when Red Star and Partizan call. But I think that children leave too early and that they should stay in smaller environments because there are good coaches who can develop them. They will gain something when they go to the biggest clubs, but they will also lose a lot.

“Maybe ‘banished’ is a bit of a harsh word, but they do it. Maybe I was behind my generation physically. Red Star judged that I was not for them and they chased me away. I had already moved from the village to the city and had to find another club. Partizan invited me to transfer to them, I was there for a year and a half, and then they kicked me out”, Matic added.

How has Matic fared since then?

Nevertheless, despite his misfortune with those two teams, Matic managed to craft a fantastic career for himself in a circuitous fashion. He can boast of having donned the Benfica, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Roma jerseys, among others.

He joined the French Ligue 1 club Rennes in the summer of 2023. Despite his stellar career, he only had one appearance in a major tournament for his country during that period, and that was at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Photo credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC : IMAGO / Aleksandar Djorovic.