The best Serbian national team has started preparations for important qualifying matches against Portugal and Luxembourg, and before the first training of the national team at the FSS Sports Center in Stara Pazova, selector Ljubisa Tumbakovic and captain Alexander Kolarov were in front of the press…
- The outcome has a serious dimension. The players are aware of the quality of both the teams and the individuals that Portugal has. They are also aware of their capabilities. It is a great psychological burden, but even if we lose, it is not the end of the world. It would not be good if we did not do everything to avoid a negative result – said Ljubisa Tumbakovic at a press conference in Stara Pazova.
The match against Portugal will be played on Saturday at 20.45 at the stadium „Rajko Mitic“ in Belgrade, while visiting Luxembourg three days later.
-The match with Portugal carries less burden because it is a national team that is the current European champion and winner of the League of Nations. They have a collective potential, great professional involvement, but also a group of skillful individuals. Through that match, we will try to make it easier for the next four games to arrive at results. A big psychological burden is on the match with Luxembourg, we talk very little about it, and it carries three points.
Tumbakovic will make his debut on the Serbian national team bench … -It is an honor and a pleasure to wear this T-shirt, but the joy will be even greater if everything is done as planned. This is a national project, the result of the consequences of collective work and access, responsibility to one’s country. I would be selfish if I thought this was the crown of my career.
Captain Alexander Kolarov was the shooter in the last Rome derby with Lazio and was in the mood to prepare for the Eagles …
- As far as I can see, there are no injured people and I am not interested in the offended. The atmosphere builds on victories. There must be mutual respect. That is the foundation for everything else. All the guys are in place, they are great professionals and I look forward to the games. Players should show what they can. With any luck we can make a good result, Alexander Kolarov told reporters in Stara Pazova.
About the match with Portugal…
-We can’t concentrate on Ronald alone, though he should be given the utmost attention. Every player is a threat. Ronaldo only brings quality more. The rest are great players, very tricky. Bernardo Silva alongside Ronaldo is one of their best players. Portugal is one of the highest quality national teams in Europe. They were European champions and have been upgraded ever since, now they are more compact. They have several players who are in great shape. They are one of the most competitive teams.