Serbia was within reach of qualifying for the semi-finals of the European Cadet Championship in Hungary.
The cadet national team of Serbia failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the European Championship as they were outplayed by Poland in a great match (3:2) in Hungary. The Eagles left a good impression, but in the end they were not lucky enough to advance, which was also pointed out by coach Aleksandar Luković at the end of the tournament.
“I would like to praise the guys for everything we did during this tournament and in general, during the two years that we have been working together. Placing in the top eight is definitely a success. We wanted more than that, and the guys really gave their best today, it’s not a phrase. It happened what happened was we conceded a goal in the 90th minute. We lost twice, we came back twice, we wanted to win but we didn’t get it. I would like to praise and encourage the boys because they are only at the beginning of their careers, however now this is difficult. First of all for them, because this is their first representative experience. But this will mean something to them,” Luković said for the FSS website.
The head coach of “Orlić” congratulated the Poles for passing and once again praised the Serbian footballers, whom he says should be lifted up, as he is also proud of them for everything they did in the tournament, especially since it is no small thing to beat Italy and then draw with Spain.
“It is too early to make a detailed and specific analysis, but I must mention that this selection had eight players in 2007. We are the only ones at the European Championship that came with the younger generation, and they will have their own competition next season. We have created a base that will to be seeded in the next championship. For me, this is a great success, we played at a high pace. After the shocking defeat against Slovenia, the boys showed character and against Italy and Spain they showed that they have enormous talent. We showed that we can compete with everyone against Poland as well , we came back into the game twice, and I don’t want to comment on the penalty they got. We played, attacking, offensive football, we hit the post, and it was cruel to concede a goal in the 90th minute. These guys have to accept a sporting defeat, they must not lose heart. A new cycle starts in September, and they have shown that they have serious potential”said the director of the younger national teams, Nikola Lazetić.