Nemanja Vidić presented his presidential program for the Football Association of Serbia
On Monday, Nemanja Vidić was a guest on Serbian Radio and Television and presented his program for the presidential elections in the Football Association of Serbia.
“I lived abroad for 18 years, my children were born there and I felt the need at one point to return. First of all, for my children to create a sense of belonging, to learn about our customs, culture, to know where they are from, where they are our roots and where we are going,” he said.
“I went the hard way, in the time when coaches in Serbia were very easy to win, I went the hard way. I was preparing to be ready for that position. Considering that in the last period I commented a lot about Serbian football and pointed out the problems. I realized that my words have no weight, that nothing changes, and that’s why I’m ready to offer a solution. At Manchester United, I learned from people who have entered the professionalization of football. I want to pass on my experience and contacts, to put in purpose of the Football Association of Serbia,” added Vidić.
His basic plan for FSS is – professionalization.
“I believe that the FSS should professionalize, be transparent, educate future football players, officials, deal with clubs from the interior, amateur football. It is true that there are not only people from football, but also from business, the banking system. There is Branko Milutinović from Nordeus, I met him at the UEFA Master under the auspices of the University of Limoges. He created his company on the basis of innovation, knowledge and modern technologies, which is how I want the Football Association of Serbia to develop. Football is a business, more than a sport.”
His team also includes the director of a well-known bank. “There is also Petar Jovanović, the director of RBA Bank, one of the largest in Serbia, he has been in the banking system, executive boards and insurance companies for a long time. He can help in the financial sector, just like Branko, to help in the development of Serbian soccer”
In which direction does Vidić want Serbian football to go? If Vidić wins, that strategy will also be determined by Slavoljub Muslin, the former ace and coach of Zvezda, as well as the former coach of Serbia.
“I know in which direction we want to go. I need people with whom I will go to that goal. They are professionals, socially responsible people, patriots, who want to help FSS pro bono. And I am extremely glad that they are part of this team. I want to emphasize that my team also includes Slavoljub Muslin, a former coach who is respected abroad, who can unite coaches and create a plan and program to develop Serbian football, from youth, amateur to professional. Yes, everyone let’s unite knowledge, put aside vanity and work to improve Serbian football”.
“I’m not the one who should say how to develop FSS, but it should be done by people from business, the coaching organization… I’m the captain of a team that should function well. I think I’ve done it well with my behavior throughout my career I showed that I am a team player,” he added.
Is it possible without politics? Vidić said that he is completely apolitical and will remain so.
“FSS should follow state policy and protect state interests. If we have quality people from different sectors who can help those interests, they are people from FSS. All the people in my IO are apolitical, including me, I based the whole career based on knowledge, effort and work and I want it to stay that way, I do not want to belong to any political party and to put all the knowledge I have acquired abroad for the purpose of football”.
Vidić also spoke about the performance of the national team in Qatar: “It was a success that we went to the World Cup and that we were the first, ahead of Portugal. As always, we had expectations. I talked many times about problems coming and they came true, but I don’t want to talk about the problems, but to be part of the solution, which I don’t offer alone, but with my team. The problem was the balance of defense and attack, we had a lot of shortcomings and that is something that we need to fix in the future, if we want to make a better result in the next competitions. I believe that coach Stojković is aware of the shortcomings, he has been in the coaching business for many years, I have no doubt that he analyzed the problems and that he will improve where we are good, and where there are problems – that we will be better”
Vidić also spoke about Bajčetić, Samardžić, the talents that FSS is fighting for to play for Serbia…
“I would deal less with names and more with systemic things. We had examples in the past of players choosing who they would play for, Austria, Spain, we have to be prepared that this will happen in the future. We have to have scouting, a team of people who will take care of these young guys and to include them at the earliest possible age to play for the national selection. I would like Bajčetić to play for our country and I will try my best if I am selected to help. We have to work on creating an organization that will be credible and which the players and fans will trust. FSS must be a service to clubs, regions and set standards and the direction in which we want to go. When the players feel this, we will not have a problem with them deciding to play for Serbia”.
What is the difference between Serbian football when he left and now?
“Young players were given a chance, at the age of 19 I was the captain of Zvezda. Young players leave for us and we lose them, we don’t know how they develop abroad. This is a big problem for Serbian football and us as an organization, regardless of whether I am the president or Dragan Džajić, we have to deal with that topic. The state invests a lot of money in stadiums, but someone has to play in those stadiums. The profession has to get involved,” said Vidić.
At that place, he also announced the return of the once best Serbian judge. “Milorad Mažić can restore trust in the referee organization and I am extremely glad that he accepted to be part of the team. Danko Lazović and Lane Jovanović decided to study after their careers, Danko in Limož. Lane in Novi Sad, at the state university and is the standard I want to set – that people who want to progress, to work on themselves must work in the Alliance”.
Vidić also spoke about his relationship with Red Star: “I was abroad for a long time and we cannot escape the fact that I probably spent the best part of my career at United. I am emotionally attached to Zvezda, to Serbia, I am here and I want to help. I will be a solution, not a problem. When it comes to Zvezda, I have been abroad for 18 years, I have become a person who supports Serbia, not Zvezda. After arriving in Serbia two years ago, I noticed that we are divided into Serbs from Montenegro, Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbians, star players, partisans… I think that football can unite. That we should not cheer for Vidić, Stojković, Tadić, Mitrović in the stadium, but for Serbia. That is what I would like to achieve as a presidential candidate.”
Finally, Vidić also spoke about Dragan Džajić: “When I came to Zvezda at the age of 15, he was the president and we have a great relationship. Our relationship will not change whoever wins on March 14”.