DUŠAN TADIĆ FAREWELL TO THE NATIONAL TEAM SHIRT | FROM ANTALYA TO MUNICH, 111 EPISODES OF MAGIC AND PERFECTION
Dušan Tadić – the record holder with 111 matches played in the national team, said goodbye to the shirt of the Serbian national team. The player who won three Golden Balls Awards of the Football Association of Serbia, is also the record holder in the number of assists that will be remembered mostly by Aleksandar Mitrović, the top scorer in the history of the best national team.
Let’s start! The records are there to be broken. But not everyone can break records. Only the selected ones.
Dušan Tadić wore the shirt of the National Team of Serbia for the 106th time on the match against Cyprus, that was played on 25.03.2024 in Larnaca, He surpassed Branislav Ivanovic and entered in the history as a player with most appearances for the Serbian national team.
“The feeling is really nice. The endless gratitude to all the people from the National Team and the Football Association of Serbia who made efforts to make the match in Larnaca a wonderful memory for me. It’s a pity that the record was not marked by a goal, and I had a great chance in the second half. The Cypriot player hit my leg, he had no intention to go for the ball, I don’t know why the referee didn’t call a penalty. It doesn’t matter, the important thing is that we won,” Tadić said immediately after the match against Cyprus, the National Team he scored the most times in his career against – (3 times). Twice in Nicosia in 2013 in a 3:1 victory and once in Užice when, in addition to the goal scored, he had a phenomenal assist to Mitrović for a 2:0 victory.
He made his debut on 14.12.2008 in a friendly match in Antalya against Poland and made his last 111th appearance at the UEFA European Championship in Germany against Denmark.
“Years go by, but some matches are not forgotten. Let’s say, that first one against Poland. Radomir Antic gave a chance to players from the domestic championship, among whom were Đurić, Aleksić, Vulićević and me from Vojvodina. It was a nice experience. Ćurčić sat on the bench, but Antic held meetings. I don’t remember his words; I only know that we paid attention and listened with great pleasure to the man who led three of the most famous Spanish clubs. I played a solid one half and then I was substituted by Darko Lazović.”
Match number 25 was in Sao Paulo against Brazil in 2014.
“We got the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the World Cup against the hosts.” They were in a group with Croatia, and we served them as the last test, six days before the start of the championship. They won 1:0 with Fred’s goal, but we left a great impression and the media in Brazil wrote about the panic in the lines of their national team and their unpromising form before the matches at the World Cup. They turned out to be right, as Germany inflicted one of the heaviest defeats in their history and destroyed their dreams of winning the trophy on home soil.”
Match number 50 in Torino against Morocco.
“Again, the preparation match before the World Cup, but this time we were checking our form for the big competition. I remember the delicious pasta we ate at the hotel for lunch. I ate two plates; I have never tasted a tastier Italian specialty before or since. The match was interesting, they played a better game and deservedly won with 2:1. I joined the scorers together with my teammate from Ajax, Hakim Ziyech.”
Match number 75 has a special charm because it marked the beginning of the triumph road to FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“At that moment, Portugal was the current European champion and winner of the UEFA Nations League” We entered the match with too much respect and played a bad first half. They took a 2:0 lead and many expected a big defeat in the rest of the match. We closed our lines and dominated the second half. The second goal came after a playbook move, perhaps the most beautiful in my national team career. That’s how we should always play. Simple, fast and everything from the first touch. Football is essentially a simple game. You play, you keep running, you offer yourself, a deep pass and a goal. Not much philosophy here. The draw with Portugal was the beginning of a beautiful story that ended with a magnificent epilogue in Lisbon.”
Jubilee hundred was certified in Kaunas against Lithuania.
“Our regular customers in the qualifiers for major competitions.” They are not a naive team at all, they took away points from many teams. The Hungarians won against Lithuania both times with goals in the last seconds of the match. Our approach to the game was decisive, with maximum seriousness and motivation from the first referee’s whistle. We knew that any setback could take us away from Germany. We opened the game with quick goals and after that it was all routine. With three goals, Mitrović registered three points on Serbia’s scores already at halftime.”
Photos are lined up and the best memories are made. The first time with the captain’s armband was in Podgorica against Montenegro. The first game with Branislav Ivanovic together in the team was against Armenia in Yerevan.
“I haven’t talked from Ivanovic for a long time, the last time was a few months ago by phone.” An exceptional guy who did a lot of good things for the national team. The Club career for all respect. I was sorry when he retired because the experience of a player of his caliber is invaluable for any team. There is a nice photo from Moldova when I prepared his goal in a 3-0 win. Ivanovic had an incredible jump; it is enough to throw the ball into the opponent’s penalty area and it is a sure goal. Everyone was amazed at how high a man could jump. Maybe more than Mitrović, but Mitrović, on the other hand, has excellent timing and knows where the ball will land.”
The first goal in the national team was against Wales. Where else but in Novi Sad. However, another match against Wales deserves a special place in Dusan Tadić’s scrapbook.
“Everyone remembers the scene in Cardiff when I couldn’t stop my nose bleeding for the whole match. The duel with Taylor was in the heat of the fight, but there was no logic for him to go for the ball like that in that situation. I told Doctor Mladenović to adjust my nose, there was no force that could make me leave the match. I had a wish to destroy Taylor. I couldn’t wait for the second leg in Belgrade to take revenge on him in a football way. To dribble it, spin it, drive it, hit it, carry it on my back. Sportingly to ‘beat’ him, literally to make him feel bad. Unfortunately, he did not come to Belgrade. I was very disappointed to see that it was not on the list. He played in Aston Villa, but we never met again in England either. The doctor in Southampton was amazed, he couldn’t believe how much blood I had lost in 15 days. I could hardly stand on my feet from weakness.”
Another beautiful photo – Celebration of qualification at the European Championship and victory dance with teammates in Leskovac.
“It came spontaneously. Mladenović and Mitrović were making fun of me dancing at some celebration, there were Živković, Veljković and Maksimović… They started imitating me, we all accepted the joke, and it turned out cute. Another detail that speaks of unity in the national team.
Nice atmosphere in Leskovac, good pitch, we struggled against Bulgaria, but the most important thing is that after 24 years we provided to our people to watch their national team at the European Championship.
Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar… Dušan measured for these 16 years the strength with the biggest stars of European and World football.
“Messi is definitely the greatest master I have played against.” We met at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Cristiano is an example of how hard work and sacrifice can lead to a top career. Neymar is also a player of extraordinary quality, but also a big simulating player. You can see in a photo from the World Cup how good he is at deflecting fouls. I didn’t even touch him; he moaned and fell. He can raise his legs and fly into the air; it seems that you killed him. How that situation cannot annoy you. I had to react more sharply in that match, some things you just can’t keep quiet about.’
It is not easy after 111 matches to choose the most beautiful stadium in the National Team career.
“Maybe that Lusail in Qatar where we played against Brazil.” It was also the scene of the World Cup final. It looks really spectacular, the stands remind me of the Stadium Santiago Bernabeu. My favorite is certainly Da Luz because we always played well against Portugal there. I was among the scorers both times, once from a penalty when it ended 1:1 and once from the game in that anthology game that entered all the history books of our football. The magnificent Lisbon night will forever remain in the hearts of all members of our generation.”
At the end, another wonderful photo: the tandem that moved the boundaries and wrote the history of Serbian football: Tadić and Mitrović – Marjanović and Tirnanić of new era.
“I like the comparison. It’s a pleasure to play with Mitrović, the guy is amazing. Always eager and hungry for goals, a great professional. The strongest striker I’ve played with in my career. We know each other inside out and that’s why we work so well on the pitch. We haven’t seen each other for months, and then the national team gets together and it’s as if we hadn’t even separated. I know exactly when to pass him the ball and he knows exactly when to run into space. It’s an amazing feeling.”
An incredible tandem. One is the record holder for the number of goals, the other is the record holder for the number of appearances. Candidates for the Hall of Fame of Serbian national football.
“I never had much importance to numbers and records.” They are there to be broken. One of the younger players will surely break ours one day. That’s how it should be.”
Exactly. But records are broken only by the chosen ones.
Thank you Dušan for everything!
