FA OF SERBIA VICE-PRESIDENT BRANISLAV NEDIMOVIĆ | UEFA DECISION A BIG VICTORY FOR SERBIAN FOOTBALL AND SERBIA THREE BIG REASONS WHY THE MATCH WITH RUSSIA IS A GOOD THING FOR FAS

FAS vice-president Branislav Nedimović was a guest on TV Prva morning show “Jutro” on Sunday, noting that UEFA decision to hold the next Congress in Belgrade on 3rd April 2025 is a great honour for our football and proof that the FA of Serbia enjoys an excellent reputation among football officials in Europe.

“Decision of UEFA is a great victory of Serbian football and the state of Serbia. If you bear in mind that the previous hosts were Paris, Lisbon, Rome, Monte Carlo, and many other cities, it is obvious what kind of company we are in. UEFA Congress will be held in April next year, and we all know that Belgrade is the most beautiful in spring and there are all conditions for it to be the best organized meeting in the history of European football. We will host over 500 delegates from all European associations, we will need over 1,000 hotel rooms in just three days and that is an event that cannot be compared to five Eurovision song contests. It is quite clear that behind all this there is serious work of all structures of the FA of Serbia, but we also have our people in UEFA, however, without the support of the state we would not be able to do anything”, said Nedimović and then referred to the outcome of the UEFA Nations League draw for the next competition cycle and our opponents Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland.

“Many forget that our path in the Nations League started in League C, and now we are in the elite group among the 16 best teams on the continent. The group may not be attractive as the one with Germany, especially the one with Italy, France, and Belgium, but it certainly has its perks. We start with Spain and that match is the greatest challenge for our players. It is certain that we will play that match in Belgrade, but the idea is to host at least one guest team in one of the three new stadiums. We will see if it will be Loznica, Leskovac or Zaječar. We have to build and promote the cult of the national team outside of Belgrade, that is why the state built the stadiums, so the football fans from other parts of the country could cheer on their favourite players. This is definitely the year of football.”

THREE BIG REASONS WHY THE MATCH WITH RUSSIA IS A GOOD THING FOR FAS

There was also talk about the upcoming friendlies that will serve as a warm-up for head-coach Stojković and his players before the EURO in Germany.

“First, we go to Moscow and what is incredible for me, there is more talk about that match in all other countries but in Serbia and Russia. Let me be clear, we have authorization from FIFA and UEFA, which UEFA president Čeferin said in a recent interview, and there is no problem in that area. There are three major reasons why the match with Russia is good for our FA.

First, we are talking about a national team of good quality and our players will have a great test and check their game before the European Championship. Second, the FA will make 250,000 euros. And thirdly, the Russian Football Union bears all the costs, which is certainly not insignificant. They chose the Dinamo stadium, president of their Union says it is the most beautiful stadium in Russia, they invited Đoković and Biković as special gusts and all that speaks volumes for how much they appreciate us and the importance they attach to this game. This is a sports event that has nothing to do with politics. Serbia has always been willing to meet everyone’s needs, and we experienced firsthand what it meant to be banned from major competitions, stated the FA vice-president and revealed that Paris was also the venue of discussions regarding the possibility of Belgrade hosting another major football event after 2027:

“Construction of the National Stadium, which is certainly the most important project in the future period, provides us with an opportunity to apply for the organization of the final match of a major European competition. Belgrade has all the prerequisites to quickly become the centre of European football”, concluded Branislav Nedimović.