Serbian boss Dragan Stoikovic warned England that he would encounter a battle of life in the World Cup qualifiers. Stojkovic claims that his team is not overloaded in the English star-studded lineup, and that they are equally qualified for victory as their rivals.
Stojkovic said, “Why can’t they win? Is it forbidden? As far as I know, they don’t have the same goal. They will win. It will be a fight. It will be a fight. Something can happen in 90 minutes. We will see if it is enough.
“The team will be the team we think we can offer the most. Also, there are five alternatives and the game will last. On the other hand, England is not Latvia or Andorra. They are the best teams. They won’t anger Spain and France.
However, Stojkovic makes it clear that they will not deploy one-on-one markings to England skipper and key scorer Harry Kane.
He added: “Harry Kane is one of the best strikers. I don’t think he has a strict mark. He’ll come in the zone where someone is waiting for him.”
The head coach admitted that his team faced additional hurdles. Their star striker, former Fulham centre forward Alexander Mitrovich, has struggled with game time and top-level competition at Qatar’s Al Reyan.
Stojkovic further states: “There’s a problem with the minutes played by club players. It’s not just Mitrovic. There are other players. We know if Mitrovic will start.
However, the Serbian boss has also issued a warning to Nottingham Forest, suggesting that he may find it difficult to hold the central Nikola Milenkovic for much longer.
He commented: “He shows leadership, sacrifice and professionalism. You love fighters, and Nicola is a scary fighter who will never give up.
“It’s difficult to keep him up next season (for Forest). A bigger, richer club is looking for him. I’m happy to have such a player.
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Serbian supporters have been warned that their actions could put their country’s World Cup opportunities at risk.
Blanco Ladukou, the general secretary of Serbia’s free agency, reminded fans of “great responsibility” to act properly during World Cup qualifiers against the UK.
Serbia is already facing partial stadium closure for England’s match as a penalty for racist behavior during his encounter with Andorra in June.
UEFA also looked into Serbian supporters following accusations of racist behavior in their European Championship encounter with England last summer. Additionally, in 2007 and 2012, England’s under-21 teams faced racial abuse while competing with Serbia.
Radujko expressed concern that Serbia’s infamous supporters – if their FA was punished a total of 600,000 pounds over the past five years, and caused trouble once more, they could be forced to compete against Albania without spectators, and sacrificed their qualifications.
Radujko said:
“We are still under special UEFA surveillance. All inappropriate reactions, insults or incidents could seriously cost the road to the US, Mexico and Canada, including the possibility that we will have to play a decisive match against Albania behind closed doors.
“That’s why I call you seriously and seriously. Let’s cheer you on, but let’s be fair. We can be loud and dignified. Our support is a source of strength, not risk for the national team.
“I think Serbia shows that it has the power to compete for its team, its heart and its place on the world’s biggest soccer stage.
“This is our chance to unite and reminds us of why we love football and what it means when the whole country breathes as one.
“Belgrade sends a message to the world on September 9th: Serbia’s strength, unity and love for football.”
The UK expects 2,500 supporters to travel for fixtures, and the English FA will establish a dedicated hotline for reporting holiganism and abuse within the 51,000-person ability venue.
