Nijmegen, Netherlands (AP) — Ex. Ajax playmaker Dusan Tadic He returned to the Netherlands on Monday to join NEC Nijmegen, where Champions League qualifying begins next week.
NEC said Tadic, 37. The former Serbian national team captain at the 2022 World Cup has signed a two-year contract.
NEC took an unexpected third place in the Dutch league last season, qualifying for European competition for the first time since 2009. The club will face Olympiacos in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round in Greece next week.
Tadic contributed to Ajax’s success 2019 Champions League semi-finalsdefeating Juventus and title holders Real Madrid, who won the second leg away. In the quarterfinals, he scored a goal and provided two assists in a 4-1 victory over Madrid.
NEC is Tadic’s fourth Dutch club, having previously played for Groningen and Twente before spending four years in the Premier League with Southampton. He became a free agent after spending one season with Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi.
After the 2024 European Championship, he retired from the Serbian national team with a record of 111 appearances.
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