BELGRADE: Serbia captain Dusan Tadic anno­unced his international retirement on Thursday, ending a 16-year career with the national team as their most-capped player with 111 appearances.

Following his debut in 2008, Tadic led the squad as captain at the 2022 World Cup and at Euro 2024. He retires with 23 goals and 40 assists.

Despite being the captain, Tadic started on the bench for their first group match against England, which led to an outburst from the 35-year-old forward, who was later forced to apologise to his team-mates and coach Dragan Stojkovic.

“I stand by the views I expressed. I emphasise that I had no intention of insulting my teammates or anyone else who was part of the Serbian team in Germany,” Tadic said on Instagram.

“Furthermore, the main reason for this announcement is that I have made the decision to say goodbye to the jersey of the Serbian national team.

“I had the privilege of representing Serbia at two World Cups, the European Championship and the Olympic Games.” Tadic added that although he was saying goodbye to the national team, he would like to return in another capacity in the future.

“After my playing career, I want to stay in football, and there is nothing better than helping your country if you can,” he said. “With my family and friends, in the stands or in front of the screen, I will always be a loyal fan of Serbia.”

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2024