Serbia Coach Excludes Goalkeeper Rajkovic, Cites Disciplinary Reasons

Serbia's national football team coach, Veljko Paunović, has excluded former Maccabi Tel Aviv goalkeeper Predrag Rajković from the upcoming squad, citing disciplinary decisions as a key factor. Paunović stated at a press conference that while he wouldn't single out players, those not selected fall into specific categories and criteria, including disciplinary measures.

Rajković was also absent from the squad for matches earlier in the summer against Cape Verde and Mexico, a situation that reportedly led to Paunović's resignation at the time. Addressing the current omissions, Paunović mentioned "disciplinary decisions" were made. He clarified that the team has never put anyone "in front of a firing squad" but emphasized that commitment, attitude, and other analyzed parameters since November are crucial, alongside current form and team needs.

Serbia is set to begin its Nations League campaign with home games against Greece on September 24 and the Netherlands on September 27, followed by away matches against Germany on October 1 and the Netherlands again on October 4. Paunović has named Vanja Milinković-Savić, Đorđe Petrović, and Filip Stanković as the three goalkeepers for these fixtures.

Rajković, who previously captained Serbia's youth team to a World Cup victory under Paunović, has represented the senior team in two World Cups and a European Championship. He has played for clubs including Maccabi Tel Aviv, Reims, Mallorca, and currently Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia since 2024. Despite a recent muscle tear, Rajković played a full 90 minutes for his club on September 11, seemingly ruling out injury as the reason for his exclusion and strengthening the belief that disciplinary issues are the cause.