Serbia Coach Excludes Goalkeeper Rajkovic Over Disciplinary Issues

Serbia's national football team coach, Veljko Paunovic, has excluded former Maccabi Tel Aviv goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic from the upcoming squad, citing disciplinary reasons and a lack of commitment as key factors. Paunovic stated at a press conference that while he would not name individuals, players not selected fall into categories based on established criteria, including disciplinary decisions.

Rajkovic was also absent from the squad for matches earlier in the summer, a situation that reportedly led Paunovic to consider resigning. The coach emphasized that decisions are based on form, team needs, and squad depth for upcoming challenging matches in the UEFA Nations League against Greece, the Netherlands, and Germany. He also noted that player commitment and attitude since November have been evaluated.

Paunovic clarified that the team does not put players "in front of a firing squad" but makes firm decisions. He mentioned that while injuries are unpredictable, other factors, including disciplinary ones, influenced the current squad selection. Rajkovic, who previously played under Paunovic in Serbia's youth teams, has had a career including stints with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Reims, Mallorca, and currently Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

Despite a recent muscle tear, Rajkovic played a full 90 minutes for his club on September 11, seemingly ruling out injury as the reason for his exclusion. This strengthens the belief that his absence is due to disciplinary measures, as suggested by the coach.