Kostic blames former coach for Serbia elimination: “We should have changed earlier” | OneFootball

Juventus winger Filip Kostic aimed a dig at former Serbia manager Dragan Stojkovic, accusing him of hampering the nation’s World Cup hopes.

The Eagles finished off their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Latvia on Sunday. However, they had already lost all hopes of booking a place in next summer’s tournament, having finished third in the group.

Unsurprisingly, England sealed the top spot with a perfect record, while Albania pipped Serbia to the runner-up spot and earned a place in the play-offs, which will take place in March.

Filip Kostic publicly criticises former Serbia manager Dragan Stojkovic

For his part, Kostic was disappointed by his national team’s shortcomings, while pointing the finger at Stojkovic, who resigned from his post following the devastating loss to Albania last month.

“If we had started earlier with the current coach (Veljko Paunović), the results would have been significantly better,” said the Juventus winger in his interview with DerbyDerbyDerby.it.

“I’m convinced of what I’m telling you, because I’ve seen the real Serbia again in the last few days. We should have made this change sooner.

Filip Kostic (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)

“We definitely wouldn’t have lost to Albania. This is a huge disappointment for me, one of the biggest in my life.”

Kostic regaining his significance at Juventus

While Kostic may have a valid point, blaming the departing manager for Serbia’s elimination in the open was perhaps unnecessary.

In any case, the 33-year-old will now return to Turin to rejoin Luciano Spalletti’s squad, alongside his compatriot Dusan Vlahovic.

The experienced winger was omitted from Thiago Motta’s plans last season, and acted as a mere benchwarmer under Igor Tudor after returning from his loan spell at Fenerbahce.

Nevertheless, he’s been enjoying a more prominent role since Spalletti’s arrival, as he’s once more vying for a starting role.