He is scoring non-stop for Juventus Turin, but he is giving Serbia a miss: Dusan Vlahovic is absent for the second time in a row against his Swiss opponents on Saturday.
12.10.2024, 04:30
12.10.2024, 07:52
SDA
Vlahovic has scored five goals in the last three games for Juventus. After finishing second in the Serie A scoring charts last season with 16 goals, the 24-year-old is in impressive form this season too. But when the Serbian national team squad was announced on October 4, his name was once again missing. Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic had already had to do without Vlahovic in the opening games against Spain (0:0) and Denmark (0:2).
There has long been speculation that the two have fallen out. Stojkovic recently contradicted this in the "Gazzetta dello Sport". Vlahovic had asked for a break in September due to family problems, the 59-year-old explained: "And when we spoke again, he told me that he had not yet resolved these problems and only had time for them during the international matches." Stojkovic said he wasn't worried because he never asks his players about their private lives.
Goalless since March 2023
Vlahovic's absence from the national team followed the disappointing European Championship in Germany, where he was considered a great hope. However, Serbia missed out on the knockout phase with two draws against Slovenia and Denmark and a defeat against England. Vlahovic's playing time steadily decreased: First he played 90 minutes, then 64, and finally just 23 in the important final group game. In total, he failed to score in the nine appearances since March 2023. Prior to that, he had scored 13 goals in 21 games, including one against Switzerland.
In Serbia, people are puzzling over the reason for Vlahovic's sudden goal drought. Especially as the team has generally failed to impress in attack: The Serbs have only managed one goal in their last five games. Problems with the coach would be obvious, but are denied. "Dusan and I have a very good relationship," said Stojkovic, underlining Vlahovic's importance to the national team. For now, however, he must find other solutions in attack.
