Paunović admits: “I offered my resignation, I was disappointed” — after June’s poor friendlies

Serbia’s national football team coach, Veljko Paunović, admitted today that he offered the Football Federation of Serbia his resignation from the post, after the poor results in June’s friendlies against Cape Verde and Mexico. The statement came at today’s press conference ahead of the new Nations League cycle, in which the “eagles” will play four matches in the coming days.

“I offered my resignation, I was disappointed,” Paunović told reporters, according to the MaxSport portal, adding that he still believes in better times, but that Serbian football needs time to “heal”. According to him, the inconsistent results the national team has shown on the international stage are the consequence of a system “blocked for a long time”, and the public’s expectations must be aligned with the real state of Serbian football.

Paunović stressed that the process of player formation is unavoidable: experienced players must pass their experience to the young in domestic and international matches, while the early departure of young talents abroad remains one of the biggest challenges. “Patience is the key,” he said.

The coach also mentioned former captain Dušan Tadić, saying he “could be important for the healing of our football”. Serbia starts the new Nations League cycle with the match against Greece on 24 September, then plays the Netherlands on 27 September and Germany on 1 October; the team’s gathering is set for Monday, 21 September, in Stara Pazova.

Paunović, who led Serbia’s U-20 team to the world title in 2015, was appointed coach of the senior national team at the end of 2025, after Dragan Stojković’s resignation.

Source: MaxSport