Paunović after the loss to the Netherlands: ‘This is a step forward’ — criticism of the referee, concern over Sergej’s injury

Belgrade, September 27 — Serbia national football team coach Veljko Paunović openly criticized the refereeing after last night’s 1-2 loss to the Netherlands at the “Rajko Mitić” stadium in the Nations League, as Nova.rs reports. The defeat, the second in a row for the “eagles” in this edition, left the team in a difficult situation, while the Serbian tactician had to answer for everything at the post-match press conference.

Paunović analyzed in detail what he saw as wrong refereeing decisions at key moments of the match. In his view, the controversial episodes directly affected the flow of the game and penalized his team, although he did not deny that the Netherlands had their strong moments, as Nova.rs reports.

Despite the disappointment over the result, the coach insisted the team had learned an important lesson. “This is a step forward,” Paunović said, stressing that facing top-level teams is exactly what Serbia needs in order to grow and get stronger in upcoming matches.

The coach’s biggest concern was the condition of midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić, who was forced to leave the pitch through injury. Paunović said his condition would be assessed by the medical staff in the coming hours, but did not hide his concern, according to Nova.rs.

Serbia must now react quickly to keep pace in the Nations League. The upcoming matches will be decisive for the “eagles,” and Paunović has promised a reaction and changes from his players.