Nikolić: The record number of national team players is the result of good work

- I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the senior team of Crvena zvezda on their double crown. As for our selection, success was also achieved, another in a series for which our Youth School, which has been running for almost 80 years, is responsible. The series of great work and success continued with this season by the cadet selection - began Nikolić.

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The experienced expert reflected on the very beginning of the competitive year 2023/24.

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- Every selection in Crvena Zvezda has quality, it's just that it all needs to fit together nicely. Just because the boys wear the red and white jersey in the cadet selection, the fact is that they represent one of the best players in Serbia. For this reason, it was easier for my coaching staff and me to arrange everything, on the other hand, of course, there were also problems, because the way of playing is different in the younger selections than in the cadets. What I keep repeating is that children already enter the world of professionalism when they reach the cadet selection, because after six months to a year they become first team players, which is a great success, while the others are preparing for youth and senior football. That is why the period of adaptation to our work is important, which is made easier for us because of the quality that the players possess, not only on the field but also off it. When choosing the boys who come to Crvena zvezda, in addition to their football qualities, they are also looked at as personalities, thinking of school, behavior, culture...

In particular, Nikolić talked about the eternal derby, which the Zvezda cadets won convincingly 4:0 in the spring.

- We all know what matches against an eternal rival represent, regardless of which team is involved. There is no shortage of motives for such matches, and for my players it was a "diploma" which they passed with a high grade, given that Red Star does not have a large number of "stronger" matches at this age. In the matches with black and white both in the autumn and in the spring part, we feel like we are taking an exam, where it is noticed how we worked in the previous period. Then we can see if we have worked with the children in the right way, while their play is a reflection of whether they understood us. With the match at our stadium against the eternal rival, the players showed that they have improved a lot. That quality of theirs, which they had even when we got together, they showed in the best possible way in a game that means a lot to us, because it is a mirror of everything done for almost the whole year that we spent together.

Slađan Nikolić also touched on the championship itself, that is, the Cadet League of Serbia, from which a large number of quality national team players were born, who achieved success at the European Under-17 Championship in Cyprus.

- We don't have a better championship than ours and it has been going on for over 20 years. Great players came out of the Cadet League of Serbia, not to go back to the past of domestic football and Crvena zvezda. We are in a situation where we cannot choose which league to play. I think we have enough games where we can show the quality we possess. Therefore, all of us who start playing football have the goal of one day reaching the national team of Serbia. The great success that was made in Cyprus is partly ours, because we are facing problems, but we have reached the point where a record number of Red Star players play for the cadet selection, but we must not stop there. I believe that the boys have now got the wind at their backs and they must not stop until they reach the first team of Crvena zvezda and the A selection of Serbia.

Finally, the head of the professional staff of the Red Star cadets spoke about his love for the club and the excellent working conditions at the Maracana.

- Next season, I will be at the Maracana from the same position, as head of the cadet coaching staff, and I must point out that even before my arrival, as a player, I loved Crvena Zvezda and I had meetings with people from the club even then, but my wish remained unfulfilled to play in the red and white jersey. I have now managed to be a part of Zvezda as a coach and I like it here a lot, I am progressing as a coach, although I have already worked in senior and youth football. I can freely say that Zvezda's school has great conditions for the work and progress of coaches and players. Cooperation with the people who run the club is excellent. We agreed that I will stay here next year as well. The 2008 generation is coming, with which we want to progress even more, because if you want to stay at a certain level, you have to constantly improve and be committed to it if you want success. I hope that my coaching staff will improve, and therefore the children, and I hope that we will reach the set goal next season as well - concluded Slađan Nikolić.