“Or you will be the best left back in Serbia, or you will not even play!”
In these words, with a high volume tone, at today’s training, Vojvodina’s Manager Nenad Lalatović addressed to the newcomer in Voša’s team, 23-years-old Nemanja Vučić, dissatisfied with his reaction during one of the given exercises.
Known as a coach who extracts the maximum from his players, the Manager of red and whites sometimes knows how to be sharp and even cruel, but there is no doubt that his methods of work simply compel players to play even beyond the limits of their current capabilities.
After arriving in Vojvodina from Zemun this summer, Nemanja Vučić and his new teammates have been in Slovenia for a week now, where they are working hard and fighting for their place in the new team of Old Lady, which is expected to return Voša to the European football scene.
– Training is demanding, as the coach demands that we do everything that he wants to do on the games. Frankly, I like his temperament and the demand that we all be close to the players we guard. So far we have played two good matches and won, which is most important. The atmosphere in the club is phenomenal, the guys accepted me and I’m glad I’m here, especially I feel like I’ve been here for a long time – Vučić points out.
Even though you are only 23 years old, your current football path was not easy at all?
– I had a very hard football path, which started when I was four or five years old in Trepča from Kosovska Mitrovica, which was my first club. Then, at the age of 12, while I was going to the sixth grade, I went to Kraljevo, and for this reason I still admire my parents, who let me leave so young at that time. There, in the category of pioneers, I played the High Quality League of Serbia, and after that, as a cadet, I went to Sloboda from Čačak, where I also played for the senior team in the Serbian League. Then I hurt myself, but I still went to the U-18 team of Borac from Čačak, and from there I went to Novi Pazar, and later to FAP from Priboj. I literally transcended all of Serbia, but I’m glad that I learned a lot of nice things and I am grateful to football because it taught me life. After all, I went to Zemun, where they gave me a chance and where I proved myself. I spent 3.5 years there and those were my most beautiful football moments. The guys were great, and there were some great people in the club, who supported me and gave me a chance to get to a club like Vojvodina. In Zemun I learned everything I need to learn to further develop my football career.
As a boy, you must have had some kind of role model, at least as far as players who play in your position are concerned?
– I look much more how someone is like a person, because if you are a good person, then you are also a good footballer. Personally, it is still more important for me that people say that I am a good person, and only after that a good footballer. Basically, I do not have an idol, but I like to watch Marcelo, because he’s the kind of player I imagine myself to be.
In that case, how do you see your football future?
– I am currently in Vojvodina, where I am very pleased with the team, the coach and the ambitions of the club, and I would be the happiest if we manage to qualify for Europe or win the national Cup, especially since I think we are not far from it. We have a terrific team and terrific coach and simply, that’s the reality. Therefore, at the moment, I would like that all of us play the best we can, so that later the club can earn from the sale of each of us.
Last season, you performed well in Zemun, which is why you were invited to the Serbian U-21 national team. However, in the end, Zemun was relegated from the league?
– Zemun is also a great club in Super League, but simply it was not at the level that it should be. Lots of things were happening, but it’s all in the past now. I would like Zemun to return to the Super League as soon as possible, since I have spent nice years over there and I think that as a club it deserves to be in our top division.
This summer you moved to Vojvodina. How did you felt about coming to the Old Lady of Serbian football?
– Frankly, I’m happier to come to Vojvodina than anywhere else. In whatever condition it is, Vojvodina is the third club in Serbia and no one can take it away from it. Lazetić is my countryman, he invited me and we agreed in literally 15 minutes, maybe even less. He told me about the ambitions of the club and I really liked it, so I’m very happy to be here.
When it comes to ambitions, how realistic are they and who do you see as the biggest competitors in the upcoming season?
– If I haven’t taught about it, I would not even come. I’m here to chase everything we can and win everything we can win: the league, the Cup and the spot in qualifications for the UEFA competitions. In my opinion, in order to achieve all these goals, our only competitor is Red Star. Partizan is also a big club, but, although I do not know what the current situation is over there, I think that now Vojvodina maybe has the second strongest team in Serbia.
Due to all the positive changes that have occurred in Vojvodina this summer, fans of the club are certainly eagerly awaiting the beginning of the season?
– I would just like to invite them to come to the stadium and support us, because that will help us achieve the goal that we have all together: the team, the coaching staff and the management. The guys are ready for everything and we will give our maximum. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing I can promise is that I will do my best at any time – said Vučić.
