After the Serbia vs Albania match in the World Cup qualifiers, prominent Serbian journalist Rade Bogdanović sharply criticized the national team coach Dragan Stojković Piksi. Bogdanović claims that Piksi makes decisions about player call-ups based on their political views, specifically not calling Nemanja Radonjić due to his support of student protests against Aleksandar Vučić. Bogdanović also compared Piksi’s behavior to former coach Slavoljub Muslin, stating that Piksi’s statements were dishonest and insincere. Piksi responded that Radonjić is self-destructive and was not called up due to poor form and lack of playing time at his club. This situation sparked debates in Serbian media about the influence of politics on sports and player selection in the national team.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning media emphasize the political interference in sports, criticizing the national team coach for excluding players based on their political beliefs and supporting the student protests against the government. They highlight the issue of freedom of expression and the negative impact of politicization on sports unity.
Center: Center-leaning outlets report the facts of the criticism and the coach’s response, presenting both sides without strong bias. They focus on the sporting aspects, such as player form and team performance, while acknowledging the political controversy surrounding player selection.
Right: Right-leaning media tend to support the coach’s decisions, emphasizing discipline, team cohesion, and the importance of player performance over political opinions. They may portray the excluded players as problematic or self-destructive and defend the coach against accusations of political bias.
