The Serbian Handball Federation Targeted Me for Supporting Students
Montenegrin icon and renowned handball player, Veselin Vujović, has stated that following the harassment from regime-affiliated media, the Handball Federation of Serbia has also taken a stance against him.
He clarifies that his support for students and his comments regarding the recent happenings in Serbia are the primary reasons for the backlash.
“Numerous athletes, actors, lawyers, and doctors have shown their support for the students, but only the RSS has made an official statement, indicating whose side it stands on, aiming to appease those who commissioned the statement with untruths and fabrications. This federation oversees thousands of young athletes and numerous students fighting for their future, along with the country’s institutions fulfilling their duties,” Vujović explained.
The former player for Lovćen, Metaloplastika, Barcelona, and the Yugoslav national team, who is now coaching Qatar, recently expressed his support for the student protests in Serbia and labeled Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) as a drug cartel.
“Additionally, the RSS claims that I have, for many years, not chosen the right means to become the coach of the Serbian national team. I urge former RSS presidents Božidar Đurković and Ms. Milena Delić to come forward and validate the current leadership’s statements,” Vujović remarked.
He continued in a similar vein.
“An even greater falsehood pertains to the alleged disrespect towards the Serbian anthem and flag. I have never been the coach of the Serbian national team, but rather the joint team of Serbia and Montenegro, where the anthem ‘Hey Slavs’ was performed. I am unclear about any instance where I disrespected the national symbols of Serbia, a country where I have resided for 47 years. I would like to request them to explain what they hope to achieve with these fabrications.”
He further mentioned that the RSS had referenced a match played by the former Serbia and Montenegro national team against Croatia.
“I challenge the players of that national team, especially those who are not affiliated with the SNS party, to confirm whether certain claims made by some players hold true. We know that those individuals lack the ability to independently draft such statements. Everyone chooses their own path in life—whether to stand tall or to kneel in submission,” concluded Vujović.
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