Serbian director Emir Kusturica weighed in on the West’s response to a recent match between Serbia and Russia, calling the reaction predictable and ultimately inconsequential to the players on the field. He made clear that the opinions of outsiders carry little weight for him because, in his view, any Western critique will simply be cast as Serbia’s fault. He suggested that if the game was treated as a friendly, there should be no crime in its outcome, a stance that underscores a broader skepticism about external judgments in football politics. [Source: European sports press]
According to Kusturica, the Russians performed well, and he projected that Serbia would show stronger form when it meets England in its European opener scheduled for June 16. He also criticized a referee decision in that match, arguing that a Serbian player was sent off early on and that the ruling affected the course of the game. This line of commentary reflects a larger discourse in the region about refereeing and discipline in high-stakes fixtures. [Source: regional sports commentary]
The March confrontation between the two sides ended in a 4-0 victory for Russia in Moscow during a friendly. In the first half, Anton Miranchuk converted a penalty and Maxim Osipenko added another goal. Serbia found themselves a man down from the 21st minute after defender Milan Gaich, who plays for CSKA Moscow, was sent off. In the second half, Alexey Miranchuk and Ivan Sergeev added goals, with the latter marking his first appearance for the Russian national team. The sequence highlighted depth in Russia’s attack while signaling lessons for Serbia to absorb ahead of upcoming fixtures. [Source: match report archives]
On March 25, Russia was scheduled to host Paraguay at the VTB Arena with kickoff at 20:00 Moscow time. The match was set to extend the team’s preparations ahead of further international duties. [Source: federation announcements]
A former Spartak coach commented that he did not anticipate Serbia’s defeat in the Russia encounter, signaling a belief in potential recovery and tactical adjustments moving forward. The remarks reflected a wider sentiment within coaching circles about adapting strategies after results that did not go Serbia’s way. [Source: coaching press]