Serbia head coach hits out at Juventus treatment of Vlahovic: ‘Not good’ | OneFootball

Serbia national team head coach Dragan Stojkovic has aimed a dig at Juventus over their treatment of centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, suggesting that the way he has been treated at club level is ‘not good’.

Despite being Juventus’s leading goalscorer in Serie A, Vlahovic has had limited opportunities to get on the pitch since the arrival of Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain in January.

Vlahovic has started in just three of Juventus’s 12 matches since Kolo Muani’s arrival, resulting in a 2-0 loss to Benfica in the Champions League, a 1-0 win over Cagliari with Vlahovic scoring the game’s only goal, and an eventual loss on penalties to Empoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.

Vlahovic was left on the substitute’s bench for the entirety of the team’s 3-0 loss away against Fiorentina on Sunday, despite the fact that Kolo Muani has now not scored in over a month.

epa11919581 Juventus�s Dusan Vlahovic celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Cagliari Calcio against Juventus FC, in Cagliari, Italy, 23 February 2025. EPA-EFE/FABIO MURRU

Serbia head coach hits out at Juventus for Vlahovic treatment

Despite the fact that Vlahovic has not been playing regularly at club level, Serbia head coach Stojkovic has told the press that he will receive endless opportunities at international level.

Stojkovic says that the way Juventus have treated Vlahovic has been ‘not good’, and admits that the Bianconeri striker is still a crucial cog in the Serbia national team system.

“I have a good opinion of Vlahovic and his qualities. In football, there are times when the atmosphere around a club is negative. I won’t go into detail and comment on why he’s not playing and whether he should be used more. That’s their business,” Stojkovic told the press, reported via Corriere dello Sport.

Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic jubilates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match Juventus FC vs Venezia FC at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, 14 December 2024. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO

“Every player has positive and negative moments in their careers. We appreciate that Dusan is one of the most important players for our game. He will always play with me, because he has the opportunity here to show that what they are doing to him is not good.”