From the special reporter "Vijesti"
This generation of Montenegrin football players is not used to defeats like the one against Denmark in the 2nd round of the European Championship.
The guys, who have been winning and achieving notable results almost since the reunion, since the cadet competition, have come close to the big competition three times, finally managing to make it to the finals, and for the first time have faced what it means when you run into a rival who is faster, more prepared, technically better - superior in every way.
Such a lesson probably had to come, at some point, especially because the team Nenad Vukčević traveled to Romania without two of their best players. And that's why a five-point defeat to Denmark is not a fiasco, but a reality in these circumstances. Nothing terrible happened - provided, of course, that a lesson is learned.
- The boys were exhausted in the first game against Romania, and then came the match with Denmark, which was even more difficult. The opponent showed that they were more prepared than us, took advantage of their chances and deservedly won - he says Marko Perovic, the winger of Spanish club Almeria, who missed the first match against Romania due to a booking.
- Physically and tactically they were way ahead of us. We should have prepared better. We conceded goals easily, we gave them the ball. We will try to fix that - the Partizan striker continues Marko Tadic.
Perović and Tadić created the only action from which Montenegro harmed the Danes, in the second half - Perović made a fantastic pass, left the ball back, and Tadić hit the crossbar from an ideal position. If there had been a goal, the picture would have changed at least a little, but the overall impression would have remained the same - the Danes were five steps ahead.
- We didn't have many chances, I had to take advantage of the one that came my way - Tadić is honest.
After two rounds, and on the eve of the final match with the Spaniards, some things are already known. Montenegro no longer has a chance to advance to the semi-finals, while the “furies” have secured first place in the group. However, this does not change the ambitions of the Montenegrin team in the match against a football superpower in all representative categories, such as Spain.
Even if the match had competitive significance, and now that it doesn't, the goal would be the same as before the match with the Romanians and Danes - to show the fight, to leave the best possible impression.
Because, such matches, at European championships, are not rare, but the question is when they will happen again. And, after all, it is better to lose 5:0 on the biggest stage than not to reach that level. Another thing is that a place in the elite sometimes costs a lot.
- We were not lucky enough to be complete at this European Championship, and we should not forget that this is the first time our national team has appeared at a major competition. All this is an indication that we need to work even harder and harder to be at an even higher level - emphasizes Marko Perović.
Spain defeated both Denmark (1:0) and Romania (3:1) - we know who the favorite is on Thursday in Ploesti in the 4th round match.
- If they beat Denmark, it means they are a serious team. We will try to prepare and give our best - says Marko Tadić.
- All we have to do is rest and recover well, and then see what we can do. We will try to scout them as best as possible - Perović continues.
The Almeria footballer, a member of the Spanish La Liga 2, knows his next rival best.
- What's the difference? The conditions are better, there's more professionalism, the game is faster, it's extremely demanding tactically and physically. But I hope we'll prepare as well as possible - concludes Marko Perović.
For the Danes, “cannon fodder”
It seems that there is no European national team in the younger categories against which Montenegro has not fared worse than the Danish national team.
And while the seniors, under Ljubiša Tumbaković, achieved a miraculous victory in Copenhagen in 2016 (1:0, the Danes responded in kind in Podgorica), the younger teams, as a rule, ended their duels with the Danes in heavy defeats.
It all started back in 2009 in a match between cadet selections at the preliminary round of qualifying tournaments in Nikšić, when the Danes celebrated an unreal 8:1.
The Cadets played against the Danes twice more in qualifying, losing 3-0 in 2012 (one goal scored by Christensen, the current Barcelona defender) and 2-0 in 2021.
When it comes to the U19 national team, there were also heavy defeats in the qualifiers - 7:1 in 2016 and 6:1 in 2022, when one goal was scored by Patrick Dorgu, a current Manchester United player.
The only time our youth team could match the Danes to some extent was in friendly matches, although even in those, the rival won 5:0 once - in 2012. Montenegro managed to draw twice - in 2012 in Podgorica 2:2, when both goals were scored by Dejan Zarubica, and in 2015 when it was 0:0.
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