The 2018 FIFA World Cup is just under a week away now and the national teams are arriving in Russia, having travelled from nearly every corner of the world. Serbia will be facing off against Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica in Group E and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will be making his debut on the world’s biggest stage. The 23-year-old Lazio midfielder has been attracting interest from Europe’s elite and despite a €140 million price-tag, it seems as though the midfielder could be leaving Rome this summer.
Speaking at a Serbian press conference, the midfielder said:
“Every day I read a new article about myself, but I will decide where to play and continue my career only after the World Cup – I try to stay as focused as possible and think only of the field, leaving others to work for my future. However, I feel the pressure on me and I know that I will have to live with it for the duration of the World Cup. It’s the same pressure as when I play in Lazio, so I’m used to it.”
In short, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will only be making decisions about his future after the World Cup has finished. He knows that the pressure is on him to perform and that his actions at the World Cup could be extremely influential on his future.
“I am one of the youngest, while here there are a lot of experienced players – he continued – but the atmosphere is very good, it’s like I’ve been here for many years. I cannot wait for the World Cup to start. The most important match will be the first with Costa Rica. Winning would allow us to play the other two games with more tranquility.“