Serbia NT 2019


  • Highlights of Jovana's interview• "Before the start of national team season , I decided to miss it for personal reasons. My decision was first notified to the president of the Federation, Zoran Gajic, by phone ... After that, my club hosted Fenerbahce in Champions League, so on that occasion I spoke with the coach, who I informed of my decision. Then, in my estimation, there was nothing problematic. And after all, I personally met with the President of the federation in Belgrade and once again I felt his maximum support". _______________________________________________________Besides, you didn't want to talk to the press at first. "At that moment, I thought the most important thing was team's peace. I didn't want to make any scandals, girls had difficult tasks ahead of them and didn't need any additional stories about me. I've been waiting here for five-six months and I just want to tell you what really happened".___________________________________________ And where did this "famous" email end up? "After all, I received an email from the Federation to appear at the beginning of the preparations in May..Then, I replied to this email and wrote that both coach and president were informed that I was missing this season, ”Stevanovic says.



    After all, what next? “Nothing! My only wish was to tell the truth, so that there would be no more empty stories and lies, because it was no good to anyone. I wanted to miss one summer and go back to national team in 2020. To talk now about how much I love the national team and my country is superfluous. The only thing I know at this point is that my return to the national team is unrealistic, although the desire still exists. I wish the team all the luck, I will encourage them at the Olympic Games as well, because I know how much all the girls want to win gold, ”Jovana adds.

  • Those highlights didn't include the most important thing: when asked what's the exact reason why she wanted to skip this season, she said it's because she's not happy with her status on the NT and that her communication with Terzić is bad. Or in other words, she's not happy that Veljković had taken her place as a starter. So: gurl, bye.


    Also, she admits that Terzić never agreed with her decision to skip the NT season. He just didn't say anything, which made her think he's OK with it. :rolleyes:

  • The whole interview (in Serbian) is here:

    http://sportklub.rs/Blog/Blog-…-Nisam-otisla-mejlom.html


    I'm actually rather impressed the journalist had the guts to ask her all the real questions, like why she didn't want to play or what was Terzić's reaction and how the whole thing went down exactly.


    There's no doubt that Terzić was being super shady putting her on the spot like he did, but come to think about it, he never actually said he didn't know why she didn't want to play. He just said she was invited, didn't show up, and he didn't want to comment on it any further. That certainly is somewhat cynical, but with her reasons for not wanting to play this summer, she doesn't come out of this story looking good either, IMO.

  • I like Stevanovic as a player a lot but i must agree with probably Terzic mind that she does not deserve yet to skip a national team season on her own desicion. She was playing in the national team since 2015 and she can not compare herself with Rasic, Zivkovic and Malesevic whic played for national team since 2009.

    Terzic simply have a logic that if you refuse to play for national team without agreement with him, since that refuse, for you in national team have not space anymore and i am fine with that. And one more important thing which is not likeable for me is what she said about her status in national and JoanaBG translate that in true language. That is shameful, player like Veljkovic stay with national team for many years ago although ste did not always be a starter(actually usualy was not be a starter).

  • Kinda dumb for her to skip the NT season for that reason because Rasic skipped it as well so she actually would have got her chance to play and prove why she deserves to be a starter, meanwhile Mina Popovic showed up and showed why she should be in the roster for the OG. Honestly, she’s never played that great for the NT so I don’t see why she thinks she should be picked before Veljkovic.

  • I don`t believe the problem is that she lost the starting spot. Terzic probably did the same thing he did with Brakocevic, he went ahead and started with Veljkovic without letting Stevanovic know it before hand. Let`s not forget Terzic lied about Malagurski`s injury in the past as well. I do think he`s not good in communicating.


    And she talked with him in person, is not even like she called or texted. She showed him respect and he should have told her right there what he was thinking. But I feel like he simply did not care, and was like "whatever".


    It is like getting demoted at your job, without your boss talking with you before hand. But anyways...at least this is my point of view. I just hope they can resolve this somehow, and this should come from Terzic.


    I don`t agree that she`s never played great. I think she has always got the job done and did she was supposed to....block and serve. With Boskovic/Mihajlovic their middles job mainly is to block. Mina Popovic did amazing this summer, but Stevanovic is still a stronger blocker.

  • Yes she talked to him in real, but she does not aks them for skip the season she said to him that she will not play this season. Terzic does not admit that. Actually he simply never call she to join national team.

    She can not make decision when she play when she does not play for national team, she make decision that she will not play this season, Terzic make decision that he will not call her anymore because that move.

    She could make a deal with him actually try to make a deal but she must not just to say him that she make a deceision not to play, she can actually but she must geat ready to consequence.

  • What Joana said (and what I have been telling since early summer); she is pissed that Veljkovic has taken over her place in the starting lineup (it started in 2017, but it became really obvious in 2018), and that's why she decided to strike back at Terzic in a passive-agressive way by skipping this year. This interview is nothing more than trying to put out the PR fire (no doubt she has heard the rumours spreading of her motives), and present herself in a more positive light.

  • Why the hell should Terzic ask permission of Stevanovic to let Veljkovic play?:what: Veljkovic has been in the NT way earlier than Stevanovic and the decision over who will be starter is totally up to trainer. Starting spot is not any player's permanent property

  • Why the hell should Terzic ask permission of Stevanovic to let Veljkovic play?:what: Veljkovic has been in the NT way earlier than Stevanovic and the decision over who will be starter is totally up to trainer. Starting spot is not any player's permanent property

    It is not asking permission. .....Just letting her know the reason of why he would start with Veljkovi. This way Stevanovic will know what she needs to improve on her game.

  • It is not asking permission. .....Just letting her know the reason of why he would start with Veljkovi. This way Stevanovic will know what she needs to improve on her game.

    I agree. He should've explained that to her.. I remember reading Mc Cutcheon told Harmotto if she wants to make the roster in London she had to improve her serve.. so she did. When the practice was over she was practicing alone, improving her serve

  • You guys are assuming he didn't tell her anything. In fact, it was already apparent Stefana had precedence over Jovana back in 2017, but the absence of Milena for much of that summer masked that fact (rest assured, not to Jovana herself, who would have been all too aware of the situation). However, in 2018, that could no longer be avoided, and it became clear to everyone that Jovana is now a bench player. Only THEN did she start to make trouble, and to conveniently "pause for a year" (after only 4 years in NT!). So this is not something that has arisen only this year.


    If I may conjecture, I think the reason that Stevanovic is acting with this much entitlement is that, AFAIK, she is only one of 3 players in the history of Serbian female volleyball to immediately get starting position the very first year in NT, and to keep it beyond that first year (the other two are, of course, Boskovic and Mihajlovic, although Brankica would probably not have been the starter if everyone was healthy in 2012). Furthermore (and this is an even bigger conjecture, which I freely admit might be reaching), the year she joined, 2015, is the year Serbian NT really exploded, and started regularly getting medals from all the big competitions. That may have even further inflated her own self-importance.


    In this, she stands in sharp contrast to her rival Stefana, who spent her first 9 years in NT being almost always the 3rd MB. She didn't mind, and patiently waited for her opportunity to become an established starter, helping in the meantime from the bench, which should make one even less sympathetic toward Stevanovic's antics.

  • I believe that Terzic said every time when he have any impression about player skills and what they needs to improve. Certainly something that is known about Terzic is he appreciates the effort of the players and everyone gets a chance, but of course he always chosses team for which he thinks will bring the best possible result at that very moment. That is the poent of the team the result of the team as team not every individual for himself.

    Results of Serbian national team they speak for themselves. Maybe Terzic is not the most sympatic of the world but he certainly does not owe an explanation why some is playing before some....it was Stevanovic or someone else. She did not have to make all the drama, she obviously want to skip the season to rest and i completly understand that but that is not way for deserve the spot in the team like Serbia and she does not have an extra right(everyone is worl hard and everyonw want a rest). If she does not understand that in that case team Serbia does not need her.

  • That was not my point. Veljkovic together with Antonijevic has been my favorite Serbian player since forever.. and I am really happy she's starting over Stevanovic. Also I might be one of the few who called Jovana out on never playing as exeptional for the NT as she was for Pomi (her club then). So actually I think Stefana's starting position is very much deserved

  • You guys are assuming he didn't tell her anything. In fact, it was already apparent Stefana had precedence over Jovana back in 2017, but the absence of Milena for much of that summer masked that fact (rest assured, not to Jovana herself, who would have been all too aware of the situation). However, in 2018, that could no longer be avoided, and it became clear to everyone that Jovana is now a bench player. Only THEN did she start to make trouble, and to conveniently "pause for a year" (after only 4 years in NT!). So this is not something that has arisen only this year.


    If I may conjecture, I think the reason that Stevanovic is acting with this much entitlement is that, AFAIK, she is only one of 3 players in the history of Serbian female volleyball to immediately get starting position the very first year in NT, and to keep it beyond that first year (the other two are, of course, Boskovic and Mihajlovic, although Brankica would probably not have been the starter if everyone was healthy in 2012). Furthermore (and this is an even bigger conjecture, which I freely admit might be reaching), the year she joined, 2015, is the year Serbian NT really exploded, and started regularly getting medals from all the big competitions. That may have even further inflated her own self-importance.


    In this, she stands in sharp contrast to her rival Stefana, who spent her first 9 years in NT being almost always the 3rd MB. She didn't mind, and patiently waited for her opportunity to become an established starter, helping in the meantime from the bench, which should make one even less sympathetic toward Stevanovic's antics.

    yeah.. after fabiana and thaisa, the 2017 mb game was between carol and adenizia. But bia had opportunity and stepped up her game.


    In 2018, ade and bia was starting. Brazil was the best blocking team in vnl.


    In 2019, ade rested. Bia and mara came. In world cuo mara and fabiana started.


    Well, the analogy was that. The position was not given to you permanently. You need to strive very hard to maintain it. In case of brazil up and coming players were met by returned of seasoned players... same goes with serbia...


    I remembered maja alesksic (not sure if spelling was correct) making the opportunity given by the serbia nt... this continued in the world cup. And milenkovic and bjelica presented self and acted for serbia when their starters wanted to take a leave.


    As for serbia 3rd middle blocker you should not be accustomed of your position really. Sad!

  • I also don`t have a problem with Stefana starting....She totally deserves it. That`s not the problem, and I like said before I really don`t believe this was Stevanovic`s problem.


    I still believe he did the same exactly thing he did with Brakocevic. OKKKK....We don`t know certainly if Terzic talked with Jovana or not....but if he did this to Brakocevic...well he can do it to anyone.


    And why he did not talk with Brakocevic and let her know the potential he was seeing in Boskovic and he would take a chance with her? Veljkovic has been there for a long time, but it does not make any different.


    There`s not a reason to NOT talk with a player and let her know where she stands, and let her know what she needs to do to improve or be a starter, like it was mentioned, some coaches have done it before.


    Stevanovic probably felt confused and had no idea what was going on as she was kept in the dark. I would feel confused if that happened with me.

  • What exactly do you think he has done to Brakocevic? What makes you think Terzic never said anything to her as far as why he played Boskovic during WCh 2014?

  • As far as I remember, Brakocevic was injured in 2014 and though she was playing again by the WCH, she was far from her best shape and couldn’t even score against Canada, so it’s not quite the same situation. I know Brakocevic wanted to play but I’m pretty sure the main reason she was dropped was due to fitness concerns so it wouldn’t need much explaining from Terzic, especially when Boskovic came in and impressed.