Serbia NT 2020

    Quote from JoanaBG

    She didn't, that's why she was able to play for Serbia in 2012 already. Technically, Serbia has no naturalized players at the moment.

    Has Serbia ever had a naturalized player in female volleyball?

    Quote from JoanaBG

    She didn't, that's why she was able to play for Serbia in 2012 already. Technically, Serbia has no naturalized players at the moment.

    She did in EuroVolley 2009 and 2011 in qulification round, even i remeber in 2012 when she started to play for Serbia in WGP what comentator said, she already had citizenship, and the last match in the second qualifying round was on May 30, 2010. Also that she is naturalized player is confirmed to me by Milan Vujačić, coordinator of international competitions and administator of social media pages of OSSRB (Volleyball Federation of Serbia).

    Quote from Bogdan123

    She did in EuroVolley 2009 and 2011 in qulification round, even i remeber in 2012 when she started to play for Serbia in WGP what comentator said, she already had citizenship, and the last match in the second qualifying round was on May 30, 2010. Also that she is naturalized player is confirmed to me by Milan Vujačić, coordinator of international competitions and administator of social media pages of OSSRB (Volleyball Federation of Serbia).

    I clearly remember that she was supposed to join the Serbian NT in 2013, and then it turned on she never actually played on Bosnian senior NT even though she was registered, so the FIVB gave her the green light a year sooner,


    Quote from serdar

    Has Serbia ever had a naturalized player in female volleyball?

    There was the MB Dragana Marinković who switched from Croatia to Serbia in 2007/2008 (she's an ethnic Serb too), but she never made much of an impact and I don't think she ever played at a big tournament.

    Quote from JoanaBG

    She didn't, that's why she was able to play for Serbia in 2012 already. Technically, Serbia has no naturalized players at the moment.

    She did play for bosnia

    The rules were different in 2012, that's why she could play for Serbia NT before the 2 year period (they created this rule after Brankica's case). She is a naturalized player. She did play for Bosnia before.

    Quote from JoanaBG

    I clearly remember that she was supposed to join the Serbian NT in 2013, and then it turned on she never actually played on Bosnian senior NT even though she was registered, so the FIVB gave her the green light a year sooner.

    https://www.cev.eu/Competition…882&PlayerID=1782&ID=1053


    It was an accelerated process and an earlier approval from the FIVB also I remember that (probably because of her ethnicity) but the fact is that she played in the senior national team of BiH (only the same age category and counting of course).

    Quote from JoanaBG

    There was the MB Dragana Marinković who switched from Croatia to Serbia in 2007/2008 (she's an ethnic Serb too), but she never made much of an impact and I don't think she ever played at a big tournament.

    I just remember that she played at WCH 2010 but she played just against weaker teams if i remember correctly.

    Belated reaction, but since I've been absent for few months, here goes:


    On the issue of getting citizenship and how it is possible, as Bogdan stated many times in this thread, here in Serbia everything is possible if you have good connections, and if you are famous. Politicians see sport as one of the only positive brands of this country, and one of the only ways to both spread a positive image of the country abroad as well as to pacify and distract the citizenry from their economic hardships (panem et circenses style), so if they can help a national team to get success, they certainly won't let a proper procedure stop them (even if they won't quite go as far as actually finance those teams).


    As for athletic side of it, this is clearly a long-term plan to replace Brankica, and it means (as several others have stated) that Serbia will continue with their 2-player reception system for the foreseeable future. It is also reported as a "last gift of Terzic to NT" so it would seem that his departure from the bench is certain after 2021 (and he won't actually get to integrate Melissa into the team).


    On the face of it, it really does seem like a brilliant move, especially if Vargas continues to hone her reception skills. Funnily enough, she is already better at it than Brankica at least (as Bogdan said) so...considering how well Busa is playing in Fener, it really seems a good plan. I also think she might be a better attacker than Brankica ever was (or at least has the potential to be).

    Do you think that serbian federation paid Vargas to change her citizenship or is it pure voluntarily decision of Vargas?

    Quote from serdar

    Do you think that serbian federation paid Vargas to change her citizenship or is it pure voluntarily decision of Vargas?

    I don't know, could be either. But my suspicion is that no, and that this was Terzic's initiative. The role of federation was probably limited to convince the foreign ministry to speed up the process as much as possible. As for Vargas and her motivation, she probably weighted where she could achieve greater success, here or in Turkish NT, and she decided (or was persuaded by Terzic) to chose Serbia.

    Well, if I were Vargas, and I want an WCh or OG medal, then I'd prefer to pick Serbia over Turkey....


    But I don't know if she cares about such things as much as club achievements and salary.

    Well, if she didn't care about NT success, then there would have been no reason to apply for Serbian citizenship, let alone apply to FIVB for changed sport citizenship (those 2 are not the same).

    In the meantime, I did a little research on what is required by law and also friends lawyers said to me that in fact the most likely way in which Vargas obtained citizenship is at the discretion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to grant it, if it is in the interest of Serbia.


    Janko, i'm glad to see you're back.

    interesting development.


    talking about BS citizenship changes: look at the joke that QAT, BRN, AZE (in many sports), even TUR (in athletics/track & field), have been doing for years. QAT & BRN used to make their foreign athletes adopt arabic/muslim names — remember how in a press conference they asked some kenyan runner about it, he couldn’t even remember what his new name was? these athletes have no connection to those countries, couldn’t speak the language, or never even lived there. look at QAT men’s NT, they have players from BRA, africa, balkans ... and they have no women’s NT.


    totally different case from aguero or leon, or costagrande or juantorena.


    surprised vargasovic didn’t end up in TUR ... she has more of a connection there.


    interesting that a few years ago, AZE naturalized several CUB players but none played for NT.


    and that corruption map was interesting. RUS & UKR are the most corrupt countries in europe?

    Last year, it was said Turkey does not have any intention or attempt to naturalize Vargas. I don’t know if it was something that Turkey tried but could not succeed and then tried to cover it. At the end of the day, I would choose Serbia either although Terzic’s departure is definitely a con.

    Lol, vargasovic.

    It's a smart decision on Vargas' end. Serbia still has a golden generation even without Brankica and Milena right now. Serbia has a great youth pool but obviously there will significantly be much less competition there as well and a chance for her to really be starter compared to Turkey. Serbian system is another bonus for her as starter. And Serbian NT is better in general so more chances to win.


    Also TVF has been interested in Alexia Ioana Caratasu around the same time, remember. She is been in Turkey at such a young age.

    There was even rumours the Romanian federation was mad at her and refused to let her go early season.

    it's interesting that people talk about SRB being a better prospect than TUR. nobody knows what will happen in the next olympic cycle. TUR has a much bigger program in terms of numbers of players -- who knows? TUR could well be the next superpower in paris... or LA.

    Quote from ossubtus

    it's interesting that people talk about SRB being a better prospect than TUR. nobody knows what will happen in the next olympic cycle. TUR has a much bigger program in terms of numbers of players -- who knows? TUR could well be the next superpower in paris... or LA.

    I doubt so

    Naz and eda retires and they'are their best players

    Her oh and opp are only regular

    The only one that could be really good is karakurt and zehra is onr of best mb nowadays

    The rest don't help

    Quote from Jules

    I doubt so

    Naz and eda retires and they'are their best players

    Her oh and opp are only regular

    The only one that could be really good is karakurt and zehra is onr of best mb nowadays

    The rest don't help


    Eda yes but I don't think Naz and Simge would retire in 2024, Naz will be 34 and Simge will be 33, not old ages for setter and libero positions. Eda's absence will have an impact for sure since she is one of the best active MBs in the world. However, Zehra-Kübra duo is more than enough to keep Turkey competitive. Aslı Kalaç and Yasemin Güveli also will be enough to support MB position in the absence of Eda. Hande will be only 27 in Paris so it is not a problem neither.


    I think it was also a matter of which position Vargas wants to play in her career. Obviously she won't be starter opp in Serbian NT, so it looks like she wants to play as offensive OH.


    Vargas would be great to have in NT but I wouldn't complain if Carutasu will be naturalized instead of her since she is one of my favourite players among U20 players.


    All the best to Vargas with Serbian NT!