Dusan Tadic may be set for an awkward meeting with Jose Mourinho once he returns from representing Serbia at Euro 2024.
The forward was unable to guide his side to victory against England on Sunday night, with the Three Lions cruising to a 1-0 victory thanks to a thundering header from Jude Bellingham in the first half.
Tadic entered the fray just after the hour mark and made a positive impact, as well as putting himself about and receiving a yellow card for his efforts.
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The former Southampton star has played at the very top level in several different countries and worked with a number of top coaches, though Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag remains the coach to whom he personally owes a lot of his success.
Speaking to NOS after Serbia’s defeat, Tadic was asked whether Ten Hag was the best coach he has ever worked with, despite his imminent link-up with Mourinho at Fenerbahce, to which he replied: “He is the best coach I have ever had.
“Because of everything. He is busy with football 24/7. Just football, football, football. It is incredible what kind of progress he makes, how much he invests in football, tactical things. He always develops himself and the team too. You learn a lot under him.”
Tadic worked with Ten Hag at Ajax and the pair enjoyed plenty of success during their time together in the Eredivisie, though a reunion looks very unlikely at this stage given that the forward is 35 years old and does not fit the bill of being the young versatile forward that Manchester United are in the market for this summer.
Mourinho will be keen to prove to Tadic that he is the very best manager in the business when they cross paths in Turkey this summer, though it may take a drastic turn of events for the ex-Chelsea boss to claim Ten Hag’s crown as being the forward’s favourite manager.
The Red Devils manager revealed that he remains in regular contact with his former star, saying: “Tadic really takes care of the discipline and he is always fit. He always ensures that there is dynamism and spirit in the team. He always had that decisive pass and he won so many games for him. I still have regular contact with him.”
