Nemanja Vidic missed a penalty on his last ever appearance for Serbia last night. We’re not sure if that’s why he decided to call it a day afterwards.
The giant Serbian centre half missed a penalty against Slovenia last night (why was he taking it in the first place?) and with his country missing out on a chance of qualifying for Euro 2012, Vidic decided to call it a day at the grand old age of 29.
The Manchester United captain thus becomes the latest in a long line of players from the club to retire from the international game suspiciously early.
Paul Scholes quit England at 29, 30-year old Ji-Sung Park left the Korean set-up earlier this year, Dimitar Berbatov was 29 when he decided not to tog out for Bulgaria anymore and Roy Keane briefly stopped playing for the Republic of Ireland in 2002, although that might have something to do with that tiny little incident in Saipan that summer.
Coincidence? Maybe, but we suspect that Old Red Nose Sir Alex Ferguson has more than a little to do with it.
Speaking after Serbia’s defeat to Slovenia last night, Vidic said: “I took responsibility and I am aware of the consequences of a poorly executed penalty. If I had scored the game would have taken an entirely different course. So we are where we are.
“It’s time for a change of generations, and for some older players to say goodbye to Serbian kit,” he added, and although it wasn’t official confirmation of his international retirement, it was interpreted as such in his homeland.
Not that Fergie or United fans will be too bothered.
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