Serbian media have noted that Coach Stojković’s selection approach is deeply conservative. On one hand, he is determined to erase the influence of former coach Muslin from the locker room; on the other, he insists on a promise to rejuvenate the team, all while favoring players from Europe’s top five leagues. The omission of regular starters like Gudelj and Nemanja Maksimović from the World Cup qualifiers underscores the sweeping changes. While the coach claims form is the top criteria, it’s hard to explain why Fejsa, who was a key player for Benfica last year, didn’t even make the 35-man preliminary list.
Interestingly, several club regulars have been dropped. Maksimović, who earned a starting role at Spartak Moscow early this year, was left out. So was Obradović, a mainstay for Anderlecht, and Gudelj, who has been consistently active at Guangzhou Evergrande. Yet, Nemanja Maksimović—the younger midfielder who barely featured in 6 of Valencia’s 38 La Liga matches—made the cut, leapfrogging both Gudelj and Fejsa.
In essence, Gudelj failed to meet three of Stojković’s unwritten standards: age, league, and potential. His omission wasn’t all that surprising. The coach has clearly made room for three promising local players in their early twenties, signaling a preference for youth over experience. More tellingly, Stojković shows a strong bias toward Europe’s major leagues. His March friendlies lineup revealed the trend: among the starting eleven, only goalkeeper Stojković and center-back Ivanović weren’t from the top five leagues. Out of the four substitutes, only one hailed from outside that elite group.
When the 27-man squad for the May 28 training camp in Austria was announced, the omissions raised eyebrows. Not only Gudelj but also high-profile players like Benfica’s Fejsa, Anderlecht’s Obradović, and Spartak Moscow’s Maksimović were left out, sparking wide controversy. Stojković defended his choices, stressing that all decisions were made collectively with his scouting team. He pointed out that he himself was once excluded from the Euro 2000 squad and could relate to the disappointment. Still, fan sentiment, as reflected in a 156,000-vote poll by Serbia’s top sports outlet Mozzart Sport, didn’t fully align with the coach’s vision—especially in defense and midfield.
Veteran full-backs Basta and Obradović topped the fan polls but didn’t make the final cut. In midfield, Fejsa and Gudelj ranked fourth and fifth in votes, and many believed they at least deserved a spot in the 27-man list. Yet, both were ultimately excluded. Addressing the criticism, Stojković stood firm, saying, “Serbia has seven million national team coaches—everyone has their own opinion. But in the end, the decision is ours, and we won’t mirror public opinion.”
As for Gudelj, now into his second season in the Chinese Super League, it seems he was never really in the coach’s plans. Despite consistent performances, his location outside Europe’s top-tier spotlight may have cost him a place in the national setup. His case adds to the ongoing debate about how international experience in leagues like the CSL is perceived—especially when it comes to representing one’s country in major tournaments like the BD Cricket Match of global football.