NEMANJA MATIC

"A Serbian lady helped me plan my escape from Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough – I took a taxi to the airport"

- Andy Mitten

Even now, at 37 years of age, Nemanja Matic is still controlling football matches. After passing the 150-appearance mark at both Chelsea and Manchester United, winning two Premier League titles along the way, the Serbian international left England for Roma in 2022. Two seasons in France followed with Rennes and Lyon, before the latter had to sell stars to comply with financial regulations – avoiding an enforced relegation to the second tier by the DNGC, the body that oversees the accounts of professional clubs in the country.

That prompted a summer return to Italy with freshly promoted Sassuolo, who made an encouraging mid-table start to the new Serie A campaign. “I’m enjoying it,” Matic tells us, as he sits down for a conversation with FourFourTwo.

“It’s a well-organised club and they helped me to settle easily – I live nearby in Modena. The owners make sure everything is in place for the players. The training ground and stadium are good, and there isn’t too much pressure on us. Of course Sassuolo isn’t a big club like a Milan or Juventus, but we have everything here for the players to perform.”

That’s exactly what he’s been doing, just as he’s done since the very start of his professional career almost two decades ago. A lot has happened in between, and he’s ready to discuss it all by answering your probing questions...

What was it like growing up in rural Serbia, starting to play football in a village team coached by your father?
Damir Lalic, Pozarevac