Nemanja Matic

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Nemanja Matic will be the first of Manchester United's World Cup stars to link up with club's tour of the United States but he will only feature in International Champions Cup games

* Matic was part of the Serbia side knocked out of the World Cup at group stage
* Midfielder has enjoyed three-week break and is set to link up with United's tour
* Jose Mourinho's side are in Los Angeles on first leg of five-stop US trip
* Matic is likely to feature in their three International Champions Cup fixtures
* Before that, United take on Club America in friendly in Phoenix, Arizona

Nemanja Matic will be the first of Manchester United's World Cup stars to join up with the club's tour of the US.

Matic was part of the Serbia side knocked out at the group stage in Russia, and he is set to fly to America to meet his team-mates after a three-week break.

The 29-year-old midfielder will still need to work on his fitness, but United hope that Matic will be available to play in the International Champions Cup games against AC Milan, Liverpool and Real Madrid after Jose Mourinho's side warm up with fixtures against Mexican side Club America and MLS outfit San Jose Earthquakes.


Nemanja Matic, who played for Serbia at the World Cup, will be the first Manchester United player who participated in the tournament to link up with the club's United States tour. The midfielder is set to take part in United's three International Champions Cup fixtures

David de Gea and Marcos Rojo, who were knocked out in the last 16 with Spain and Argentina respectively, will be the other World Cup participants to join the squad later on tour.

But the United players who reached the quarter-finals and beyond in Russia - World Cup winner Paul Pogba, the England quartet of Ashley Young, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones, Belgium duo Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini, Sweden's Victor Lindelof and Brazilian Fred - will not feature in America.

They will have just one more game, against Bayern Munich in Germany on August 5, to prepare for the new season before United play the first game of the Premier League campaign just five days later on Friday, August 10 at home to Leicester.

The squad took part in an open training session at the UCLA sports complex in Los Angeles on Tuesday, a training base that Mourinho has chosen on numerous occasions in the past as coach of FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

They will work out there again on Wednesday before flying to Phoenix on the day of the game to face Club America in the early hours of Friday morning UK time.

Fortunately for the United players, the University of Phoenix Stadium has a retractable roof to allow for air conditioning because the temperatures in Arizona are set to hit 109 degrees.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5966049/Nemanja-Matic-Manchester-Uniteds-World-Cup-stars-link-tour.html

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Nemanja Matic believes Sunday's win at Burnley proves Manchester United will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Matic made his second start of the campaign in the 2-0 Premier League victory at Turf Moor and afterwards insisted the players have the quality to mount a title challenge, despite a disappointing first month of the campaign.

“It was important for us to pick up three points, because we have lost a lot,” the Serbian midfielder told MUTV. “We are six points behind the top of the table, so we have to pick up points and we have to start to win games.

”I think we played well, like we did in the first half against Spurs. We won 2-0; we also had many chances to score more goals, but I'm very happy with 2-0.“

A first-half brace from Romelu Lukaku set United on the way and the Reds had numerous chances to add to that advantage after the break, including a saved penalty from Paul Pogba.

Nemanja outlined how Jose Mourinho had set the Reds up to deal with the aerial threat possessed by Burnley, with Marouane Fellaini making his first start of the Premier League season to assist the United back line.

“The manager was very confident before the game; he prepared the game in a very good way,” Matic said.

“We knew they could make problems for us on those long balls. That's why Fellaini played close to our defence to collect those balls and I think this performance shows we know how to play football and we can still compete for the title.”

It had been a difficult week for the United squad after defeats at Brighton and against Tottenham at Old Trafford. Nemanja was asked whether the manager's usual demeanour around the Aon Training Complex had changed in the build-up to the game and whether he had tried to take some of the pressure off the players with his comments to the media during the week.

“He knows what he is doing, for sure, and it's good for us,” Nemanja explained. “He's one of the best managers in the world. You know what he has won in his career, so that shows you everything.

”I think he's dealing very well with the pressure. That's why he is here at Manchester United and I don't see any difference.“

With United currently sitting in 10th position after four games, Nemanja believes it is still too early to look at the Premier League table, with the season still very much in its infancy.

“Of course, but they [our opponents] all have to win all of their games,” Nemanja added when asked if the Reds can afford any more slip-ups over the course of the campaign. “I think that's not possible. Someone has to lose and drop the points.

”It's still to early to say something. We will see in March where we are, because in March you can see who is fighting for the title, who is not and who is fighting for the top four, so it's still too early.“

www.manutd.com

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'Of course, he knows what he is doing for sure': Nemanja Matic admits Jose Mourinho's recent antics have eased the pressure on Manchester United

* Nemanja Matic says Jose Mourinho has eased the pressure on his team
* The Manchester United boss walked out of a press conference last week
* He also boldly described himself as 'one of the greatest managers in the world'
* United responded to consecutive defeats with a comfortable win over Burnley

Jose Mourinho has taken the pressure off his struggling Manchester United stars by making sure the spotlight is firmly on him, according to midfielder Nemanja Matic.

After United suffered back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Tottenham, Mourinho walked out of the after-match press conference holding up three fingers to represent the number of Premier League titles he has won and demanded respect from his critics.

The United boss then described himself as 'one of the greatest managers in the world' before United beat Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor on Sunday, again ensuring the headlines were all about him instead of the team.


Jose Mourinho has taken the pressure off of Manchester United, according to Nemanja Matic. Matic insists United can still be title contenders and refused to panic about Liverpool's start

Matic knows Mourinho well from their time together at Chelsea and believes the 55-year-old coach's actions were designed to take the heat off his players.

'Of course, he knows what he is doing for sure and you probably know that too,' said the Serbia midfielder. 'It's good for us also. He is one of the best managers in the world. You know what he won in his career so that shows you everything.

'I think he is dealing very well with the pressure. That's why he is here at Manchester United. I don't see any difference (from Chelsea). He was very confident before the Burnley game and prepared in a very good way.'

Despite losing two of their first four games, Matic insists United can still be title contenders this season and refused to panic about Liverpool's perfect start at the top of the table.

'They also have to win all games and I think that's impossible,' he added. 'Someone needs to lose to drop the points and it's still too early to say something.

'We will see in March where we are because then you can see who is fighting for the title, who is not, and who is fighting to be in the top four. It's still too early.

'This performance shows how we need to play football and we still can compete for the title.

'We have to start to win the games and I think we played well - like we played in the first half against Spurs. We won 2-0 but we also had many chances to score.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6127061/Matic-admits-Jose-Mourinhos-antics-eased-pressure-Man-United.html

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MATIC ACCEPTS HIS RED CARD IN 2-1 WIN AT WATFORD

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has accepted the red card he was given in the latter stages of Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Although the Serbia international was disappointed to depart following a second bookable offence, he insists he can use the one-game suspension to rest ahead of a busy schedule for the Reds.

Matic saw red in the final seconds of the game after a foul on Watford’s Will Hughes and the free-kick led to heroics from David De Gea, who denied the Hornets a late point with a flying save.

“I think the first yellow card was a clear yellow card,” Nemanja said while speaking to reporters on Saturday night. “The second one, I'm not sure, it was a foul, but I'm not sure if it was a yellow card. It's OK. I accept the decision of the referee and I will have one game to rest.”

Jose Mourinho seemed pleased with his midfielder’s performance none-the-less when hugging the Serbian as he left the field. but Matic joked he will wait to see the reaction at training on Monday!

“We will see what he has to say on Monday,” Nemanja said.

Asked what Mourinho said to the players at half-time following an impressive first-half display, Matic revealed: “He said we had to concentrate and that we could not allow them to create the chances because if they score a goal we are in trouble.

“We knew that, but they have quality, they have confidence because they won the first four games. They scored and after that it was difficult for us. We had some counter attacks to finish the game, but we didn't score.”

Chris Smalling grabbed United’s second with a fantastic volley and Matic admitted the Reds’ central defender is always a danger for the opposition. “Chris is great. As you see, in the box he is always dangerous. Last season he scored some important goals for us.”

Matic concluded by declaring he was happy with the Reds second successive away win. “We played well, but in the Premier League it's always difficult. It can be difficult when you are 2-0 in front and the other team is creating chances. They created problems and if you don't score the third one this can happen, but at the end what we are counting is only the [three] points. We are happy for three points and I hope we can continue like this.”

www.manutd.com

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Manchester United star Nemanja Matic revealed as mystery donor who gave £63,000 towards young boy's cancer treatment

* Nemanja Matic made a donation of £63,000 to Dusan Todorovic's treatment
* The four-year-old boy hails from United star Matic's home country of Serbia
* £200,000 has been raised so Dusan can travel to Barcelona for treatment
* It isn't the first time Matic has helped out his countrymen with generous acts

Manchester United star Nemanja Matic has been revealed as the mystery donor who gave £63,000 so a cancer-stricken boy could receive treatment.

Little Dusan Todorovic, who hails from Matic's native Serbia, has neuroblastoma, the same form of cancer that Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery battled.

There was a huge campaign in Serbia to raise money so the four-year-old could travel to Barcelona and receive the treatment that could save his life.


Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic donated £63,000 towards a young Serbian boy's potentially life-saving cancer treatment . Four-year-old Dusan Todorovic suffers from the rare form of cancer known as neuroblastoma. Dusan is now in Barcelona undergoing the potentially life-saving treatment after donations

United midfielder Matic donated the money and wanted to remain anonymous, but Dusan's father disclosed the identity of who helped his son.

In all, almost £180,000 has been raised and Dusan is currently in Barcelona to begin treatment.

Serbian club Partizan Belgrade tweeted: 'Nearly €200,000 has been raised towards the treatment of ill four-year-old Partizan fan Dusan Todorovic.

'This total includes money raised from ticket sales for the FK Rad game and a Crvena Zvezda fan who auctioned his ticket for their Champions League matches. Well done all.'

Former Benfica and Chelsea player Matic has represented Serbia 45 times and it is not the first time he has helped out his countrymen with generous acts.

Matic grew up in the village of Vrelo - population 1,600 - in the west of the country and he has not forgotten his roots.

He often pays off the debts of local people at the village store and gave money for repairs to be made at the elementary school he attended.

The school principal Bosko Saric said: 'Nemanja funded the playground for the children and says he will continue in summer.

'He plans to bring mobile baskets, goals, and balls, as well as sports equipment.'

Bradley Lowery captured the heart of the nation and became close friends with striker Jermain Defoe before he passed away at the age of six in July last year.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6196097/Nemanja-Matic-revealed-mystery-donor-gave-63-000-young-boys-cancer-treatment.html

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MATIC ADMITS TO 'LOOKING IN THE MIRROR'

Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic admits he needed to “look in the mirror” after the 3-1 defeat to West Ham United and is billing Tuesday’s visit of Valencia in the Champions League as the biggest game of the season so far.

The midfielder was part of the team beaten in disappointing fashion at the London Stadium and has stressed that everybody is determined to turn things around at the club.

Following the 3-0 win over Young Boys in the group opener, the European tie provides an opportunity to quickly get back on track. After reviewing what went wrong against the Hammers, the Serbian flatly dismissed any suggestions that the players are not giving their all.

“This game [against West Ham] was really bad but we also have responsibility,” he said. “Everyone has a responsibility for that and I don't believe that any player goes to the pitch to not give his best. Everyone who started the game wanted to do better for himself and, after that, it is better for the team, but something wasn't good. And, for me, I think that I played one of the worst games since I signed for Man United. I look in the mirror and I want to see where I made mistakes and what I can do better. For sure, everyone does the same.

”I think that, on Saturday, we didn't play well, but I think that we gave our best in that moment. Why didn't we play well? For sure, the manager is going to tell us. For sure, the manager is going to show us a video where we make some mistakes and what we can do better. This game was really bad but we also have responsibility, everyone has a responsibility for that and I don't believe that any player goes to the pitch to not give his best.“

Three points against Valencia would go some way to lifting morale after a difficult end to September, a month that had started so positively for the Reds.

”It's always difficult when you lose the games,” Matic added. “It's always difficult if you don't collect the points, especially when you play for a big club, a club that's supposed to win titles and trophies. So, it's very hard, but this is football. This is life and, for sure, everyone wants to do better.

”We know we didn't play well in the last couple of games and everyone will try to resolve this situation because everyone has a responsibility for that. Of course, when you play for Man United, everyone expects you to win the games and, for sure, when you don't win a few games in a row, there's more expectation on you, attention also, and we know that.

“This is life, this is football,” he told MUTV. “We have to do better to turn this situation [around] and, for sure, against Valencia we will give our best to make our fans finally happy and we have to give our best.

”I think we have to take a lot of responsibility because we have not been playing well. We have that on the pitch and, of course, we share the responsibility with the manager. I think players who are more experienced, like me, Ashley Young and [Antonio] Valencia, take more responsibility because, of course, everyone expects us to lead the team. I know that we haven’t played well and we will try to do better as soon as possible.

“It’s very important. As you know, to progress in the group you need [at least] nine or 10 points, so we need to get points and if we win tomorrow [Tuesday], we will have six. After that, we will need three or four more points to pass [through] the group, so tomorrow is the most important game so far this season for me.”

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INJURY FORCES MATIC TO RETURN FROM SERBIA DUTY

Nemanja Matic has returned to Manchester United from international duty due to an injury, which has ruled him out of Serbia’s upcoming matches against Montenegro and Romania.

The 30-year-old midfielder has made eight Reds appearances across all competitions so far this season, and most recently featured in the gutsy 3-2 comeback victory over Newcastle at Old Trafford.

Matic departed for international duty soon after that win, but he has now returned to the Aon Training Complex to complete his rehabilitation under the club’s guidance.

It remains to be seen if Nemanja will be available for our big Premier League game against his former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where he had two separate spells as a player under Jose Mourinho.

The news of Matic’s injury follows Monday night’s announcement that his Reds team-mate Luke Shaw has also sustained a problem, which has forced him to return early from England duty.

Our flourishing no.23 had hoped to feature in the Three Lions’ UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain, but he will instead focus on his recovery back home in Manchester.

www.manutd.com

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NEMANJA MATIC: MY SERBIAN STORY

Nemanja Matic gave an insightful interview to Inside United, the official club magazine, about growing up in Serbia, his commitment to local football in his homeland and having a street named after him!

Firstly, what was it like growing up in Serbia – can you describe your home town?
Yeah, I grew up in a small village with only one-and-a-half thousand people. It was good, good for me and I enjoyed that time with my friends. We were playing football most of the time and it was really nice.

Was your father the coach of your kids’ team growing up - Vrelo?
Yes, my father was my coach when I was seven or eight years old. It was difficult for me because he always wanted me to do better and better. If I scored two or three goals sometimes in a game, he said it was still not good enough! So there were hard times for me! [Laughs]

And then you spent some time with both Red Star and Partizan Belgrade as a youngster...
I played in Red Star for four years and then Partizan for one-and-a-half years. I spent some nice times there. Partizan and Red Star are two of the best clubs in Serbia and I learned a lot there. I really enjoyed the experience spent at both of them.

We visited Partizan last year as part of the Under-19s’ trip to Belgrade and they were very welcoming but keen to stress they were big rivals with Red Star…
Yes, they are big rivals. The stadiums are very close to each other, maybe one kilometre in distance between the grounds. So they are big rivals who always fight for the title. This year, Partizan played Beskitkas to get into the Europa League and Red Star faced Red Bull Salzburg for the Champions League. They both have good teams and are big clubs.

Everybody in Belgrade seemed very proud about the history of the teams and the Yugoslavia sides of the past as well…
Yes, in the ex-Yugoslavia, we also had a good league with big clubs. Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Red Star Belgrade, Partizan Belgrade, Zeleznicar from Sarajevo. There were many good clubs and the league was very hard but it was a long time ago. I can’t remember a lot from that time.

Is it correct that you now co-own your local club in Serbia, Vrelo Sport?
Yeah, I try to help my club, from my town where I grew up. I like to help young players. I try to make them better and ensure they have better conditions on the pitch than I had when I started to play. I enjoy doing that. I think they can improve more [with better pitches] because if, one day, they play at a high level, they have to know what to expect. So it’s very important for them.

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'I don't feel it is right': Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic reveals he did not wear a poppy on his shirt because it reminds him of Nato’s bombing of his Serbian village when he was a child

* Nemanja Matic was only Manchester United not to wear a poppy on Saturday
* Midfielder was subject to vile Twitter abuse as a result of his decision
* Matic previously wore a poppy for United in clash at Chelsea last season
* Serbian states he respects the Poppy Appeal but does not want to be part of it

Nemanja Matic has lifted the lid on why he will not wear a poppy on his Manchester United shirt, claiming it reminds him of his village being bombed when he was just 12-years-old.

The Serbian was the only United player on the pitch not featuring a poppy on his shirt during their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday despite having done so last season for the Old Trafford outfit.

As a part of NATO, British forces were involved in the Kosovo War in 1999 as part of a bombing offensive to drive Serbian forces out of the state.


Nemanja Matic decided against wearing a poppy in Manchester United's win at Bournemouth. Matic was the only United player not to wear a poppy in the Premier League clash at the Vitality

Yet the midfielder has taken to Instagram to explain his position, stating that while he respects the Poppy appeal, he no longer wishes to wear one on his match shirt.

'I do not want to undermine the poppy as a symbol of pride within Britain or offend anyone,' Matic said on the social media site.

'However, for me it is only a reminder of an attack that I felt personally as a young, frightened 12-year old boy living in Vrelo, as my country was devastated by the bombing of Serbia in 1999.

'Whilst I have done so previously, on reflection I now don't feel it is right for me to wear the poppy on my shirt.'

MATIC'S FULL STATEMENT

'I recognise fully why people wear poppies, I totally respect everyone’s right to do so and I have total sympathy for anyone who has lost loved ones due to conflict.

'However, for me it is only a reminder of an attack that I felt personally as a young, frightened 12-year old boy living in Vrelo, as my country was devastated by the bombing of Serbia in 1999. Whilst I have done so previously, on reflection I now don't feel it is right for me to wear the poppy on my shirt.

'I do not want to undermine the poppy as a symbol of pride within Britain or offend anyone, however, we are all a product of our own upbringing and this is a personal choice for the reasons outlined.

'I hope everyone understands my reasons now that I have explained them and I can concentrate on helping the team in the games that lie ahead.'

Matic's stance at the weekend drew vile abuse on Twitter with one fan claiming: 'Matic isn't wearing a poppy, snap the c**t's leg.'

Another added: 'No excuse for Matic not wearing a poppy. British involvement in Kosovo has nothing to do with remembering those who gave their lives in two World Wars #DISGRACE .'

The Serbian international was not the only player to go without a poppy, with Stoke City's James McClean also suffering abuse from Potters supporters for his stance.


Matic previously wore a poppy as recently as last year in United's defeat at Chelsea

The Irishman was involved in an angry exchange with fans following their 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday that has led to him being investigated by the FA after labelling the supporters who verbally abused him as 'uneducated caveman'.

McClean is from Derry in Northern Ireland and grew up on the Creggan estate were six of the people who were killed on Bloody Sunday came from.

Bloody Sunday saw 28 unarmed civilians shot by British soldiers in a peaceful protest march.

'The FA are investigating me after Saturday's event, for what exactly?' he said in an Instagram post on Monday.

'Yet week in week out for the past 7 years I get constant sectarian abuse, death threats, objects being thrown, chanting which is heard loud and clear every week which my family, wife and kids have to listen too (sic), they turn a blind eye and not a single word of condemnation of any sort.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-6354685/Man-Utds-Nemanja-Matic-reveals-not-wear-poppy-reminds-bombings-child.html