Footballing legacies and national team choices shape Balkan talent

Footballing legacies are being carried forward by a new generation of players in the Balkans. In Serbia, brothers Vanja and Sergej Milinković-Savić, Filip and Aleksandar Stanković, and Stefan and Viktor Džodić are following in the footsteps of their professional fathers, including former international Dejan Stanković and Nenad Džodić. Coach Veljko Paunović noted that while family names provide pride, players must earn their place in the national team through merit.

Similarly, young players Arijon Ibrahimović and Dženan Pejčinović are navigating complex national team choices based on their heritage. Despite interest from Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina due to their family roots, both players have continued their development within the German youth national team systems, including the U21 level.