Reuters/Belgrade

Serbian soccer fans are fed up with the national team’s excuses for underperforming and it is imperative that the Balkan country qualify for the Euro 2016 tournament, midfielder Nemanja Matic has said.
The Serbians failed to reach either Euro 2012 or this year’s World Cup and Matic, who rejoined Chelsea in January after the Premier League side had sold him to Benfica in 2011, believes they must emerge from a tough qualifying group if they want to regain the respect of fans back home.
“We have to reach the finals in France as people in Serbia have had enough of our excuses that we are a quality side always very nearly there but never quite up to the task,” the 25-year-old told daily Vecernje Novosti ahead of Serbia’s friendly against Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday.
Serbia have been drawn to face Portugal, Denmark, Armenia and Albania in Group I, opening with an away fixture against the Armenians on Oct. 11. The top two qualify automatically for the finals while eight third-place finishers will enter playoffs.
“It’s a difficult group and Portugal must be the favourites but there are no easy groups these days,” he added.
“We have to roll our sleeves up and get down to some hard work because the best way to show your respect for a top quality side like Portugal is to beat them.”
Matic has made an immediate impact after rejoining Chelsea but acknowledged that he can take nothing for granted at the Premier League side after an emotional farewell to Lisbon.
“No one at Chelsea is irreplaceable and I have set high standards for myself as every player at the club should and has to,” he said.
“I returned after two and a half wonderful years in Lisbon. I knew leaving Portugal would be tough but only when I saw the tears in my wife and child’s eyes did I realise just how big a decision it was.
“But I knew it was time to move to a stronger league and I’ve fulfilled my ambition by rejoining Chelsea, while Benfica and Lisbon will always have a very special place in my heart.”