Medojević first among equals

Serbia captain Slobodan Medojević claims that with so many strong characters in the team it is irrelevant who leads the side out in their UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final against Ukraine in Mariupol.

Strong spirit
Coach Aleksandar Stanojević was keen to stress that his outfit topped the Group B standings ahead of France, Spain and Turkey despite several key players not travelling to the tournament. Medojević agrees that there is plenty of talent remaining among the Serbia ranks to cover the losses. "We have very good players in our squad so I'm not surprised [by our success]," the defensive midfielder said. "Along with our collective ability we have big hearts and maybe that's another reason we're doing so well."

Friendly group
Serbia took four points from their opening two group games despite going a goal behind in each of them. Danijel Aleksić's equaliser earned his team a 1-1 draw against France while a Milan Milanović double was enough to see off Spain. A 1-0 win over Turkey – with Aleksić again on the scoresheet – secured Serbia top spot in the group, setting up a semi-final against the hosts in Mariupol. "Together we've given everything we have," Medojević asserted. "There is a very good atmosphere within our group and we are all great friends. I feel a little bit more responsibility being captain but that's OK; it really doesn't matter who wears the armband."

Anfield dream
The FK Vojvodina player told uefa.com that he was a big admirer of FC Internazionale Milano's Patrick Vieira and new Juventus signing Diego but that his favourite player was Liverpool FC's Steven Gerrard. "One day I would like to sign for Liverpool because of the way they play and the fantastic supporters they have," the 18-year-old explained. For now though, Medojević is happy to keep dreaming of UEFA European Under-19 Championship glory. "We like it here; Mariupol is a good town and the pitches we are training and playing on are excellent. I think this type of tournament is very important for all of us and I want us to go as far as possible."