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Football »Fudbal | 109 Foto:Profimedia.rs/MarcoBucco/LaPresse DušanVlahovićundoubtedly marked the year behinduswithgoalsin theshirtsofFiorentina andtheSerbianational team, whichhehelped to earnqualificationfortheupcomingWorldCup in Qatar. That’s why it comes as no surprise that representatives of ParisSaint-Germain,Liverpool,Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City and United, Juventus andBarcelona lining up in front of the headquarters of the club from Florence... Everyonewho’s anyone inEuropean football wants to enticeDušan into their realm.Andthepriceis80millioneuros,plusacommissionfromanysubsequent transfer. That’s how much Fiorentina wants and that’s how much Fiorentina will get. The first time we heard about Vlahović was on 27th February 2016, when he became the youngest debutant in Partizan’s history in a match against OFK Belgrade. He was then just 16 years and 24 days old.Soonafterwards,healsobecame the youngest goal scorer in the history of the league, taking that title from Luka Jović, who’s now at Real Madrid. That happened in the 2nd AprilmatchagainstFKRadnikSurdulica, which Partizan won 3:2. It is interesting tonote that, prior to starring for the black&whites, Dušan played for that club’s eternal rivals, Red Star. That was at a tournament in Bulgaria. Vlahović was then a member of the junior squad of OFKBelgrade, but he received an invitationfrom“Marakana”stadium to join the team. And, he didn’t gratify them. Impatience, or something else,returnedtohitthered&whites likeaboomerang.Dušanmovedonto Humska Street, where in one junior match he scored four goals against Zvezda. The shocked people from Red Star then asked their eternal rivals where they’d found this player, towhich the they received an answer that shocked themevenmore: “Well, at your place”. Restless spirit that he is, Vlahović signed for Fiorentina before turning18,withtheItalianclubpaying Partizan 1.5 million euros. He waited for his opportunity andwelcomed it in 2021, which is celebrated in Florence as the year of Dušan Vlahović.Andwewouldlike2022to also be marked by this young striker, because that would mean Serbia achieving success at the World Cup in Qatar. “I have only one piece of advice for Vlahović! Change the team, but stayinItaly.SerieAisthebestleague to progress. There will be time for himto try his hand in other leagues aswell,”saidnationalteambossDragan Stojković. Vlahović is holding his tongue for now. The club and his managers have advised himnot to provide statements. Just one poorly translated sentence can result in a problem. Andwehavenodoubt that he’ll prove himself to be the best again wherever he goes. Andhe’s only just turned 22! Sport Sports Tekst/Words: Aleksandar Pijevac Fotografije/Photography: Profimedia.rs liku i dočekao je 2021, koja se u Firenci slavi kao godina Dušana Vlahovića. A mi bismo voleli i da 2022. bude u znaku mladog napadača, jer bi to značilo da je Srbija imala uspeha na Mondijalu u Kataru. – Imam samo jedan savet za Vlahovića! Promeni tim, ali ostani u Italiji. Serija A je najbolje prvenstvo za njegovo dalje napredovanje i razvoj. Biće vremena da se oproba i u drugim prvenstvima – očinski mu je poručio selektor Dragan Stojković. Vlahović, zasad, ćuti. Klub i menadžeri su ga savetovali da ne daje izjave jer sada svaka njegova reč ima težinu. Jedna rečenica loše prevedena i eto problema. Ami nemamo sumnju da će gde god da ode, ponovo biti najbolji. A tek je napunio 22 godine… Europe vies to snatch Vlahović This lad from Belgrade, who will celebrate only his 22nd birthday on 28th January, has quickly become a “must have” among rich European clubs

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