However, the Reds’ no. 31 believes he and his countrymen are now ready for the challenge that awaits in Russia, after dealing with the weight of expectation upon them during qualifying.

“We had a lot of pressure before this qualification, as we didn’t go to Brazil [for the 2014 World Cup] or the last European championship,” explains Nemanja. “So there was a lot of pressure on us and it was very important for us to go there directly. We did it and I was very happy. explains Nemanja.