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Manchester United great Nemanja Vidic explains why he put himself forward for surprising new role

The former Man United defender briefly ran to be president of the Serbian FA earlier this year but withdrew after just two weeks.

Former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic ran for presidency of the Serbian FA earlier this year after criticising the current regime.


Vidic has been a vocal critic of his home nation's governing body, which has been accused of corruption, crime and political influence. He decided to put his name in the hat to replace Nenad Bjekovic but withdrew after just two weeks.


The 42-year-old has remained critical around what he claims are areas of poor spending and management at the highest level, but admitted he felt obliged to offer a solution, rather than merely create problems.


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"Those who are in high positions in the FSS (Serbian FA) must be responsible when they bring coaches and ask themselves if someone is the money deserved and what is the effect on the future?" Vidic told NIN. "That's a huge amount of money, we could have invested it in some other spheres, first of all on educating new coaches and football players.

"We have problems with the clubs from the interior, with the fields. They don't have enough balls, boots, jerseys... There are a lot of problems that worry me much more than whether (current manager Dragan Stojković) will stay or leave. We have to think systemically, for a longer period of time.

"You know, when you criticise someone, you are trying to explain that what they are doing is wrong, that it is not good. When I realised that warnings and advice were not helping, I offered myself as a solution.

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"I have never liked people who only talk and are not ready to take a step and say, here I am ready to offer my image and take responsibility, I think it can be better, I know how it can be done and I have people with whom I can do it."

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