Dejan Stanković's first words after elimination from the Europa League: "Lille is not there for no reason, I am sorry..."

February 26, 2026

TL;DR

Red Star Belgrade was eliminated from the Europa League after a 2-0 loss to Lille in the second leg, following extra time.
Coach Dejan Stanković attributed the defeat partly to conceding an early goal, which affected the team's confidence and calmness.
Stanković acknowledged Lille's strength as a team and admitted that his players gave their all, despite the loss.
He mentioned that the team adapted to Lille's tactics but that some players might not have been in their best form.
Despite the disappointment, Stanković emphasized the need to move forward and focus on future goals and matches.

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