By Les Tan/Red Sports
Aleksandar Duric gets a hug from his coach Richard Bok after SAFFC wrapped up the S.League title in early October. Despite rejecting the Sriwijaya offer, it is not certain that Duric will stay with SAFFC. (Photo © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports file photo)
National striker Aleksandar Duric, 39, may not be playing in the Indonesia Super League (ISL) next year after all.
It is understood that the deal fell apart after Sriwijaya FC did not deliver on the terms. Duric just returned from Vietnam today after playing for Singapore in an international friendly tournament.
When asked why he was not going, Duric said:
“Simple, they try to mess me up with my contract. I agreed to sign when I was there last week and two days ago Sriwijaya sent me the new contract and it had nothing which I had already agreed on. So I told them it’s off.”
There has been a exodus of national players from the S.League in the last few months after the ISL allowed their teams to have three imports and two players from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) countries.
National defender Precious Emuejeraye of Woodlands Wellington FC has already signed for Srijwijaya while Baihakki Khaizan (Geylang United) and Mustafic Fahrudin (Tampines Rovers FC) joined Persija Jakarta.
Noh Alam Shah (Tampines Rovers FC) and Ridhuan Muhamad (Tampines Rovers FC) made the switch to Arema Malang.
Duric was the S.League's Player of the Year for 2007 and 2008.
He should go back to Geylang Utd and help them win the league next season.
I think he should move to other s league clubs, if he can still score as many goals as he has, when he was with SAFFC, with other teams than it will provide another challenge for him and probably a challenge to the ‘supreme’ ones, SAFFC.
Duric is a old general. A man who plays with a heart.
Duric can continue to score against the weaklings in the S-League, and can attempt to be the oldest top-scorer in a country top flight, a record that he probably holds with his feat this year.
Let him try and get 300 s.League goals before he retires.
uhm so what now for Duric?
Remain at SAFFC or retire?