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Socceroos star Milos Degenek lashes out at Aussies who didn’t back Graham Arnold’s team and breaks down as he praises the bond that made the team a ‘band of brothers’
Socceroos defender Milos Degenek has criticized the Australian media for not supporting Graham Arnold’s team during the World Cup campaign and broke down in tears as he described the incredibly close bond between him and his teammates.
Degenek, who was one of the Australians tasked with guarding Lionel Messi in the Socceroos’ 2-1 loss to Argentina on Sunday morning, gave fans a rare glimpse into his emotional side after the game.
Socceroos defender Milos Degenek (pictured right with Martin Boyle) broke down in tears describing the bond that transformed the team into a ‘band of brothers’.
Degenek, who was one of the Australians tasked with guarding Lionel Messi in the Socceroos’ 2-1 loss to Argentina on Sunday morning, was emotional after the game.
“It’s disappointing that we lost,” said the heartbroken 28-year-old. ‘And…I don’t know how to say this, but I would love for you to support us, and for no one to write a bad word about anyone…and just support the guys.’
Degenek had tears running down his face and had to pause briefly to regain his composure.
“He will stay with us forever,” he said of the World Cup campaign.
‘I just hope we made people proud. I hope it inspires the next generation of children. I wish we would have won, it made everyone more proud.
When asked why he was so excited, Degenek explained how much the sport means to him.
I love the game. He has given me everything,’ she said, as the tears restarted.
‘Dreams come true. It’s hard. Come back guys, we’ll do more next time.
Degenek (pictured attacking Lionel Messi) explained that sport had given him ‘everything’
Degenek was just 18 months old when her family sought refuge in Serbia after fleeing Croatia during the independence war.
When he was six years old, the Kosovo war came to his doorstep and his family fled to Australia with very few possessions.
Soccer gave Degenek a life he could never imagine and he believes the Socceroos team is the best he has ever been involved with.
‘It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t born in Australia, it doesn’t matter that I’m not 100% Australian, I’m sorry. I feel it through these guys,” Degenek said.
I would love to stay with these guys for another two weeks. It’s a band of brothers. It’s more than friends.
Soccer gave Degenek a life he could never imagine. And he thinks the Socceroos team is the best team he’s ever been involved with (coach Graham Arnold pictured with Harry Soutar and Kyle Rowles after the loss to Argentina)
Degenek, who represented the Australian and Serbian youth teams before staying with the Socceroos, also spoke briefly about what it was like to guard Messi, who is looking to win the only major title that has eluded him during his career.
“It’s hard to keep the best player that ever played out of the game,” he said. We did everything we could.
‘If we tied, we could have knocked them out. It is a testimony that we got here. I hope they win it, so we can say the winners eliminated us.’