(foto: Uradni Twitter profil kluba/zveze)
Japan cancelled its European tour due to Middle East tensions, leading to the cancellation of the planned U21 friendly against Serbia in Antalya.
The planned friendly between Serbia’s U21 national team and Japan has been officially cancelled, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) confirmed.
The Japan Football Association decided to scrap its European tour due to the current security situation in the Middle East, which also led to the cancellation of the match scheduled for 30 March in Antalya, Turkey.
Serbia’s U21 side, coached by Zoran Mirković, had planned a two-match training camp in Turkey as part of preparations for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
One friendly still scheduled
According to the FSS, the first scheduled match — against Kyrgyzstan on 26 March — will go ahead as planned.
The Serbian federation is now working to arrange another international opponent in Antalya to replace the cancelled fixture against Japan and ensure the team maintains its preparation schedule.
Preparations for home-hosted Euro 2027
The upcoming U21 European Championship will take place from 11 June to 4 July 2027 and will be jointly hosted by Serbia and Albania.
With the tournament approaching, competitive friendlies are considered crucial for assessing the squad and building cohesion ahead of the continental event.