Nemanja Matic recently made a return to Serie A after a spell in France with Lyon.
37-year-old Nemanja Matic still has a point to prove, after his contract in France was terminated. He recently agreed a return to Italy with Sassuolo.
Matic spent time playing for Roma after his Manchester United contract expired, and now, upon his return to Italy he sees his former Red Devils teammate lighting up the league.
Manchester United sold Scott McTominay to Napoli in 2024, and 12 months later he is a Serie A winner and a Ballon d’Or nominee.
Matic is glad to see it, and says he had faith in McTominay all along.
Nemanja Matic on Scott McTominay
Back in 2020, Nemanja Matic threw his support behind Scott McTominay, believing he would be a long-term success for the Red Devils.
He told club media: “I think he will be a very important player for Manchester United in the next 10 years or more. He is the kind of player and person that you always want to have in the changing room.”
Now in a recent interview in Italy with Sassuolo, it was not a surprise that one of the questions was about Serie A’s most popular midfielder.
Matic doubled down on his faith in McTominay, responding: “I said something on social media about McTominay, that I was sad to see him leave Man United.
“I was sure he was probably one of the Red Devils’ best, and I said it’s very difficult to find players like him, a perfect mix of old and new style.
“Now he’s experienced, everyone has seen that he’s fantastic.”
Matic recalls his words well, with his warning to United coming true, and the Red Devils’ midfield struggles and McTominay’s runaway success.
He posted on X in 2024 in the wake of McTominay’s sale: “My opinion is that #manutd made a mistake by selling Scott McTominay, today it is difficult to replace a player like him. Conte is smart man.”
This was one of two times Matic posted on social media last season about Manchester United, the second came when he blasted Andre Onana as one of the club’s worst ever goalkeepers.
Matic unsure about coaching
Matic’s insight on McTominay and Onana showed his understanding of the game, and he wants to prolong his career as long as he can. He has made two starts for Sassuolo since signing as a free agent in August.
Asked about a possible move into coaching, Matic responded: “I’ve worked with the best coaches in the world over the last 20 years. We’ll see. I don’t know if I’ll ever become a manager.
“I want to stay on the pitch because that’s what I’ve done all my life.”
He also had kind words for Jose Mourinho, who he worked with at Chelsea, Manchester United and Roma. Mourinho is also in talks to join another of Matic’s former clubs, Benfica.
Matic said: “He’s fantastic. I grew up with him as a man, I learned to fight, to be a winner. He teaches the people around him to be winners, which is very important. He’s the coach who probably changed football.”
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