Milosevic bows out with no regrets

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MUNICH, June 22: Serbia&Montenegro captain Savo Milosevic has no regrets at the end of his international career in which he scored 35 goals in 101 appearances, the striker said.

''Perhaps I could have done better but life has taught me not to have any regrets over what might have been,'' he said after the Serbs bowed out of the World Cup with a 3-2 Group C defeat to Ivory Coast yesterday.

Both teams had already been eliminated by Argentina and Netherlands and Milosevic said his team had nothing to be ashamed of after squandering a 2-0 lead on Wednesday.

''I think we played well and definitely would have won if Albert Nadj hadn't been sent off. We were very unlucky with the referee's decisions.'' Milosevic, 32, said the team spirit was undeterred after the 1-0 opening defeat to the Dutch and a 6-0 hammering by Argentina ended Serbia&Montenegro's hopes of reaching the second round.

''Unfortunately, the three matches we played in the World Cup did not provide a fitting ending to what we have achieved over the past three years,'' he said.

''This is the end of an era but I think our soccer has a bright future because we have plenty of natural talent and no one can take that away from us.'' The match against Ivory Coast was also the final appearance of Serbia and Montenegro as a unified team.

Following Montenegro's secession vote in May, the two soccer federations will also split next month and Serbia will play in the Euro 2008 qualifiers on its own while Montenegro is yet to gain international soccer recognition.

REUTERS