Papac Quits Bosnia

[fraser54 0]

SASA PAPAC has revealed he has retired from international football after becoming disillusioned with the Bosnian FA.

 

 

The defender, who made his first Rangers start for almost three months in the 3-0 win over Aberdeen last weekend, is suspended for his country's Euro 2008 qualifier against Norway following his dismissal in the 4-0 defeat to Greece last October.

 

 

Papac, however, insists he would not have made himself available to new Bosnia coach Fuad Muzorovic in any case as a protest at his dissatisfaction with the way the football association is being run.

 

 

The domestic league in Bosnia is mired in allegations of corruption and match-fixing while the FA is run on ethnic lines that reflect the country's Serb and Muslim-Croat factions.

 

 

The defender is one of a group of nine foreign-based players, that includes Zlatan Bajramovic of Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen striker Sergej Barbarez, who will not play for Bosnia again unless there is a change of regime.

 

 

Papac told the News: "I was red carded in my last game against Greece and am suspended for this weekend's match with Norway.

 

 

"But even if I hadn't been suspended I wouldn't have played anyway. I will not play for the national team again.

 

 

"There are around eight of us playing for foreign teams who now refuse to play for Bosnia.

 

 

"There are many things that are not right in the national association and unless that changes then I will not play for my country again.

 

 

"I am totally finished with the national team. There are too many problems with the national association.

 

 

"It is nothing to do with the new coach. The problems are with the president, the sport director and others.

 

 

"I am still relatively young (27) and would love to play again for my country but I will not do so under the current circumstances.

 

 

"There are a further eight players like Barbarez of Bayer Leverkusen and Bajramovic of Schalke who feel the same way and won't play any more.

 

 

"It is a shame for Bosnia but there is too much politics involved in the association and we won't return until that changes.

 

 

"It is also a blow to my international career but we feel we have no other option but to boycott the team.

 

 

"We have waited five or six years for changes to be made but everything keeps getting swept under the table."

 

 

Bosnia's loss could be Rangers' gain with the player no longer having to disappear from Murray Park for several days at a time to represent his country.

 

 

He added: "It is not easy sometimes to play for Rangers at the weekend then go away to play for the national team.

 

 

"For example, I need to take three flights to get to Bosnia and three flights to get back after playing two matches and you come back and feel exhausted!

 

 

"It is usually quite a lot of competitive matches in a short space of time so for now at least I can just concentrate on doing well for Rangers."

 

Papac returned to the Rangers starting line-up for the first time since the 1-1 draw with St Mirren on December 30 and was happy to be involved once more.

 

 

"It was my first game of 2007 and it was great to be back playing again.

 

 

"I felt a bit tired in the days after the match because I hadn't played a first-team game for so long.

 

 

"The team played well as a whole and to beat your rivals 3-0 is always a good result. Since the new manager took over our results in the league have been very good and I was glad to have played a part in Saturday's win."

 

Looks like he is 100% commited to Rangers and hopefully he can play very well for us, performances like last Saturday will do us great

[Gazza_8 233]

He looked comfortable on Saturday against the sheep. Lets hope he can keep that level of performance up cause I'm not warming to Ehiogu.

[Whosthedado 1,489]

I was shocked to see him in the team on Saturday, but he did well. I thought he looked OK when he first came and played CB. Hopeless at lb though!