International soccer has changed. The eligibility criteria got softer, enabling players who already represented a country switch nationality.Richairo Zivkovic, for instance, had played for the Netherlandsā youth teams before deciding to represent Curacao at the senior level.
Born in Assen on September 5, 1996, the Emmen striker had played for the Oranjeās U-19, U-20 and U-21 teams. Zivkovic, however, has always had the opportunity to play fortwo other national teams due to his familyās origins.
Serbia were one of them, but the Concacaf nationultimately convinced him to join their ranks. The timing is no coincidence, as Zivkovic admitted feeling attracted by the possibility of playing against Lionel Messiās Argentina in this window.
Curacao player admits facing Messi was a factor in giving up on the Netherlands
āI used to have in mind an international career with the Oranje or Serbia, but Iām afraid thatās not feasible at this moment. Meanwhile, Curacao kept on asking. However, since I used to live abroad, I opted to rest during international breaks. But now that Iām once again living in the Netherlands, when Curacao approached again I thought: āYou know what? Iāll just do it.ā,ā Zivkovic toldDagblad Noorden.
āOf course, thatās also a reason to accept the invitation,ā he said in regard to Curacaoās upcoming friendly against Messi and company. Additionally, Zivkovic joked about claiming revenge on Argentina for their victory over the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup.Curacao will play against the reigning world champions on Tuesday, March 28, at Estadio Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.
