Ex-Premier League star gained ‘life and loss of life battle’ after ‘whacking’ armed intruders
A former Premier League star and Champions League hero fought off gun-wielding armed robbers when he returned home after a night out and was forced into action
Dusan Tadic became an Ajax hero thanks to his feats in the 2018–19 season when he inspired them to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
The ex-Southampton star, who was the top assist provider in the competition that season, looked set to take the Netherlands giants all the way to the final until Tottenham’s miraculous comeback. Ajax were winning 3–0 on aggregate in the second leg, yet Spurs hit back and with just seconds remaining, Lucas Moura completed a hat-trick in the 96th minute to seal the tie on the away goals rule.
Yet Tadic once pulled off a miraculous win of his own against overwhelming odds. That was when the attacking midfielder, , who celebrated his 37th birthday this week and is now playing for UAE Pro League club Al Wahda, fought off gunmen who were trying to rob his home.
The Serbian forward, who joined Saints in 2014 and made 162 appearances during four years in England before moving to Ajax in 2018, had gone out to a restaurant in Amsterdam one evening in 2022.
Speaking to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf following the attack, Tadic explained how he fought off the intruders: “I had been out to dinner with a friend at an Italian restaurant, but when I returned home, two men tried to attack me.
“Although I was wearing a suit and shoes, I was faster, but then they grabbed their scooter and caught up with me. The next minute we were fighting. By moving left and right, I drove them apart a little, I whacked their leader first.
“The other one grabbed me from behind by my throat, but I was able to elbow him. It’s only in hindsight that you realise that things could have turned out very differently. But in the moment itself, you are full of adrenaline and go into battle.
“Even though they had three firearms, I would never give up my pride. I was born in Serbia and as a child, I fought a lot. I felt good and strong. But after that, you think ‘What was this?’
The Serbian ace admitted that such incidents happen far too often, and not only to footballers. He added: “This happens too often – and not only to football players.
“If people continue to feel unsafe, they will leave the area where they live. Yes, me too, because the well-being of my family comes first. I hope this crime will be stopped.
“We have now got private security and also taken other precautions – about which the police won’t let me say anything.”
He suffered minor injuries during the altercation and explained the plasters worn on his hand in a game days later were a result of the incident.
Tadic, whose feats for Ajax saw him named in the Champions League Squad of the Season and nominated for the 2019 Ballon d’Or, when he finished in 20th place, later moved to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, before a lucrative move to the Middle East.
