Milos Degenek brings World Cup experience to Columbus Crew
Since the 2022 Crew season ended in early October, Miloš Degenek has been busy.
While his teammates stayed in Columbus through the end of October for training, the center back was granted an early release from team duties to return to Serbia, his offseason home, for a short break with his family before joining Australia’s team for the World Cup in Qatar.
Degenek was also on Australia’s World Cup squad in 2018, but he was an unused substitute. In Qatar, he played just five minutes in Australia’s opening loss to France and 15 minutes in a victory over Tunisia before earning his first start of the tournament in the group stage finale against Denmark. He played a full 90 minutes as Australia won and advanced to the knockout round for just the second time in its history.
“It was miraculous,” Degenek said. “I think we’ve done really well. We surpassed what everyone thought. I think people around Australia and general football fans thought that we were going there, we’re going to just go to participate and then go home after three games. I think we proved a lot of people wrong.”
The Socceroos’ run came to an end against eventual champion Argentina in the round of 16, but for Degenek, falling to Lionel Messi’s Argentina is about as tolerable as a loss can be.
“If it had to be anyone, and if I had to choose anyone, I would choose them, because of Messi,” Degenek said. “I really wanted him to win it. Not just me, I think everyone wanted him to win it. … I had the privilege to play against him. I think that’s something special, when you stand next to someone like that and you see what he does on a football pitch and you just ask yourself how he does it.”
Degenek’s role as a leader for the Crew grew steadily throughout his first season in MLS — culminating in him gathering the team to deliver a message after the comeback win against the Red Bulls — and at the World Cup he took a further step in his leadership responsibilities.
As one of eight players with the Socceroos who were also on team in 2018, Degenek felt a responsibility to help push the team forward and be one of the relied-upon leaders. As he prepares for the 2023 season with the Crew, he will carry that experience and knowledge with him.
“I can bring that leadership in and just that calm, collected voice,” Degenek said. “… That’s what I can bring and that’s what was kind of born into me during this World Cup. It’s kind of what I took home and it’s kind of what I’m bringing here. Just a little bit of a different mentality in my own mind, that hunger and that eagerness to do a lot more.”
At 28 years old and now a father of two — Degenek’s wife Aleksandra gave birth to the couple’s second child, a son, early this week, adding another element to his already-busy winter — Degenek is one of the older players on the Crew, and has experience playing against some of the top competition in the world. Fresh from his performance at the World Cup, he expects to combine his strong play with his leadership to make a large impact for the Crew this season.
“I knew I always was kind of a leader, a person that never was shy to go first and was never shy to stand first in the battle line,” Degenek said. “But I think this brought it out a lot more. … I’m not here to say I can teach players how to play football. That’s not my job.
“But I can certainly help players, help the younger ones and help the ones that are here in terms of if they ever need someone to talk to and just someone to tap on the shoulder, give them a hug and say that we’re in it together.”
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