How a Belgrade meeting swayed Dusan Tadic to NEC in Serbia

At 21:30 today, Dusan Tadic sat down in Belgrade, Serbia, with Dick Schreuder, his assistant Haris Medunjanin and businessman Marcel Boekhoorn, a meeting that ultimately convinced him to sign for NEC. The conversation, described by Tadic as "very important for me", took place after the club announced its Champions League third‑round opponent.

Dick Schreuder and Haris Medunjanin boarded a plane to Belgrade, and Marcel Boekhoorn joined them, forming the core of the delegation that travelled from Nijmegen. Technical director Carlos Albers and general director Wilco van Schaik stayed behind, opting not to fly with the group.

The visit was organised one day after NEC learned that Olympiakos would be its opponent in the Champions League third qualifying round, adding urgency to the recruitment effort. The timing underscored the club’s desire to secure a high‑profile signing before the European tie.

Sander JanssenJournalist quoted Tadic saying, "That conversation was very important for me. Marcel is a kind and charismatic man, also very funny. I immediately saw how important NEC is to him. We talked more about life than football, and that conversation gave the final push." The quote appeared in a VIHet interview.

Schreuder laughed, noting, "With Marcel there it automatically becomes funny. He represents the club in a beautiful way. You have to be there to understand – it was hardly about football, because there are many beautiful things outside the sport." His remarks highlighted the informal atmosphere of the meeting.

Tadic admitted he could have chosen from fifteen clubs, yet he selected NEC largely because of the personal dialogue that went beyond football. The decision, he said, was driven by the rapport built during the Serbian encounter.

Schreuder added, "Marcel jumps from one thing to another, which makes him unique. I have never seen that elsewhere. There are rich people who act differently, Marcel does not. And of course I think, what do you say now? But I understand it – he belongs to NEC." The comment reinforced the club’s view of Boekhoorn’s genuine involvement.

For readers wanting the full reconstruction of Dusan Tadic’s transfer to NEC, the detailed account is available on VI PRO. Ook, the story illustrates how personal connections can outweigh pure football analysis in modern recruitment.