My brother’s an ex-Man Utd star – I’ve been making my own way as a pro now I play in Saudi against Cristiano Ronaldo
UROS MATIC is the brother of a former Manchester United midfielder as well as being a professional footballer himself.
The 33-year-old has forged his own career, which now sees him take on Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
GettyUros Matic is the younger brother of ex-Manchester United midfielder Nemanja[/caption]
He even played alongside older brother Nemanja during the early stages of their career.
Whilst at Slovak side Kosice, the pair shocked their team-mates with their physicality in training.
Matic told Goal in 2017: “When I came to my first training session in the Kosice first team squad and everyone was there – they all thought: ‘Oh he’s got his brother, they will go easy on each other.
“The first challenge between me and him in training drew blood! No one expected this and I think they were shocked.
“If you are a professional, you just have to think about your job, never mind who is your brother or who is your friend.”
The former Serbian youth international has since had spells in Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
However, he now stars for Abha in the Saudi Pro League after joining the club in 2021.
Matic has made 78 appearances for the club, scoring three and providing three assists.
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GettyThe midfielder joined Saudi Arabian side Abha in 2021 after leaving Qarabag[/caption]
Three of those appearances have come against Ronaldo since his arrival at Al-Nassr in January 2022.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s move to the Middle East raised eyebrows, but Matic appreciates the value of his presence in the league.
Speaking to Arab News in May, he explained: “I was really happy when Cristiano came because it’s good for all of Saudi football, for all of the players who play here.
“The league changed instantly — a lot of people now want to watch Saudi football and you can see how many TV stations bought the rights to stream Saudi football.
“He has raised the level and now the whole world is watching the Saudi Pro League.”
Premier League fans are more familiar with Matic’s brother, though, with Nemanja having spells in England with both Chelsea and United.
The 35-year-old made 251 league appearances across his time with the two clubs and was a three-time title winner with the Blues.
A year-and-a-half on from leaving Old Trafford, he now plays in France for Rennes.
Getty Images – GettyNemanja Matic won three Premier League titles with Chelsea[/caption]
