Serbia’s Junior Team: Money entices the talent to play abroad

The footballers of the “old” Yugoslavia always achieved some success in all world competitions, and in all age-groups. This held true for FIFA World Cups™ and UEFA European Football Championships™, as well as all international youth and junior competitions, before the country was separated into the individual, independent countries of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro during and after the Balkan War.

The former Yugoslav national team was reasonably successful at international tournaments. Before 1992, Yugoslavia achieved one gold (1960), three silver (1948, 1952, 1956) and one bronze medal (1984) at Olympic Games, finished third (1930) and fourth (1962) at the World Cup, and were twice European runners-up (1960, 1968). Famous names of Serbian football from that time are Dragan Dzajic, Dejan Savicevic, Dragan Stojkovic, Bora Milutinovic, to name just a few.

A real highlight at youth level for the former Yugoslavia took place in Santiago de Chile on October 22, 1987. The “Yugos” became World junior champions by a 6-5 penalty shoot-out over Germany. Star of the team then was a certain Robert Prosinecki, who grew up in Swabia in Germany and later played for Croatia. Coach of that team was the Serb Ilija Petkovic.

In 1978, Yugoslavia won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship by defeating the former GDR 1-0 and 4-4. In 1990, the youngsters from Belgrade, Zagreb and Split lost to the Soviet Union 4-2 and 3-1. On June 8, 2004, a team now limited to players from Serbia and Montenegro was defeated 3-0 by Italy in the European final in Bochum, Germany. In UEFA’s U-19 competitions, however, no team from Yugoslavia or Serbia and Montenegro has reached the final since 1981.

Serbia’s Football Association is one of the latest members of FIFA and UEFA. Though this association claims to have been founded in 1919 and affiliated to FIFA in 1921 and to UEFA in 1954, this obviously incorporates the history of the old Yugoslav Association. In fact, the first Association of Serbia and Montenegro, plus the Serbian parts of Bosnia, was formed in 1993 from this Yugoslav Association. The so-called “State Community” of Serbia and Montenegro existed from February 4, 2003, until June 3, 2006. Under this name the team still competed in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany.

But this community no longer exists. Since July 2006, Serbia and Montenegro have their own, independent Football Associations. Immediately afterwards Serbia’s U21 selection qualified for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2007 finals in the Netherlands, with victories over Georgia (3-1), Lithuania (2-0) and Sweden (5-0, 3-0).

Miroslav Djukic is the team coach. The former Yugoslav international, with 48 caps and who played and coached for a long time in Spain (La Coruna, Valencia, Tenerife), took over the team in 2006.

Djukic’s squad consists of approximately 40 players. As in the past, many talents come from the two Belgrade clubs, Partizan and Red Star. Both these clubs enjoy an excellent reputation – not just among experts – as star makers. But it is also conspicuous that foreign clubs hold the registration of many younger players. These youngsters turn their talent early into money, thus being able to ensure a strong economic basis for their entire family.

Already playing abroad are defenders Branislav Ivanovic (Lok Moscow), Milan Stepanov (Trabzon) and Vlado Jeknic (Burghausen, Germany); midfielders Simon Vukcevic (Saturn Moscow), Milos Krasic (ZSKA Moscow), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Aleksandar Trisovic (Kryvyi Rog); as well as attacker Mirko Vucinic (Lecce). The UEFA U21 European Championship finals will be a tempting stage for other good, young Serbs to also attract contracts in foreign countries.