The last 15 years have been tumultuous when it comes to Serbian football. Since crashing out in the quarterfinals of Euro 2000 (after a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Holland), the national team has failed to qualify for five of the next seven major tournaments. Thanks to a disastrous Euro 2016 qualifying campaign that number will soon rise to six missed major tournaments out of the last eight. By the time Euro 2020 rolls around it will be 20 years since Serbia has competed at the Continental Championship. This is simply tragic; Serbia has always had talented players playing in top clubs across Europe but they have continuously failed to produce results at the national level.
For years Serbian football fans have been tortured by underachieving, underperforming, and dysfunctional teams. A lot of the blame for that falls on the Serbian Football Association (FSS) and its boss Tomislav Karadzic. Under Karadzic’s leadership there is no vision or continuity, and the FSS hires and fires managers on an almost yearly basis. In only the last five years Serbia has had five different managers. The FSS also faces never-ending corruption allegations from fans, media, former players, and football clubs across the country. Thanks to the FSS’s terrible leadership, there is a poisonous atmosphere around the Serbian national team that helps contribute to a disorganized team that plays as individuals rather than as a team.
Thankfully, that type of atmosphere does not exist within the Serbian U20 national team.Led by charismatic, up-and-coming manager Veljko Paunovic, the team went on an unprecedented run and inspired the nation en-route to winning the 2015 U20 World Cup in New Zealand. This was the greatest achievement in the history of Serbian football and a glimmer of hope that long suffering Serbian football fans have been badly waiting for.
The Young Eagles were extremely well organized in defense and were dynamic in attack, causing their opponents all sorts of problems with their crisp passing and penetrating build up play. They played with great tenacity, fought for every, ball, and showed amazing resilience by winning four straight 120 minute games. The nation of Serbia had football fever for two weeks, and the euphoria still exists today after massive celebrations in Belgrade welcomed the champions home.
This generation of Serbian footballers is bursting with talent. Golden Glove winner and Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic routinely made great saves all tournament and showed why he is considered one of the best young prospects in Europe. Speedy winger Andrija Zivkovic showcased his wide array of skills and emerged as Serbia’s best player and one of the most exciting players at the World Cup. Nemanja Maksimovic was an enormous presence in midfield and showed amazing composure throughout the tournament. These three players stood out and are ready to suit up for the senior national team immediately while players like Milos Veljkovic, Srdjan Babic, Stanisa Mandic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Zdjelar, and Nemanja Antonov aren’t far behind.
There was a lot of individual talent in the team, but that is not why Serbia won the World Cup. They won because they played as a team and never gave up or lost composure.The man responsible for Serbia’s glory was Veljko Paunovic. The former FK Partizan, Atletico Madrid, and Getafe forward is a rare breed when it comes to Serbian coaches.
While the majority of Serbian managers are still stuck in the 1980’s and play an ultra-defensive style with little creativity or fresh ideas, Paunovic is the complete opposite. He utilizes modern technology to gather every bit of information that can be helpful to his players. He is also a football fanatic that is extremely dedicated to his craft and is always willing to learn new things and try new ideas. Paunovic has an amazing relationship with his players and communicates with them year round. He is a fantastic motivator and his teams always have a great atmosphere around them. Paunovic is the most talented Serbian manager to come around in a long time, and the FSS has to do everything in their power to keep him involved in the program. He is vital to the future success of Serbian football.
There have been talented Serbian youth teams in the past but never ones like this generation. Serbia are the 2013 European U19 Champions and the 2015 U20 World Cup champions. We have never seen a Serbian football team that has this mentality: play as a unit, never give up, remain composed, and play with incredible heart and effort. This is the golden generation and Serbian fans should be excited. Now it’s on the players to continue on this path and keep working hard so that this success can be translated to the senior national team. This generation is different and has what it takes to propel Serbia into a footballing powerhouse. For the sake of Serbian football fans everywhere, I hope that I’m right.
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