Serbs Across Europe Roundup

This was not a very productive weekend for our players across the continent. Dusan Tadic was the only Serbian national team player to score while all three of the strikers on Slavoljub Muslin's squad for Moldova and Austria failed to score for yet another week.

ENGLAND

Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic both played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Neither played very well especially Ivanovic who continues to struggle as Chelsea's right back.

Aleksandar Kolarov played the entire match in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Swansea. He has had a superb start to the season in his new centre back position.

Dusan Tadic played 80 minutes and scored a goal in Southampton's 3-0 victory over West Ham. He had a fantastic performance and has been the best Serbian player in Europe so far this season.

Vladimir Stojkovic started in goal in Nottigham Forest's 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.

Aleksandar Mitrovic came on as a substitute in the 80th minute in Newcastle's 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Unfortunately it seems like he has fallen out of favour with manager Rafa Benitez.

GERMANY

Filip Mladenovic came on in the 84th minute while Milos Jojic was a unused substitute in Koln's 1-1 draw vs Leipzig.

Aleksandar Ignjovski played the full 90 minutes for Freiburg in their 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund. Neven Subotic did not play.

FIlip Kostic came on in the 67th minute in HSV's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.

Gojko Kacar played the full 90 minutes in Augsburg\s 1-0 victory over Darmstadt.

Mijat Gacinovic was a unused substitute in Eintracht Frankfurt's 3-3 draw with Hertha BSC.
Slobodan Medojevic did not make the squad.

Milos Veljkovic started at centre back and played the full 90 minutes  for Werder Bremen in their 2-1 win over Wolfsburg. This was his first start of the season and he played well which is great news,

Matija Nastasic played the full match for Schalke in their 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim. Nastasic is still trying to find his form after being out for so long with a injury.

SPAIN

Zdravko Kuzmanovic started and played 59 minutes for Malaga in their 1-0 loss to Real Betis. Darko Brasanac came on as a sub in the 64th minute for Betis.

Nemanja Radoja played the full match in Celta Vigo's 2-0 win over Espanyol. He seems to have secured a starting spot this season and should get his first call up to the senior national team.

Antonio Rukavina was a unused substitute in Villarreal's 3-1 win over Osasuna. Goran Causic did not make the squad for Osasuna.

Aleksandar Katai was a unused substitute while Nenad Krsticic came on in the 87th minute in Alaves' 3-1 victory over Granada.

ITALY

Filip Djuricic was a unused substitute in Sampdoria's 2-1 loss to Cagliari.

Aleksandar Pesic did not make the squad for Atalanta in their 3-1 win over Crotone.

Slobodan Rajkovic is out injured and did not play in Palermo's 1-0 loss to Juventus.

Nikola Maksimovic was a unused substitute for Napoli in their 2-0 win over Chievo. He continues to not get any playing time after his much publicized move from Torino. Ivan Radovanovic played the full 90 minutes for Chievo.

Adem Ljajic and Sasa Lukic were unused substitutes in Torino's 3-1 win vs Roma.

Darko Lazovic did not leave the bench for Genoa in their 1-1 draw vs Pescara.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic played the entire match for Lazio in their 2-0 win over Empoli while Filip Djordjevic was a unused substitute and Dusan Basta was out due to a calf injury. Uros Cosic came on in the 33rd minute for Empoli.

Nenad Tomovic played the full 90 minutes for Fiorentina in his usual right back spot as they drew AC Milan 0-0.

FRANCE

Pavle Ninkov did not make the squad for Toulouse in their 2-0 win over PSG.

Milan Gajic remained on the bench in Bordeaux's 0-0 draw vs Caen.

Milan Bisevac played 90 minites in Metz's 1-0 win over Montpellier.

Denis Petric was a unused substitute for Angers vs Monaco.

NETHERLANDS

Nemanja Gudelj was given a rest for Ajax and didn't play vs Zwolle.

Danilo Pantic came on as a substitute in the 58th minute for Excelsiot in their 3-1 loss to PSV.

PORTUGAL

Lazar Markovic came on in the 73rd minute for Sporting in their 4-2 win over Estoril. Lazar is struggling but hopefully he will improve with more playing time. Radosav Petrovic did not make the squad for Sporting.

Ljubomir Fejsa played his usual 90 minutes for Benfica in their 2-0 win over Chaves. Andrija Zivkovic and Luka Jovic did not make the squad. Nemanja Petrovic was a unused substitute for Chaves.

Nikola Stojiljkovic and Lazar Rosic both played the full match for Braga in their 2-1 win over Vitoria.

BELGIUM

Uros Spajic started at right back for Anderlecht and played the full match in their 2-1 loss to Westerlo. Nemanja Miletic played the entire match at centre back for Westerlo.

Filip Markovic and Luka Stojanovic played the full 90 minutes for Mouscron vs Club Brugge. Nikola Gulan came on in the 81st minute while Fejsal Mulic did not make the squad.

Marko Miric came on in the 27th minute for Lokeren in their 1-1 draw vs Waasland-Bereven.

Aleksandar Bjelica played the full match at left back while Dalibor Veselinovic came on in the 60th minute for Mechelen in their 3-2 loss to Zulte Waregem.

Stefan Mitrovic played 90 minutes for Gent in their 2-1 win over Sint-Trudense.

Bojan Nastic came on in the 40th minute for Genk in their 4-1 loss to Kortrijk.

RUSSIA

Zoran Tosic played 75 minutes and recorded a assist in CSKA Moscow's 1-1 draw vs Krasnodar.

Nemanja Pejcinovic played the entire match while Petar Skuletic was a unused substitute in Lokomotiv Moscow's 1-0 loss to Rostov.

Radovan Pankov remained on the bench while Dominik Dinga was not in the squad for Ural in their 1-0 win over Orenburg.

Darko Lazic played the entire 90 minutes in Anzhi's 2-2 draw vs Zenit.

Aleksandar Miljkovic played 90 minutes for Amkar Perm in their 0-0 draw vs Ktylya Sovetov.

REST OF EUROPE 

Predrag Rajkovic played the full 90 minutes in Maccabi's 5-0 win over Hapoel..

Andrija Pavlovic started and played until the 67th minute for Copenhagen in their 2-0 win over AGF. Aleksandar Jovanovic was in goal for AGF.

Nemanja Maksimovic started and played the full match for Astana in their 1-0 victroy over Ordabasty.

Nemanja Antonov started at left back and played the full match for Grasshoppers in their 2-1 win over Vaduz.

Jagos Vukovic played the entire match for Konyaspor in their 1-0 loss to Trabzonspor.

Dusko Tosic played all 90 minutes for Besiktas in their 2-2 draw with Galatasaray.

Luka Milivojevic started and played the whole match in Olympiacos' 1-0 loss to AEL.

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Milos Krasic started and played all 90 minutes for Lechia Gdansk in their 2-1 victory over Ruch Chorzow.

Aleksandar Sedlar played 90 minutes in Piast Gliwice\s 1-1 draw vs Slask Wroclaw.

The road to Russia begins

Serbia kicks off 2018 World Cup qualifying on Monday evening vs Ireland in Belgrade and I have no expectations. It's very difficult to feel confident after three consecutive unsuccessful qualifying campaigns and endless disappointment. However, it's also difficult to look at Serbia's squad side by side beside Ireland\s and not see the clear advantage that we have in quality.  That little dilemma is what long suffering Serbian football fans have been wrestling with for years. Why can't we beat teams with less talent than ours? 

In many ways the Irish national team is the polar opposite of Serbia. They don't have many players playing for big clubs but they play together as a team, work hard and leave everything on the pitch for their nation. On the other end, Serbia has players at well respected clubs across Europe but they can never gel as a team and rarely show the same type of fire that the Irish show on the pitch. Ireland has continuity, they have a system and they know how they want to play. That's why they made it out of the group stages at Euro 2016 while we haven't even qualified for a European Championship since 2000. We need to adopt the qualities that they have and mold them together with our talent. Only then will we see consistent results and return to major tournaments on a regular basis. 

This will be Slavoljub Muslin's first competitive game in charge of Serbia. During the three friendlies in May and June, Muslin implemented a new system and showed that he has a clear vision of how he wants Serbia to play. His 3-4-2-1 formation looked very good in the friendly matches vs Israel, Cyprus and Russia. Serbia created plenty of chances while remaining organized defensively but now it's time for the real test. Monday is not a friendly, the intensity will be raised to a whole different level and the team will have to prove that they can play in that system when it matters. 

Muslin is faced with quite a few issues heading into this match. He won't be able to rely on Serbia's midfield rock Nemanja Matic who is suspended for the first three matches. He also can't count on one of Serbia's main attacking weapons Aleksandar Kolarov who is also suspended. Those are two very troubling absences, particularly Matic who brings shape to Serbia's lineup and holds the midfield together. There is no doubt that Muslin has spent many sleepless nights pondering which duo to insert into the central midfield instead of Matic. 

Another major concern for Muslin  is the lack of playing time and match fitness that many Serbian players are dealing with right now. Most European leagues have just started their seasons and the majority of our players are either sitting on the bench  or not playing a full 90 minutes. Serbia's top striker Aleksandar Mitrovic hasn't even seen the pitch yet due to suspension and injury while starting  goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic only found a new club last week.  This is only going to compound Muslin's problems and make it even more difficult to choose the starting XI.

Serbia usually does well against British/Irish sides and their style of play. The main reason behind this is  that we have big, strong players that are good in the air and can neutralize the long balls. We tend to struggle against sides that run at us with a lot of pace and keep the ball on the ground and British/Irish sides aren't exactly known for that type of play. The cautious and physical play that they're known for plays to our strengths. In recent years we have played in qualifying groups with Wales (won home and away), Scotland (drew away, won at home) and Northern Ireland (won home and away). Hopefully that trend continues. 

  I think that Monday's game will most likely end in a draw or a tight Serbian victory. It will be a very hard fought match and the key will be defending set pieces and not getting caught on the counter. Ireland is very dangerous and hard to break down so we can't afford to miss our chances. At this point I am not interested in how we play. If we bunker up like Greece during Euro 2004 and squeeze out a ugly 1-0 win I will be ecstatic. Results are the only thing that matters, playing pretty football is great but if we lose it means nothing. Wins and losses are the only thing that is going to determine if Serbia goes to Russia or freezes to death somewhere in Siberia while trying to get there. 

Lineup prediction:

Rajkovic, Ivanovic, Mitrovic, Rajkovic, Mladenovic, Rukavina,Fejsa, Maksimovic, Kostic, Tadic, Pavlovic.   

Muslin announces squad for Cyprus, Israel and Russia friendlies.

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojković (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Predrag Rajković (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), Damir Kahriman (Crvena Zvezda), Aleksandar Jovanović (Radnički Niš).

Defenders: Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal, Spain), Milan Rodić (Krylia Sovetov, Russia), Aleksandar Kolarov(Machester City, England), Filip Mladenović (Koln, Germany), Slobodan Rajković (Darmstadt, Germany), Matija Nastasić(Schalke, Germany), Nemanja Milunović (BATE Borisov, Belarus), Uroš Spajić (Toulousem France), Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea, England),Nikola Maksimović (Torino, Italy).

Midfielders:: Luka Milivojević (Olympiacos, Greece) Saša Zdjelar (Olympiacos, Greece), Nemanja Gudelj (Ajax, Holland),Nemanja Matić (Chelsea, England), LJubomir Fejsa (Benfica, Portugal), Marko Grujić (Crvena Zvezda), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio, Italy), Dušan Tadić (Southampton, England), Adem LJajić (Inter, Italy), Nemanja Maksimović (Astana, Kazakhstan).

Attackers: Zoran Tošić (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Lazar Marković (Fenerbache, Turkey), Andrija Živković(Partizan), Filip Kostić (Stuttgart, Germany), Nemanja Mihajlović (Partizan), Aleksandar Mitrović(Newcastle, England), Nikola Stojiljković (Braga, Portugal) i Andrija Pavlović (Čukarički).

Here we go again

It's time once again for the annual tradition know as the "Serbian National Team Fresh Start". That's right buckle up, here we go again on another "rebuild". Radovan Curcic has been relieved of his duties as national team manager and The Serbian Football Association (FSS)  has started the search for Serbia's 6th manager since 2011. That number almost seems too ridiculous to be true but sadly it is. You would be hard pressed to find another national team in the world that has more turnover and less continuity than Serbia.

Radovan Curcic is a very quiet and pleasant man but it was clear from the begging that he did not possess the experience, quality or authority to be a senior national team manager of a country that has ambitions of qualifying for a major tournament. The highlight of Curcic's club coaching career was leading FK Javor Ivanjica to a mid-table finish in the Serbian Superliga. His other major managerial achievement came when his very defensive counter attacking tactics took Serbia U21 to the 2015 European U21 Championships; which he does deserves credit for. Curcic's resume speaks for itself but I don't want to criticize him too much because it's not his fault that he was hired to do a job that he wasn't qualified for. That blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the Serbian FA, who  continue to mismanage the national team.

 Firing Curcic is the right decision but it's hard to feel confident about the next hire when you look at FSS's history of incompetence and terrible decision making. In a shocking turn of events FSS has for once, not fired a manager right before the start of a qualifying campaign so the new bench boss will actually have four months and four friendly matches to build a team for the start of World Cup qualifying in September. On the other hand this also gives FSS enough time to fire the new manager so who the hell knows what will  happen before the Qualifiers start.

The main name being mentioned as Curcic's replacement is 62 year old Slavoljub Muslin. He is well respected in Serbia and last coached Belgian side Standard Liege for a brief period in 2015. Muslin is very experience and has managed in Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and Ukraine among others. He would certainly bring more knowledge and authority than Curcic but he's bounced from club to club and hasn't really had a lot of success in his career. Serbian media are reporting that his hiring is all but official so we may soon find out if he's the man that can save this sinking ship.

Another name being mentioned is former national team and Serbian football legend Dragan Stojkovic. The beloved "Piksi" has had a successful coaching career in Japan and is currently the manager of Chinese side Guangzhou R&F. He would be a great choice and the Serbian public would love to see him at the helm of the national team but Stojkovic does not have a good relationship with the leadership of FSS (and who can blame him) so it's doubtful that he would want to work for them. He also had bad experiences as Serbian FA and Red Star Belgrade president in the mid 2000's and many speculate that he doesn't want to return to Serbia as a result.

The final name is a familiar one. FSS would love to bring back former Serbia manager Sinisa Mihajlovic but he looks set to take over Lazio and it's highly unlikely that they can lure him away from Serie A millions. Mihajlovic led the national team from 2012-2013 and just when he seemed to have Serbia on the right path he bolted for a job at Sampdoria despite pleas from FSS for him to stay.

Whoever the new manager ends up being will have a lot of work ahead of him. Serbia is coming off the worst qualifying campaign in the countries history and there are many serious issues that need fixing. The atmosphere in the squad is terrible, the fans have no faith in the national team, the players have shown very little discipline or desire and the heads of FSS are absolutely clueless. The talent is there but so many other things are not. The odds are heavily stacked against anyone who decides to take on this task. If the new manager does end up being Slavoljub Muslim, I wish him all the luck in the world because he will undoubtedly need it.

Serbian national team 2016, will something good finally happen?

A new year is here and that means that it’s time for yet another rebuild for the Serbian national team. Manager Radovan Curcic will attempt to pick up the pieces after a disastrous Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. The last campaign was the worst in Serbia’s history and saw the team finish in 4th place with just 4 points from 8 matches. To top that off Serbia ended 2015 with a embarrassing 4-1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic.

It’s time to put all of that ugliness in the past and focus on the future as Serbia’s first matches of 2016 are a little more than a month away. Serbia will play friendly matches vs Poland and Estonia on March 23rd and 28th. These will be the national teams first tuneups before World Cup qualifying kicks off in September so it will be important to start things off with some positive results.

This is my list of the 23 players that currently deserve a spot on the national team and should be included in Curcic’s squad for the Poland and Estonia friendlies.

Goalkeepers

Vladimir Stojkovic: The reliable Stojkovic is having a solid season for Maccabi Haifa and is still Serbia’s best option at goalkeeper. If it wasn’t for his saves Serbia’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign would have been even worse.

Predrag Rajkovic: Rajkovic has had some ups and downs in his first season for Maccabi Tel Aviv but he’s shown flashes of brilliance and will be Stojkovic’s eventual replacement in goal.

Marko Dmitrovic: Dmitrovic is playing very well for Spanish Segunda side Alcorcon and is showing himself to be a capable young goalkeeper.

Left Backs

Aleksandar Kolarov: The undisputed starting left back for Serbia. Can be inconsistent but he’s always dangerous and currently irreplaceable.

Filip Mladenovic: Played very well for BATE Borisov and is off to a good start with 1.FC Koln in the Bundesliga.

Centre Backs

Branislav Ivanovic: It’s time to shift Serbia’s captain to centre back. Hes been a rock at right back for years but he’s lost some of his speed and will do better in the centre. There has been a lot of inconstancy at the CB position for Serbia and Bane will help fix that problem.

Nikola Maksimovic: He is back and starting for Torino after a long injury absence. He was playing great before the injury and will hopefully return to that form soon.

Slobodan Rajkovic: Rajkovic has always been a enigma but when he stays healthy he plays well. He is putting in solid performances for Bundesliga side Darmstadt.

Milan Bisevac: Experienced, professional  and reliable. The new Lazio player can be a big help to some of the youngsters in the squad.

Right Backs

Dusan Basta: The versatile Basta has not been getting called up by Curcic lately but he is very solid and deserves a spot on the squad.

Nenad Tomovic: He has struggled at times for Serbia and doesn’t add much in attack but he plays regularly for Fiorentina and is a good defender.

Midfielders

Nemanja Matic: The leader of Serbia’s midfield and a undisputed starter. He’s not having the best season for Chelsea but who is really?

Adem Ljajic: Adem played really well for the national team in 2015 and is Serbia’s most creative player. He is having a solid year for Inter Milan.

Dusan Tadic: Up and down performances for Serbia lately but the Southampton man can always deliver a deadly ball and is a good option on the wing.

Zoran Tosic: He can be wasteful and selfish at times but Tosic creates a lot of problems for defences with his speed. Still performs at a good level for CSKA Moscow.

Filip Kostic: Kostic is playing very well for Stuttgart and is always a threat with his speed and crossing ability.

Andrija Zivkovic: Zivkovic won’t be playing any football until the summer after Partizan threw him off the team when he refused to sign a new contract. Despite the disgusting mistreatment from his club Andrija is still a hell of a talent and the future of Serbian football. Hopefully FSS shows him some support at this difficult time and call him up to national team actions. He’s earned it after leading Serbia to U20 World Cup glory.

Marko Grujic: The new Liverpool signing has been a colossal monster for Crvena Zvezda and deserves to get a shot with the senior national team especially considering our struggles in midfield.

Lazar Markovic: Markovic had a rough 2015 but he’s shown some signs of life for Fenerbache and is slowly working his way back to his Benfica form.

Nemanja Gudelj: Gudelj is having a good first season for Dutch giants Ajax and is always a decent option as a defensive midfielder.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Sergej has had some good and bad moments since his big money move to Lazio but he’s shown that hes a big talent and should be integrated into the senior national team.

Strikers

Aleksandar Mitrovic: Mitrovic really struggled in the last qualifying campaign.  He’s had a up and down first season for Newcastle which is normal for a young striker moving to a big league for the first time. He has a lot to work on but is still Serbia’s top option at striker.

Nikola Stojiljkovic: Stojiljkovic is having a very good season for Braga and is more than deserving of getting his first call up to the national team.

Uros Djurdjevic: Djurdjevic had a great start to the season for Palermo but suffered a bad injury that sidelined him for a few months. He is now back healthy and scoring goals again.

Still out with serious injuries: Matija Nastasic and Ivan Obradovic.

My starting XI:

The light at the end of the tunnel

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.