With the 2024 UEFA European Championship looming, Leisu Sports is set to present a series of profiles on the 24 teams that have qualified for the finals. Today’s focus is on Serbia, led by stars like Du?an Vlahovi? and Aleksandar Mitrovi?.
Serbian Overview: FIFA World Cup Regulars, UEFA Euro “Newcomers”
While Serbia has consistently appeared in the FIFA World Cup, making it to three out of the last four, they haven’t qualified for the UEFA European Championship since 2000, when they participated as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As the official successor to the Yugoslav/Serbia and Montenegro national football team according to FIFA and UEFA, this will be their first appearance as the Serbian national football team at the Euros.
With a gifted squad for Euro 2024, including forwards Tadi?, Mitrovi?, Vlahovi?, and Luka Jovi?, along with midfielders like Milinkovi? and Kosti?, and goalkeeper Petrovi?, who plies his trade at Chelsea, Serbia will not be an easy opponent in the summer competition. Despite Mitrovi?’s continued success with the national team, the tournament’s standout player might be Vlahovi?, Juventus’ talismanic forward. At just 24 years old, his pace, power, and explosiveness make him a nightmare for defenders. Familiar with finding the back of the net, averaging a goal every two games this season for Juventus, if he maintains this form, Serbia has a strong chance of advancing to the knockout stages.
The coach, Dragan Stojkovi?, is a legendary figure in Serbian football, having played for clubs like Red Star Belgrade, Marseille, and the Yugoslav national team. Appointed as the national team manager in 2021, the 59-year-old has had success so far, guiding Serbia to automatic qualification for both the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2024. Chinese football fans may recognize him from his time coaching Guangzhou R&F (now known as Guangzhou FC) from 2015 to 2020.
Team’s UEFA Euro Record
As part of Yugoslavia, they participated in four Euros, finishing as runners-up twice, fourth once, and exiting at the group stage once. In 2000, they competed as Serbia and Montenegro, reaching the quarter-finals. This edition marks their first participation as the Serbian national team.
Outlook for UEFA Euro Performance
After losing to Scotland in the 2020 Euro playoffs, Serbia secured direct qualification for Euro 2024 as group runners-up. In their group, they’ll face England, Denmark, and Slovenia. England and Denmark are the favorites, but Serbia should be favored over Slovenia. Despite the team’s talent, they’ve struggled to deliver in major tournaments, often failing to live up to expectations. Their recent World Cup performance in Qatar, where they finished bottom of their group with one point, highlights this issue. As relative “newcomers” to the Euros, Serbia might not provide significant surprises. Theoretically, four points could be enough to advance, so avoiding a tough opening match against England, focusing on defeating Slovenia for three points, and securing a draw against Denmark would secure their place in the next round. A battle for second place with Denmark seems the most likely scenario.
Serbia’s UEFA Euro 26-Man Squad:
Goalkeepers: Vanja Milinkovi?-Savi? (Torino), Raikovi? (Mallorca), Petrovi? (Chelsea)
Defenders: Pavlovi? (Salzburg), Milenkovi? (Fiorentina), Veljkovi? (Werder Bremen), Babi? (Spartak Moscow), Spai? (Red Star Belgrade), Stoji?i? (Ba?ka Topola)
Midfielders: Sa?a卢ki? (Fulham), Gudelj (Sevilla), Nemanja Maksimovi? (Getafe), Ivan Ili? (Torino), Milojevi? (Red Star Belgrade), Milinkovi?-Savi? (Al-Nassr), Tadi? (Fenerbah?e), Samard?i? (Udinese), Bijankovi? (Slavia Prague), Kosti? (Juventus), Mladen Krstaji? (Panathinaikos), Jevtovi? (PAOK), Ga?inovi? (AEK Athens)
Forwards: Mitrovi? (Al-Nassr), Vlahovi? (Juventus), Luka Jovi? (AC Milan), Ra?kovi? (Salzburg)
Serbia’s UEFA Euro Schedule and Venues (Beijing Time):
June 17, 03:00 Serbia vs. England (Schalke)
June 20, 21:00 Slovenia vs. Serbia (Munich)
June 26, 03:00 Denmark vs. Serbia (Munich)
Conclusion:
Entering UEFA Euro 2024 as “newcomers,” Serbia boasts a talented squad, including Tadi?, Mitrovi?, and Vlahovi?, under the guidance of experienced coach Stojkovi?. They appear to be a competitive outfit.
Up against England, Denmark, and Slovenia, fans can anticipate a potential breakthrough from Serbia, although their actual performance remains to be seen. If they progress as one of the top two in their group, it might indicate improved cohesion, setting the stage for a deeper run in the tournament.
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