Get all the facts on Serbia's Euro 2009 team.
The highlight of Serbia’s qualifying campaign was an impressive 8-0 victory over Hungary in the last game of the group phase, a result which gave the Serbs top spot over Belarus.
After a slow start to the campaign which included draws against Latvia and defeat to Hungary, Serbia went on a winning run to book their place in the Play-Offs. Serbia won four of their last five games in the group, scoring 19 goals in the process.
Star Man
Gojko Kacar is regarded as Serbia’s most important player. He plays his club football in Germany for Hertha Berlin and is known for his versatility because he can play as a central defender, defensive midfielder or even as a striker.
He made history in 2008 when he became the first Serb to score five goals in a single match in Serbia’s 8-0 victory against Hungary.
Manager
After playing his football in countries such as Serbia, Greece, Sweden and Cyprus, Slobodan Krcmarevic joined the coaching staff of Serbia and Montenegro’s U19 team in 2002. He then moved to FK Partizan where he worked with the club’s youth team.
After establishing himself as a coach who could get the very best out of young players, he was appointed manager of OFK Beograd in 2005, and enjoyed relative success at the club in a two-year stint. That then led to Krcmarevic being appointed manager of the Serbian Under-21 team in 2007.
Despite losing key players such as Zoran Tosic throughout the qualifying campaign to the senior side, Krcmarevic still managed to guide the Serbs to the finals in Sweden.
The Serbia Squad
Goalkeepers
Zeljko Brkic (FK Vojvodina), Bojan Saranov (OFK Beograd), Zivko Zivkovic (FK Metalac).
Defenders
Nenad Tomovic (FK Crvena Zvezda), Marko Jovanovic (FK Partizan), Nemanja Pejcinovic (FK Crvena Zvezda), Milan Vilotic (FK Cukaricki), Jagos Vukovic (FK Rad), Rajko Brezancic (FK Partizan), Ivan Obradovic (FK Partizan), Nikola Petkovic (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Midfielders
Ljubomir Fejsa (FK Partizan), Nemanja Tomic (FK Partizan), Milan Smiljanic (RCD Espanyol), Nemanja Matic (MFK Kosice), Marko Milinkovic (MFK Kosice), Nikola Gulan (ACF Fiorentina), Gojko Kacar (Hertha BSC Berlin), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United FC), Dusan Tadic (FK Vojvodina).
Forwards
Miralem Sulejmani (AFC Ajax), Filip Dordevic (FC Nantes) and Rade Veljovic (CFR 1907 Cluj).
Final Qualifying Standings
Group 8 |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
Serbia |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
24 |
5 |
17 |
Belarus |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
15 |
5 |
17 |
Hungary |
8 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
14 |
13 |
12 |
Latvia |
8 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
11 |
San Marino |
8 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
32 |
0 |
Play-Off For Final Tournament
11.10.2008 |
v |
Denmark |
(A) |
1-0 |
15.10.2008 |
v |
Denmark |
(H) |
1-0 |
Qualifying Results
02.06.2007 |
v |
Latvia |
(H) |
1-1 |
08.09.2007 |
v |
Belarus |
(H) |
3-1 |
12.09.2007 |
v |
Hungary |
(A) |
1-2 |
13.10.2007 |
v |
San Marino |
(H) |
3-0 |
17.10.2007 |
v |
Latvia |
(A) |
2-0 |
20.11.2007 |
v |
Belarus |
(A) |
1-1 |
26.03.2008 |
v |
San Marino |
(A) |
5-0 |
07.09.2008 |
v |
Hungary |
(H) |
8-0 |
Competition History
Winners: 1978 (Yugoslavia)
Runners-up: 1990 (Yugoslavia), 2004, 2007 (Serbia)
Semi-Finalists: 1980, 1984 (Yugoslavia), 2006 (Serbia and Montenegro)
Serbia have enjoyed a good level of success in this competition reaching the Final on four occasions, although three as Yugoslavia. Their only win came in 1978 when – again, as Yugoslavia – they defeated Germany 5-4 on aggregate in a two-legged Final. In the last Championship they reached the Final, but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-1 score-line against the hosts Holland.