Courtesy: UEFA.com

Note: due to the fact that this report has been written before the end of the past season, some indications will result as wrong

Team Profile: Serbia

The former Yugoslavia entered the international futsal world in December 1987 with a two-game friendly series in Italy and although they lost their debut 4-2, a day later they won 5-1. Five years later they qualified for the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Cup, but international sanctions denied them a chance to compete. Returning to action in 1995, they made a final tournament debut at the 1999 UEFA European Futsal Championship

Subsequent results were mixed, and for three years from January 2004 they played just once, a 5-0 loss in Spain as Serbia and Montenegro in February 2006. But the separate Serbia entered 2007 EURO qualifying under former captain Aca Kovacevic and earned a finals place, performing respectably by narrowly losing 5-3 to Russia, holding Spain 1-1 and beating Ukraine 3-2.

How they qualified
Serbia travelled to Antwerp for Group 5 and started by beating Greece 5-2, Marko Peric claiming two of the goals. It proved tight against FYR Macedonia, as a two-goal lead was wiped out before Borko Surudzic ensured a 3-2 win. Victory against hosts Belgium was still required to top the group but Serbia were to lose 4-3. However, by reducing arrears with three minutes left, Bojan Pavicevic ensured Serbia pipped Slovakia to the finals as one of the four best runners-up by a single goal.

Key players
The key to the team is influential 25-year-old MFK Dina Moskva forward Marko Peric, who was inspired in the 2007 finals in Portugal. Mladen Kocic is also emerging as a fine prospect.


Tournament record (inc Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro)
2007: Group stage
2005: Did not qualify
2003: Did not qualify
2001: Did not qualify
1999: Group stage
1996: Did not qualify



Coach Profile: Aca Kovacevic

Date of birth: 27 August 1955

Playing career: Mungosi (now KMF Marbo Beograd), Hellas Verona C/5

Coaching career: Serbia

Aca Kovacevic was the greatest futsal player in the history of the former Yugoslavia. For 15 years he captained Belgrade side Mungosi – now KMF Marbo Beograd – and in 1994 had a season with Italian side Hellas Verona C/5. He also captained Yugoslavia from 1988 until 1996, qualifying for the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Cup before they were excluded from the finals.

Kovacevic, who now runs a private futsal school in Belgrade and has also written a book on the game, was appointed Serbia coach on 1 December 2006. The team had played just once since their last UEFA European Futsal Championship qualifying campaign in January 2004, but Kovacevic immediately masterminded a friendly draw with Ukraine and defeats of Poland and Moldova and in the spring they qualified for the 2007 finals, their first appearance since 1999 in the guise of Yugoslavia. In Porto they exited in the group stage despite holding Spain 1-1 and beating Ukraine, but Kovacevic has now led them to the finals again.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com