Krasić given top billing in Serbia

PFC CSKA Moskva midfielder Milos Krasić has been named Serbian player of year at a ceremony in Belgrade on Monday with the national team's Radomir Antić collecting the award for best coach.

'Delighted'
The 25-year-old Krasić has enjoyed a terrific 12 months with club and country and hopes his good form continues into the new year as CSKA look ahead to the UEFA Champions League knockout phase and Serbia prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. "This is a special day in my life," Krasić said. "I am delighted. We are a team and we deserve our place in South Africa because we were strong collectively. I know I receive this award on behalf of my team-mates. With renewed power and motivation I am looking forward to the new year and am confident we can achieve even better results."

High scorer
Krasić collects the award for the first time having played in all ten of Serbia's FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the only player to do so. The right-sided midfielder finished the campaign with two goals and seven assists and has now been capped 27 times for his country. At club level Krasić was the star of CSKA's UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, scoring four times in six matches to help the Russian side earn a first knockout round tie against Sevilla FC. He is the joint-second highest scorer in the competition this season and also hit nine in 26 Russian Premier-Liga games. Krasić began his career at FK Vojvodina before moving to CSKA in 2004 and helping the Moscow side win the UEFA Cup the following season. Antić, 61, led Serbia to top spot in Group 7 above France and to the FIFA World Cup for the first time as an independent nation.