Serbia

Serbia have not made it past the group stage of an eight-team UEFA European Under-17 Championship but have a chance to do so on home soil, not least as a top-six finish would mean a FIFA U-17 World Cup debut. They have been very busy under the experienced Milovan Djorić this season; before summer was out they had finished third in a tournament in Hungary and won a competition on home soil on goal difference ahead of France.

In January they travelled to the annual Minsk tournament, coming an excellent second and in February won 2-1 against the Czech Republic, who the next month qualified for the U17 finals. In April they will face Germany before two games against Slovenia.

Season results
2010: Czech Republic 3-2 (Hungary), Romania 1-1, 3-5pens (Hungary), Republic of Ireland 3-0 (Hungary, third-place), France 1-2 (Serbia 2010), Greece 3-0 (Serbia 2010), Russia 2-0 (Serbia 2010, winners), Sweden 2-1 (h), Sweden 2-1 (h)

2011: Greece 0-1 (a), Ukraine 3-1 (Minsk), Moldova 6-0 (Minsk), Russia 0-0 (Minsk), Belgium 1-3 (Minsk final), Czech Republic 2-1 (h), Germany 1-0 (h), Slovenia 1-1 (h), Slovenia 0-0 (h)

Key players
Lazar Marković (midfielder/forward, FK Partizan), Dejan Meleg (midfielder, FK Vojvodina)

Coach: Milovan Djorić

Date of Birth: 6 August 1945
Nationality: Serbian
Playing career: FK Sloboda Užice, FK Crvena Zveda, Real Oviedo CF
Coaching career: FK Radnički Niš, FK Borac Čačak, CD Águila, El Salvador, Yugoslavia U21, Beijing Guoan FC, Yugoslavia, Serbia U17

Djorić had a fine playing career after joining Crvena zvezda in 1967, playing more than 100 games over six seasons and winning the league four times and Yugoslavian Cup twice. He also was capped once in 1969 and ended his days as a defender in Spain.

He has proved a cosmopolitan coach, having enjoyed spells in El Salvador and club and country level and also managed in China. At home he had spells in charge of Yugoslavia at senior and U21 level and then became Football Association of Serbia (FSS) academy director, a post from which he stepped down at the end of 2009 to take over the squad that was to play as hosts in the 2011 U17 finals.

Team records

UEFA European Under-17 Championship best:
Quarter-finals: 2002 (as Yugoslavia)
Eight-team final tournament: 2006 (as Serbia and Montenegro), 2008

Honours in UEFA youth competitions:
UEFA European Under-16 Championship
Runners-up: 1990 (as Yugoslavia)
International Youth Tournament (U18)
Winners: 1951, 1979 (as Yugoslavia)
Runners-up: 1952, 1962 (as Yugoslavia)