Serbia and Montenegro: time to deliver

By Aleksandar Boskovic

Serbia and Montenegro coach Vladimir Petrovic has called on his side to deliver on the promise shown during an impressive qualifying campaign when they kick off their UEFA Under-21 Championship campaign against Croatia on 27 May.

'Group of winners'
Serbia and Montenegro reached the finals after a 5-4 aggregate play-off victory against Norway, and Petrovic believes his team are capable of making an impression in Germany. "This is our chance to show our quality," he said. "I believe in my team and I think they are a group of winners. Our main goal is to finish in one of the three leading places and so qualify for the Olympic Games in Athens."

Impressive run
After opening their qualifying campaign with a demoralising 4-1 defeat at the hands of Italy and a 3-3 home draw with Finland, Petrovic's side put together an excellent run that included wins against Azerbaijan (twice), Finland and Wales, before serving notice of their ability by beating Italy 1-0 in Novi Sad. A second victory against Wales followed to confirm Serbia and Montenegro's play-off spot as Group 9 runners-up to Italy.

Hungry for success
In the play-off against Norway, Serbia and Montenegro ran away with a 5-1 first-leg win before hanging on to qualify, losing the second leg 3-0. Having survived that scare, Petrovic's tight-knit, ambitious young side are hungry for success, having seen their country endure four dispiriting years in the wilderness since qualifying for their last major finals - UEFA EURO 2004™.

Vidic out
If they are to make an impression in Germany they will again have to do it the hard way, without Nemanja Vidic, the FK Crvena Zvezda defender and captain who many regard as the finest young player in the country. Vidic's only qualifying appearance came in the play-off first-leg against Norway and his long-term back injury will now also keep him out of the finals.

Markovic injured
To make matters worse, Vidic's Crvena Zvezda team-mate, the experienced Marjan Markovic, who stood-in as captain during qualifying phase and scored six goals from his wing-back position, will also miss the finals as he struggles to recover from a broken collarbone. Petrovic does at least expect to have RCD Mallorca striker Andrija Delibašic back after injury, and remains confident of his side's chances in a group that also includes Italy and Belarus.

'Strong group'
"We will not make any crucial changes after two years of qualification matches because our tactics brought results," Petrovic said. "We have a strong group. The match against Croatia is above all for local prestige. Italy are favourites in my opinion for the title and though Belarus are disregarded by many, I know that they have a lot to offer."

Team spirit
A loss at home to Switzerland and a goalless draw in Northern Ireland in recent friendly matches suggest that Petrovic will have his work cut out, but few will write off his side's chances. By fielding a virtually unchanged side throughout qualifying, team spirit and belief is high, and after fighting back from such a slow start Serbia and Montenegro have proved they are a group of players willing to work hard for each other.

'Time for success'
And there is the small matter of a fiercely proud country waiting to reclaim its place in the upper echelons of world football. Markovic may not be travelling to Germany, but he spoke for his team-mates when he said: "We have the talent to be one of the top three teams in the tournament," he said. "We have shown that we are a strong collective team, and the time has come for Serbo-Montenegrin football to enjoy some success."

For profile of coach Vladimir Petrovic click here