Serbia Team for 2010 world Cup

The Serbia National Team is considered the direct descendant of the Yugoslavia and the Serbia and Montenegro national football teams. After Serbia declared independence on June 3^rd 2006, the team was officially renamed Serbia national football team and nicknamed “Beli Orlovi” (White Eagles). Serbia’s predecessors have participated in nine FIFA World Cups in between 1930 and 2002 and have been runners-up at the UEFA European Championship twice.

After the draw for the European round qualifiers was made and Romania, Austria and Serbia fell along with France in one group, it was decided the former three were fighting for the second position in the group to get a berth at the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup. After a second-match loss to Les Bleus, the Serbian team went on to win the next five games and got a four point lead to land on top of the table. France was not so lucky the second time, being held to a 1-1 draw by the “Beli Orlovi”, leaving the Serbians with only one match standing between them and a spot for the World Cup Finals. The Serbians aced the group in style, winning 5-0 against Romania in Belgrade and maintaining their lead to stay on top of the group standings.

 

Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic currently one of the best centre-backs in the world and winner of 2008/09 English Premier League's player of the season, holds the defensive line for the Serbians. Midfielders Dejan Stankovic and Milan Jovanovic pose quite a threat with their experience, supporting             Marko Panteliæ and Nikola �igiæ the two formidable strikers at the front line of the White Eagles.

 

The Serbians are coached by Radomir Antic who has impressive history, an eight-year spell with Partizan and various other clubs in Turkey, Spain and England. His coaching abilities were proven beyond doubt when he coached Zaragoza, Real Madrid and Oviedo before guiding Atletico Madrid to a La Liga Copa del Rey in 1995/96. His coaching abilities are beyond questionable as he has already guided the Serbian team to the World Cup 2010 at the top of the group table.

 

The Serbian team will be playing their first World Cup as an independent team, as they have already been part of the teams that made up Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro in the past. With the impressive performance in the qualifiers, the “Beli Orlovi” is a team to watch out for in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

The Pre-World Cup list of players for Serbia is given below.