Serbia fires national team coach Mladen Krstajic

Posted June 13, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Serbia's soccer federation on Thursday fired national team coach Mladen Krstajic after a humiliating loss against Ukraine in a European Championship qualifier.

Ukraine moved to the top of Group B by routing Serbia 5-0 at home last week.

Krstajic, a former national team defender and Bundesliga veteran, was hired ahead of the World Cup in Russia last year despite having never held a previous coaching position. Serbia failed to qualify from the group stage at the tournament.

Naming Krstajic to the post came as a surprise after former coach Slavoljub Muslin was sacked despite leading Serbia to its first major tournament in eight years.

The federation did not immediately name a successor to Krstajic, but Belgrade media said it is likely to be former Montenegro coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic.

Tumbakovic was fired by Montenegro after he boycotted the European Championship qualifier against Kosovo last week for what Serbian media said were "patriotic" reasons.

Tumbakovic is from Serbia, where state-controlled media had launched a campaign against Serbs playing in games with Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's statehood.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

In this Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005 file photo, Mladen Krstajic of Serbia-Montenegro reacts during their World Cup qualifying soccer match for the Germany 2006 World Championships against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Belgrade. Serbia's soccer association has fired national team coach Mladen Krstajic after a humiliating loss against Ukraine in a European Championship qualifier. Krstajic, a former national team defender and Bundesliga veteran, was named the national team coach ahead of the World Cup in Russia last year despite having never held a previous coaching position. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.