Partizan swap Ješić for Djukić

Serbia Under-21 coach Miroslav Djukić has replaced Miodrag Ješić as coach of FK Partizan, signing a two-and-a-half year contract with the Belgrade club.

'Great challenges'
The Partizan job represents the first move into club management for the 41-year-old Djukić, who has led Serbia to the finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The former Yugoslavian international takes over with Partizan lying a disappointing fourth in the Serbian table, 14 points adrift of leaders FK Crvena Zvezda, having bowed out of the UEFA Cup after the group stage. "Our league position is not brilliant, but we have great challenges ahead," said Djukić, who was capped 49 times by his country and played in the finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000™.

Continues in U21 role
"I am a young coach and I need to work every day," continued Djukić. "I also want to finish my job with the U21 national team." To this end, following discussions between Partizan president Nenad Popović and Football Association of Serbia president Zvezdan Terzić, it has been agreed that Djukić will be allowed to continue as U21 coach until the final tournament in the Netherlands.

'Finish the job'
"We are very proud because we recognised what a great coach Djukić was six months ago and now we are letting him go to Partizan," said Terzić. "He will finish the job with the U21s and we expect good results in the Netherlands." Before stepping into coaching, Djukić enjoyed a successful playing career. A talented central defender, he started out with FK Macva and FK Rad before spending 14 seasons in Spain with RC Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia CF and CD Tenerife.