Serbia start again with Krčmarević

After losing to the hosts in the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, a new coach is hoping to lead Serbia to the 2009 finals.

Cruel end
A 4-1 defeat by the Netherlands in Saturday's final was a cruel result for Serbia, but they must now start to build towards the next tournament in Sweden with new coach Slobodan Krčmarević. The man who led them to the 2007 final round, Miroslav Djukić, has taken on a new role as coach of top Belgrade side FK Partizan.

New leader
The 41-year-old Krčmarević, a former OFK Beograd and Partizan player who won two international caps, has obtained a professional licence and was named as Djukić's replacement in March this year. He began by working with the youth teams at Partizan, before moving on to take sole command at OFK between October 2005 and December 2006.

Pressure on
Krčmarević will inherit nine members of the squad that competed in the Netherlands but knows the pressure is on, saying: "It will be hard. Everybody expects the same or maybe better from us. We have had success in the last three U21 tournaments - two finals and one semi-final. That is great for Serbia but maybe puts pressure on the new generation."

Experience counts
The players who helped Serbia reach the final this time around are likely to be important members of the new-look squad, with the coach saying: "They have experience, which every team needs. But we must do the same as the Djukić generation - every player must give all his ability to the team and our unity must be our strongest weapon."

False start
Qualifying for the 2009 finals has already begun with a false start for Serbia with a 1-1 draw at home against Latvia in Krčmarević's first competitive fixture. "We did not have a full squad because a few players were in the Netherlands," said the coach. "We will be stronger in future and will get a play-off place. After that, we will see."

'I am optimistic'
For the time being, what the coach wants most of all is time. "I do not want to seem afraid - I am just realistic and believe that every start with a young selection is special - new players, a new coach, new opponents," said Krčmarević. "We need time, that's all. I will prepare the team for the best case scenario and I am optimistic."