Serbia and Montenegro national football team
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formed on the 28th of April 1992, but its national football team could not play a single match for two years. FIFA sanctions blocked all international competition due to the ongoing Yugoslav Wars. The team did not take the field again until the 23rd of December 1994 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. They lost that friendly 2, 0 against Brazil, marking their first official game as a new entity. Slobodan Santrač, a former player for the old Yugoslav national team, became the first manager of this new squad. This group consisted exclusively of Serbian and Montenegrin players for the first time ever. Three days later they faced Argentina in Buenos Aires and lost 1, 0. Their first home match came on the 31st of March 1995 at Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade. That same day Savo Milošević scored the team's first-ever goal in a 1, 0 win over Uruguay.
After the UN sanctions lifted, FR Yugoslavia began building a competitive record from scratch. They recorded their first World Cup qualifying win with a 3, 1 victory over the Faroe Islands. Later that year they achieved their biggest ever win by defeating the Faroe Islands 8, 1. The team finished second in Group 6 behind Spain but advanced through a playoff system. They defeated Hungary 7, 1 in Budapest and then 5, 0 in Belge to secure an aggregate score of 12, 1. This result qualified them for the 1998 World Cup in France. The New York Times predicted they could reach the semi-finals based on their roster. Players like Siniša Mihajlović were members of great European clubs. In their opening match against Iran, Mihajlović scored a free kick to win 1, 0. A subsequent match against Germany saw him score an own goal while his team led 2, 0. Oliver Bierhoff equalized late, leaving the game tied at 1, 1 before Yugoslavia won 1, 0 against the United States.
The draw for Euro 2000 placed Serbia and Montenegro alongside Croatia, Ireland, Macedonia, and Malta. Milan Živadinović started as coach but resigned in July 1999. Vujadin Boškov took over shortly after. The team won 1, 0 against Ireland in Belgrade and beat Malta 3, 0 in Ta' Qali. Their home fixture against Malta moved to Thessaloniki due to NATO bombing. They still won that match 4, 1. A highly anticipated game against Croatia ended 0, 0 after being interrupted by a power outage in the second half. An injury-time equalizer from Ireland allowed them to qualify automatically with a 2, 2 draw against Croatia in Zagreb. At the tournament itself they drew 3, 3 with Spain after trailing 3, 0 early. Three goals came within six minutes of the second half. They then beat Norway 1, 0 thanks to a backheel strike by Savo Milošević. In their final group match against Spain, they led three times but lost 4, 3 in Bruges. Siniša Mihajlović, Mateja Kežman, and Slaviša Jokanović were all sent off during these matches. In the quarter-finals they faced the Netherlands again and lost 6, 1 in Rotterdam.
The 2002 World Cup qualifiers marked the first time Yugoslavia failed to reach a major tournament since returning to international play. Political turmoil inside the country caused Ilija Petković to resign after just one match. That single win was a 2, 0 away victory against Luxembourg. Milovan Đorić took over next but could only manage two draws. He tied 1, 1 at home against Switzerland and 1, 1 away against Slovenia. Both opponents scored late equalizers. The team then lost 0, 1 at home to Russia, marking their first official home defeat. A three-man commission including Dejan Savićević, Vujadin Boškov, and Ivan Čurković stepped in temporarily. Savićević eventually took sole control but could not secure qualification. They finished third in their qualifying group despite bouncing back with wins later on. The failure to qualify for 2002 ended a streak of appearances that had begun in 1998.
Ilija Petković returned as coach in July 2003 after a disastrous spell by his predecessor. Serbia and Montenegro qualified for the 2006 World Cup with an undefeated record in their group. They allowed only one goal in ten matches during qualification. Their defense included Nemanja Vidić, Mladen Krstajić, Goran Gavrančić, and Ivica Dragutinović. Goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevrić was the only Montenegrin-born player in the squad. On the 3rd of June 2006 Montenegro declared independence following a referendum. The team competed in the tournament representing a state that no longer existed. They lost their opening match 1, 0 to the Netherlands thanks to Arjen Robben's goal. A second match against Argentina ended 6, 0, their worst ever international result. Even though they led 2, 0 against Ivory Coast in their final game, the Elephants came back to win 3, 2. This left them with a 0, 0, 3 record to conclude their existence. The split into separate teams for Serbia and Montenegro took effect immediately after elimination from the tournament.
A week after their final match against Ivory Coast, the Football Association of Montenegro applied for separate UEFA membership. The Football Association of Serbia received Serbia and Montenegro's place in both FIFA and UEFA. The new Serbian national team played its first match in August 2006 against the Czech Republic. The Montenegrin national team played its first international following admission to UEFA against Hungary in March 2007. Both nations inherited different aspects of the old Yugoslav legacy. FIFA recognized Serbia as the direct successor to the former Yugoslavia. Records and history were claimed by Serbia while Montenegro started fresh. Adidas supplied kits from 1994 to 2001 before Lotto took over until 2006. The team won the Lunar New Year Cup in 1995 and the Millennium Super Cup in 2001. They finished runners-up in the Korea Cup in 1997 and the Kirin Cup in 2004. In 1997 they received the FIFA Best Mover of the Year award.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Serbia and Montenegro national football team play their first match after sanctions were lifted?
The Serbia and Montenegro national football team played their first match on the 23rd of December 1994 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. They lost that friendly game 2 to 0 against Brazil.
Who was the first manager of the Serbia and Montenegro national football team formed in 1992?
Slobodan Santrač became the first manager of the new squad formed by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He had previously been a player for the old Yugoslav national team.
What happened during the Serbia and Montenegro national football team match against Croatia at Euro 2000?
A highly anticipated game against Croatia ended 0 to 0 after being interrupted by a power outage in the second half. An injury-time equalizer from Ireland allowed them to qualify automatically with a 2 to 2 draw against Croatia in Zagreb.
Why did the Serbia and Montenegro national football team fail to qualify for the 2002 World Cup?
Political turmoil inside the country caused Ilija Petković to resign after just one match. Milovan Đorić took over next but could only manage two draws before a three-man commission stepped in temporarily.
When did Montenegro declare independence affecting the Serbia and Montenegro national football team?
Montenegro declared independence on the 3rd of June 2006 following a referendum. The team competed in the tournament representing a state that no longer existed until their elimination.