Serbia is poised to make history this summer, leveraging sibling synergy to achieve their goals. The Balkan nation is making its first Euro appearance since becoming an independent country, marking only their second overall appearance since the 1984 edition when they competed as Yugoslavia. They later appeared as FR Yugoslavia in 2000, reaching the quarter-finals, and then as Serbia and Montenegro.
Serbia’s squad is brimming with talent, featuring goal-scorers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic. They are supported by experienced players such as Dusan Tadic, Filip Kostic, and Nemanja Gudelj. However, the most notable names are the Milinkovic-Savic brothers. Midfielder Sergej, a former Lazio star now with Al-Hilal, has earned 50 international caps. His younger brother, Vanja, a goalkeeper once with Manchester United, has found stability at Torino.
The brothers share a close bond. Vanja, speaking in 2022, said, “It’s no surprise we get on well. We’re brothers and we’re always together. From a competitive standpoint, I’ll try to beat him every time. There’s two years between us and, although it may not seem like it, I’m the youngest. We grew up together.”
Born in Spain to a Bosnian father and a Serbian mother, the Milinkovic-Savic brothers chose to represent Serbia internationally. Vanja has spoken about their shared focus and friendly rivalry, noting, “After matches, we tease each other by watching clips. If a match doesn’t go well, I stay angry for 2-3 days but then I immediately focus on the next one.”
Their competitive nature is inherited from their parents. Their father, Nikola Milinkovic, was a professional footballer, and their mother, Milana Savic, was a pro basketball player. Vanja initially considered following in his mother’s footsteps but ultimately chose football. The brothers eventually played together for Serbian club Vojvodina.
The Milinkovic-Savic brothers have tasted international success, with Sergej winning the under-19 Euros in 2013 and both brothers celebrating an under-20 World Cup victory in 2015. Now, Serbia aims to replicate past glory at the senior level. Historically, as Yugoslavia, they were Euro runners-up in 1960 and 1968 and finished fourth in 1976. Additionally, they have a collection of Olympic medals to their name. Consequently, their rich history sets a high standard for the current team to aspire to.
However, recent years have seen less success. Serbia hasn’t appeared at the Euros in over two decades, and their last three World Cup campaigns ended at the group stage. This summer, Serbia faces a challenging Group C, with matches against England, Denmark, and Slovenia. With the talent in their squad and the unique bond between the Milinkovic-Savic brothers, Serbia hopes to make history and overcome their Euro frustrations.
Full Serbia Euro 2024 Squad:
Goalkeepers: Milinkovic-Savic, Petrovic, Rajkovic
Defenders: Pavlovic, Milenkovic, Babic, Veljkovic, Spajic, Stojic
Midfielders: Lukic, Gudelj, Maksimovic, Ilic, Mijailovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic, Samardzic, Birmancevic, Kostic, Zivkovic, Mladenovic, Gacinovic
Forwards: Aleksandar, Vlahovic, Jovic, Ratkov
Serbia Euro 2024 Fixtures:
England – Sun, June 16, 8pm
Slovenia – Thurs, June 20, 2pm
Denmark – Tues, June 25, 8pm
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