Ranked 3rd in the world qualifying group with 10 points in 6 rounds! Official: Paunovic becomes the new coach of the Serbian team

On October 30, the Serbian Football Association officially announced that Veljko Paunovic has become the new coach of the Serbian national team and will lead the team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In the official statement, the Serbian Football Association stated: The hope of promotion still exists. Because of this, Veljko Paunovic and his coaching team have officially accepted the invitation to lead the national team in key battles against England and Latvia.

Blanko Radujko, secretary-general of the Serbian Football Association, emphasized that Paunovic accepted the call with the utmost dedication and stepped forward at a critical moment when the team still maintained its hope of qualifying for the World Cup.

"Veljko Paunovic has always shown an attitude of putting the interests of national football first. His first consideration is not the contract details or financial terms, but to report to the Serbian Football Association immediately and take over the team at this important moment. He made it clear that he will fully focus on the upcoming games against England and Latvia and will never give up as long as there is still a glimmer of hope for promotion. "

"We believe that his arrival can motivate the players and boost the morale of the team, thereby reversing the current situation. As long as there is still a one-in-a-thousand possibility, we will never give up. "

"The results of these two games will in no way affect Veliko Paunovic's future coaching status. Regardless of the final record, we will continue to negotiate a long-term contract with him after the qualifiers. " Radujko added.

Veljko Paunovic is the meritorious coach who led the Serbian U20 youth team to win the World Youth Championship ten years ago.

Serbia will travel to London to challenge England on November 13, and then face Latvia in the final qualifying match in Leskovac on November 16.

They currently have 10 points after 6 rounds of group matches, temporarily ranking third in the group. First place England leads with 18 points, second place Albania leads with 11 points.