EURO 2024: Two Premier League stars make Serbia's historic squad for European championships

Sasa Lukic of Serbia competes for the ball with Samuel Gouett of Cameroon during a FIFA World Cup match

EURO 2024: Two Premier League stars make Serbia's historic squad for European championships

Festus Chuma 14:43 - 28.05.2024

Serbia has announced 26-man squad for their first Euros as an independent nation featuring stars from the Premier League.

Two standout talents from the English Premier League, Chelsea's goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic and Fulham's midfielder Sasa Lukic, have been named in Serbia's 26-man squad set to compete in the European Championships for the first time as an independent nation.

The Serbian side is gearing up for a challenging Group C, where they will face England, Denmark, and Slovenia, with their opening match against England scheduled for June 16 in Gelsenkirchen.

The inclusion of Petrovic and Lukic highlights Serbia's strategy of blending experienced internationals with top-performing players from across Europe’s elite leagues.

While Petrovic is slated as the backup to Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, his stellar season with Chelsea underscores his readiness to step up when called upon.

 Lukic, on the other hand, has been crucial for Fulham, showcasing his ability to control the pace and rhythm in midfield, skills that will be vital for Serbia’s campaign.

The team’s attack is boosted by former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, now with Al Hilal, who concluded the season as the Saudi Pro League's second-highest scorer, and Juventus’ formidable forward Dusan Vlahovic. 

Despite their absence from Euro 2020, Serbia has shown resilience and capability by qualifying for four of the last five World Cups. 

Their participation in the Euros, marking a historic first since competing as FR Yugoslavia in 2000, is a testament to the growth and development of Serbian football under the guidance of coach Dragan Stojkovic.

Full Serbia squad

Goalkeepers: Vanja Milinkovic Savic (Torino), Dorde Petrovic (Chelsea) and Predrag Rajkovic (Mallorca)

Defenders: Strahinja Pavlovic (RB Salzburg), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina), Srdan Babic (Spartak Moscow), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), Uros Spajic (Red Star Belgrade) and Nemanja Stojic (TSC Backa Topola)

Midfielders: Sasa Lukic (Fulham), Nemanja Gudelj (Seviila)Nemanja Maksimovic (Getafe), Ivan Ilic (Torino), Srdan Mijailovic (Red Star Belgrade), Sergej Milenkovic-Savic (Al-Hilal), Dusan Tadic (Fenerbahce), Lazar Samardzic (Udinese), Vejko Birmancevic (Sparta Prague), Filip Kostic (Juventus), Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK), Filip Mladenovic (Panathinaikos) and Mijat Gacinovic (AEK Athens)

Forwards: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Al-Hilal), Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus), Luka Jovic (AC Milan) and Petar Ratkov (RB Salzburg)

Follow us on X (Twitter) for more updates