Dragan Stojkovic resigned as Serbia’s national coach immediately after the 0-1 defeat to Albania – via a press conference. The home defeat also has consequences for England.
The Serbian national team is without a coach two days before its next World Cup qualifier. Dragan Stojkovic announced his resignation on Saturday night after a 1-0 home defeat to Albania, ending his four-and-a-half-year tenure. The association confirmed the change of coach on Sunday and announced that Zoran Mirkovic, coach of the U21 team, would take over on an interim basis.
“I spoke with the president and the secretary general and offered my resignation,” Stojkovic explained at a press conference in Leskovac. He said he took “full responsibility” for the “unexpected” defeat. He will not travel to Andorra for Tuesday’s away game.
Although Stojkovic had revealed in June that he had already offered his resignation after Serbia’s elimination from the 2024 European Championship, this time his tenure is really coming to an end. The 60-year-old, who took over in March 2021, was never uncontroversial, even though he led Serbia to the 2022 World Cup, to League A of the Nations League, and to staying in that league. Veljko Paunovic is already being touted as a possible successor. The 48-year-old had been promoted to La Liga with Real Oviedo but was released during the week. The association wants to intensify the search for a successor after the Andorra game.
England can book their World Cup ticket as early as Tuesday
The 2026 World Cup moved further away for Serbia on Saturday evening. In Group K, the White Eagles are only in third place, four points behind second-placed Albania, who have already played one more game. In addition to bottom-placed Andorra, Serbia will also face leaders England (A, November 13) and second-to-last Latvia (H, November 16).
While the still-unbeaten Three Lions, coached by Thomas Tuchel, have long since pulled away and can book their World Cup ticket with a win in Latvia on Tuesday thanks to Serbia’s defeat against Albania, Dusan Vlahovic, Lazar Samardzic & Co. are fighting to keep their remaining hopes of reaching the play-offs alive.
