YUGOSLAVIA
----------

Current FIFA Ranking: 11
European championship appearances: 4
European championship record: 2-7-1
European championship goals for/against: 14-26
Best performance: Runners-up (1960, 1968)

Colors (shirt-shorts-socks): blue-white-red (reserve; white)

COACH: Vujadin Boskov

KEY PLAYERS: Predrag Mijatovic (Fiorentina), Sinisa Mihajlovic
(Lazio), Savo Milosevic (Real Zaragoza)

OUTLOOK:

This is a talented team that can defeat any opponent on a 
given day.  The Yugoslavs play entertaining soccer and 
qualified as winners of Group B ahead of Croatia and Ireland,
but have recorded modest results against mediocre adversaries.  

Provided it holds up against the rigid Norwegians and the
high potential of the Spaniards, Yugoslavia is capable of
getting past the group stage.  

Hopes rest largely on top scorer Predrag Mijatovic and 
versatile defender Sinisa Mihajlovic and his free kicks.
Both play in club soccer in Italy's Serie A.

Mihajlovic is fresh of winning the Serie A title with Lazio
and should be in good form.  One of the best free-kick takers 
in the world, he features a bullet of a shot. The trajectory 
of his left-footed shots have become the subject of studies 
at the Belgrade University of Physics.

Mijatovic had a less-than-stellar debut season with Fiorentina
and Euro 2000 may be a good chance for him to demonstrate 
otherwise.  He is very opportunistic and knows how to take 
advantage of scoring chances.  His goal against Juventus gave 
Real Madrid the Champions League trophy in 1998.

Yugoslavia, because of political strife, was banned from the 
1992 Euro finals in Sweden only days before the start of the 
tournament.  Replacement Denmark went on to win the 
championship.  Yugoslavia also was banned from qualifying for 
the 1994 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship in 
England.  

Prior to the turmoil, Yugoslavia made it to the finals in 
1960 and 1968, losing to the Soviet Union and Italy, 
respectively.

st 06-09-00 13:17 et