Javier Clemente
Encyclopedia
Javier Clemente Lázaro, (born 12 March 1950 in Barakaldo
) is a Spanish
football manager. The veteran La Liga
manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao
and RCD Espanyol
. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain
and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia
. His most recent magerial job was with the Cameroon national football team
. After failing to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, he was released from his contract on 25 October 2011.
appearances for Athletic Bilbao
and scored six goals between 1968 and 1971. He was also a member of the Athletic team that won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1969, but his playing career was cut short because of injury. Clemente served his apprenticeship as a coach with Arenas Club de Getxo
, CD Baskonia
and then Bilbao Athletic
, before becoming manager of Athletic Bilbao
for the first time in 1981.
teams in the club's history. Veterans Dani and Andoni Goikoetxea were joined by young players from the cantera
, such as Santiago Urkiaga, Miguel de Andrés
, Ismael Urtubi
, Estanislao Argote
and Andoni Zubizarreta
. In 1983 the club won La Liga
and in 1984 they won a La Liga
/Copa del Rey
double. His first spell in charge of Athletic is also remembered for a bitter rivalry that developed between Athletic and FC Barcelona
. It began when César Luis Menotti
, then manager at Barcelona, criticising the Clemente style as authoritarian and his team as defensive and destructive. Clemente in turn dismissed Menotti as an aging hippy and womaniser. The row intensified after a La Liga
match at the Camp Nou
on 24 September 1983 when Goikoetxea tackled Diego Maradona
from behind, leaving Maradona severely injured. Goikoetxea, whose hardman image came to personify Clemente's Athletic team, subsequently became known as the Butcher of Bilbao. On 5 July 1984, the two clubs met again in the Copa del Rey final and the game ended in a massive brawl between the two sets of players.
. In first season in charge he guided the club to third in La Liga
and qualification for the UEFA Cup
. During the 1987–88 season, he guided Espanyol to the UEFA Cup final, beating both Milan
and Internazionale
on the way. In the final against Bayer Leverkusen, they won the home leg at the Sarriá
3–0. However, the return game saw Bayer also win 3–0 and the game went to penalties with Espanyol losing 3–2. Clemente ended his first spell in charge of Espanyol in 1989. After coaching Atlético Madrid to second place in La Liga
during the 1989–90 season, he returned to Espanyol for the 1990–91 season. He returned to the club for a third time in 2002 and remained until 2003.
clubs and, during the 2000–01 season, he also had a spell in charge of Marseille
. During the 1998–99 season, he managed Real Betis
and became embroiled in more controversy when he spat at a fan and implied Andalusia
was another country. He has also managed Real Sociedad
, Tenerife
and Real Murcia
.
's coach in the hopes that his veteran experience might be able to bring Valladolid out from relegation posts and keep them in Primera. Clemente led his side to a number of victories but ultimately the damage had been done and, despite being much improved under their new coach, Real Valladolid were relegated on the 16th May 2010.
. His first game in charge was a 1–0 victory over England
on 9 September 1992. He was manager of Spain during both the 1994
and 1998
World Cups and during Euro 1996. Despite leading the team to a 31 game unbeaten run, he was criticised for choosing too many Basque
players and for dropping Josep Guardiola
. Spain went into the 1998 World Cup as one of the favourites but were eliminated in the first round after losing to Nigeria
in their opening match and drawing 0-0 with Paraguay
. After 62 games in charge, he was sacked after a 3–2 defeat to Cyprus
on 5 September 1998.
on 21 July 2006, the post to which he was brought on initiative from FA president Zvezdan Terzić
. According to Serbian press, Clemente's salary was €
30,000 per month on a two-year contract worth €720,000 in total. Also, he was eligible for a €400,000 bonus had Serbia qualified for UEFA Euro 2008, and an additional €150,000 bonus for every round passed at the tournament. In an interview he gave to the Serbian daily newspaper Politika
, Clemente claimed that €30,000 a month is the smallest salary he has earned in the last 20 years. He took Risto Vidaković
and Simo Krunić
as his assistants.
Taking over the team, which had performed poorly at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, Clemente made his debut as Serbian manager on 16 August 2006 with a 1–3 away victory in a friendly against Czech Republic
. Following the separation of Montenegro, the match was the team's first under the name Serbia. New players introduced into the squad were Marko Pantelić
, Danko Lazović
, Vladimir Stojković
, Aleksandar Trišović
, etc. while previous mainstays such as Savo Milošević
, Mateja Kežman
, Predrag Đorđević, Albert Nađ, and Dragoslav Jevrić
were dropped from the squad.
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group A started brightly with three home wins against Azerbaijan
, Belgium and Armenia
and a draw in Poland
from the first four matches. However, things started to go wrong with a 2-1 defeat at Kazakhstan
in March 2007. In addition to losing the match, striker Nikola Žigić
elbowed a Kazakhstani player and was sent off.
Serbia managed to earn a hard fought 1-1 draw against group favourites Portugal
at home and won 0-2 at Finland
, which raised hopes. After this, however, came setbacks - first a 3-2 loss at Belgium due to careless defensive mistakes by Mladen Krstajić
, followed by a goalless draw at home versus Finland in front of only 15,000 supporters. The away match at Portugal was essentially a must win for Serbia, but they could only draw 1-1 thanks to a late goal by Branislav Ivanović
.
The match at Armenia a month later, which was an absolute must win, brought another poor outing as Serbia failed to break down the defensive Armenian team, resulting in a goalless draw. Now all but out of the running for the qualifying positions, Clemente cited the players' mental approach as the reason for poor results. Four days later, the same team destroyed Azerbaijan 1-6, but it was too little, too late. Following the failure to qualify, Clemente was released from his contract on 6 December 2007.
. He took over from Paul Le Guen
, who stepped down after Cameroon lost all of their group matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
Clemente made his debut as Cameroon manager on 4 September 2010 with a 1–3 away victory in the first match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Mauritius
. However, Cameroon finished second behind Senegal
, failing to qualify. He consequently was sacked by the Cameroon Football Association on 25 October 2011.
Athletic Bilbao
Manager
Athletic Bilbao
Spain U21
Barakaldo
Barakaldo , is a municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao.Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area , and its official population...
) is a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
football manager. The veteran La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
and RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
. His most recent magerial job was with the Cameroon national football team
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
. After failing to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, he was released from his contract on 25 October 2011.
Athletic Bilbao
As a player, Clemente made 47 La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
appearances for Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
and scored six goals between 1968 and 1971. He was also a member of the Athletic team that won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1969, but his playing career was cut short because of injury. Clemente served his apprenticeship as a coach with Arenas Club de Getxo
Arenas Club de Getxo
Arenas Club de Getxo is a Spanish football club based in the town of Getxo, near Bilbao, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded in 1914, it currently plays in Tercera División, holding home games at Campo Municipal de Gobela, with a 1,200-seat capacity.It was among the pioneering...
, CD Baskonia
CD Baskonia
Club Deportivo Baskonia is a Spanish football club based in Basauri, Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in Tercera División, holding home games at Estadio de López Cortázar, with a 8,500-seat capacity.-History:Founded in 1913 as CD Basconia,...
and then Bilbao Athletic
Bilbao Athletic
Bilbao Athletic is a Spanish football club based in Bilbao, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country...
, before becoming manager of Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
for the first time in 1981.
La Liga Champions
Clemente soon set about putting together one of the most successful Athletic BilbaoAthletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
teams in the club's history. Veterans Dani and Andoni Goikoetxea were joined by young players from the cantera
Cantera
Cantera, literally meaning "quarry" in Spanish, is a term used in Spain to refer to youth academies and farm teams organized by sports clubs. It is also used to refer to the geographical area that clubs recruit players from. The term is widely used in football but is also applied to other sports...
, such as Santiago Urkiaga, Miguel de Andrés
Miguel de Andrés
Miguel de Andrés Barace is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder.-Club career:Born in Ochagavía, Navarre, de Andrés joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system, Lezama, in 1975, after reported interest from both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona...
, Ismael Urtubi
Ismael Urtubi
Ismael Urtubi Aróstegui is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left midfielder.An accomplished penalty kick taker, his entire professional career was spent with Athletic Bilbao, with which he appeared in nearly 300 official games, winning four major titles, including two La Liga...
, Estanislao Argote
Estanislao Argote
Estanislao Argote Salaberría is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left winger.-Club career:Argote began playing football with local Zarautz KE, joining Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao in 1975...
and Andoni Zubizarreta
Andoni Zubizarreta
Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.The all-time most capped player for the Spanish national team for several years, he played with individual and team success for Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona , appearing in more than 950...
. In 1983 the club won La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
and in 1984 they won a La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
/Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
double. His first spell in charge of Athletic is also remembered for a bitter rivalry that developed between Athletic and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. It began when César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti, known as El Flaco is an Argentine football coach and former player, who as coach, won the 1978 FIFA World Cup for Argentina.-Playing career:...
, then manager at Barcelona, criticising the Clemente style as authoritarian and his team as defensive and destructive. Clemente in turn dismissed Menotti as an aging hippy and womaniser. The row intensified after a La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
match at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
on 24 September 1983 when Goikoetxea tackled Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
from behind, leaving Maradona severely injured. Goikoetxea, whose hardman image came to personify Clemente's Athletic team, subsequently became known as the Butcher of Bilbao. On 5 July 1984, the two clubs met again in the Copa del Rey final and the game ended in a massive brawl between the two sets of players.
Return to Athletic
Clemente's first spell as manager of Athletic came to an end in 1986. However, he returned to manage the club on two further occasions in the 1990–91 and 2005–06 seasons. On both occasions, he failed to reproduce the success of his first spell and, despite helping Athletic avoid relegation in 2006, he was sacked after criticizing the club's transfer policy.Espanyol
After leaving Athletic in 1986, Clemente was appointed manager of EspanyolRCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. In first season in charge he guided the club to third in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
and qualification for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. During the 1987–88 season, he guided Espanyol to the UEFA Cup final, beating both Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
and Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on the way. In the final against Bayer Leverkusen, they won the home leg at the Sarriá
Estadio Sarriá
Estadi de Sarrià was a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium was the home of RCD Espanyol from 1923 to 1997. The stadium was located in the Barcelona district of Sarrià and has become a legendary place for the Catalan club....
3–0. However, the return game saw Bayer also win 3–0 and the game went to penalties with Espanyol losing 3–2. Clemente ended his first spell in charge of Espanyol in 1989. After coaching Atlético Madrid to second place in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
during the 1989–90 season, he returned to Espanyol for the 1990–91 season. He returned to the club for a third time in 2002 and remained until 2003.
La Liga and Ligue 1
Clemente has also managed several other La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
clubs and, during the 2000–01 season, he also had a spell in charge of Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. During the 1998–99 season, he managed Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
and became embroiled in more controversy when he spat at a fan and implied Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
was another country. He has also managed Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
, Tenerife
CD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
and Real Murcia
Real Murcia
Real Murcia Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the region of Murcia. Founded in 1908, it currently plays in the second division, playing home matches at Estadio Nueva Condomina, which can hold 33,045 spectators....
.
Real Valladolid
On 6 April 2010, Clemente replaced Onésimo Sánchez as Real ValladolidReal Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
's coach in the hopes that his veteran experience might be able to bring Valladolid out from relegation posts and keep them in Primera. Clemente led his side to a number of victories but ultimately the damage had been done and, despite being much improved under their new coach, Real Valladolid were relegated on the 16th May 2010.
Spain
In 1992, Clemente was appointed manager of SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. His first game in charge was a 1–0 victory over England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 9 September 1992. He was manager of Spain during both the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
World Cups and during Euro 1996. Despite leading the team to a 31 game unbeaten run, he was criticised for choosing too many Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
players and for dropping Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
. Spain went into the 1998 World Cup as one of the favourites but were eliminated in the first round after losing to Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
in their opening match and drawing 0-0 with Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
. After 62 games in charge, he was sacked after a 3–2 defeat to Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
on 5 September 1998.
Serbia
Clemente became manager of the Serbian national teamSerbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
on 21 July 2006, the post to which he was brought on initiative from FA president Zvezdan Terzić
Zvezdan Terzic
Zvezdan Terzić is a Serbian retired football player and current administrator of Montenegrin origin...
. According to Serbian press, Clemente's salary was €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
30,000 per month on a two-year contract worth €720,000 in total. Also, he was eligible for a €400,000 bonus had Serbia qualified for UEFA Euro 2008, and an additional €150,000 bonus for every round passed at the tournament. In an interview he gave to the Serbian daily newspaper Politika
Politika
Politika is a Serbian newspaper. It is considered the newspaper of record and is the oldest daily in the Balkans, having been founded on January 25, 1904 by Vladislav Ribnikar. It is currently being published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines , a joint venture between Politika AD and...
, Clemente claimed that €30,000 a month is the smallest salary he has earned in the last 20 years. He took Risto Vidaković
Risto Vidakovic
Risto Vidaković Savić , known as Vidaković, is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a central defender, and a current coach.-Club career:Vidaković started his career at FK Sarajevo, and played the in the last edition of the Yugoslav First...
and Simo Krunić
Simo Krunić
Simo Krunić is a Bosnian Serb football manager and former player.He is currently the head coach of FK Inđija in the Serbian SuperLiga....
as his assistants.
Taking over the team, which had performed poorly at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Clemente made his debut as Serbian manager on 16 August 2006 with a 1–3 away victory in a friendly against Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. Following the separation of Montenegro, the match was the team's first under the name Serbia. New players introduced into the squad were Marko Pantelić
Marko Pantelic
Marko Pantelić is a Serbian footballer, who plays for Olympiacos.-Early years:...
, Danko Lazović
Danko Lazovic
Danko Lazović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Russian Premier League club Zenit as a second striker or a winger.-Feyenoord:...
, Vladimir Stojković
Vladimir Stojkovic
Vladimir Stojković is a Serbian football goalkeeper who plays for FK Partizan and for the Serbian national team.-Family:Stojković was born into a sporting family...
, Aleksandar Trišović
Aleksandar Trišovic
Aleksandar Trišović , is a Serbian football player currently is free agent as a left midfielder.-Playing career:...
, etc. while previous mainstays such as Savo Milošević
Savo Miloševic
Savo Milošević is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a striker.After making a name for himself at Partizan, he signed for Aston Villa, and went on to spend the vast majority of the following decade playing in Spain, where he represented four clubs, amassing La Liga totals of 241 games and...
, Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman is a Serbian football striker who plays for FC BATE Borisov of the Belarusian Premier League....
, Predrag Đorđević, Albert Nađ, and Dragoslav Jevrić
Dragoslav Jevric
Dragoslav Jevrić is a Montenegrin football goalkeeper who currently plays for AC Omonia.-International career:...
were dropped from the squad.
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group A started brightly with three home wins against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
, Belgium and Armenia
Armenia national football team
The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...
and a draw in Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
from the first four matches. However, things started to go wrong with a 2-1 defeat at Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
in March 2007. In addition to losing the match, striker Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigic
Nikola Žigić is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.At , Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world...
elbowed a Kazakhstani player and was sent off.
Serbia managed to earn a hard fought 1-1 draw against group favourites Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
at home and won 0-2 at Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, which raised hopes. After this, however, came setbacks - first a 3-2 loss at Belgium due to careless defensive mistakes by Mladen Krstajić
Mladen Krstajic
Mladen Krstajić is a former Serbian footballer who currently works as a director of football for FK Partizan.-Early life:...
, followed by a goalless draw at home versus Finland in front of only 15,000 supporters. The away match at Portugal was essentially a must win for Serbia, but they could only draw 1-1 thanks to a late goal by Branislav Ivanović
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and the Serbia national team....
.
The match at Armenia a month later, which was an absolute must win, brought another poor outing as Serbia failed to break down the defensive Armenian team, resulting in a goalless draw. Now all but out of the running for the qualifying positions, Clemente cited the players' mental approach as the reason for poor results. Four days later, the same team destroyed Azerbaijan 1-6, but it was too little, too late. Following the failure to qualify, Clemente was released from his contract on 6 December 2007.
Cameroon
On 17 August 2010, Clemente was named as the new coach of CameroonCameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
. He took over from Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade...
, who stepped down after Cameroon lost all of their group matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
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Clemente made his debut as Cameroon manager on 4 September 2010 with a 1–3 away victory in the first match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Mauritius
Mauritius national football team
The Mauritius national football team, nicknamed Club M, is the national team of Mauritius and is controlled by the Mauritius Football Association.-Early years:...
. However, Cameroon finished second behind Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
, failing to qualify. He consequently was sacked by the Cameroon Football Association on 25 October 2011.
Honours
PlayerAthletic Bilbao
- Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1968–69
Manager
Athletic Bilbao
- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 1982–83, 1983–84 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1983–84 - Spanish Super CupSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1984
Spain U21
- European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
: Runners-up 19961996 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 1996, which spanned two years , had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total....