The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Clemente to coach Serbia

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Friday, Jul 21, 2006

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Clemente to coach Serbia

BELGRADE: Former Spain football coach Javier Clemente has agreed to sign a two-year deal with Serbia, becoming the first foreigner to steer the national team.

``We agreed the terms, and Clemente will formally sign the contract soon,'' president of Serbia's Football Federation Zvezdan Terzic said.

Clemente, who led Spain for six years through 1998, will also become Serbia's highest ever paid coach, with the two-year contract reported to be worth euro 700,000 ($ 873,700).

``Clemente said that he will take over Serbia because of a sports challenge, and not because of the money,'' Terzic said.Serbia-Montenegro — the final vestige of old unified Yugoslavia — was knocked out of the World Cup after losing its three first-round matches to the Netherlands, Argentina and Ivory Coast.

Serbia-Montenegro's World Cup coach Ilija Petkovic was sacked upon the team's return to Belgrade.

Serbia, which has now split with Montenegro, will play its first match as a separate nation in a friendly against the Czech Republic on August 16.Athletic Bilbao dismissed the outspoken Clemente earlier this month, apparently for his criticism of the Spanish club's off-season signings.

He has also been in charge of Espanyol on two occasions, along with Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Tenerife and French team Marseille. — AP

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