Football still owes Serbia': Veljko Paunovic on the Balkan war, his career and facing England

"Veljko Paunovic's right hand moves in a wide, smooth arc: up, around and down. This tends to happen to me a lot, he says, eyes following his finger as it traces a curve. It is his first day as Serbia's coach and he is waiting for his players to arrive, entrusted with an urgent mission that brings him back again, all the way to when he was a boy. I tend to close circles, and this could be another."

"Blagoje Paunovic, a defender who played 39 times for Yugoslavia and became a coach, told his son about being invited to play in Pele's farewell at the Maracana in 1971 (He said people saw Yugoslavia as Europe's Brazilians), the European Championship final against Italy in 1968 and the game that took them there, against the world champions."

"That day in Florence, Blagoje's Yugoslavia beat England; this Thursday at Wembley, Veljko begins against the same country. World Cup 2026 European qualifying: when, how and who needs what? That win had huge repercussion, Paunovic says. My dad talked a lot about Bobby Moore, how imposing he was. He talked about that generation: their physical presence, their ability to intimidate. They believed they were champions; there was this footballing aristocracy about everything they did. They felt strong, they had an arrogance, in a good sense. And this generation now is a superpower that has everything: a very modern team, with depth and variety. They've scored 18, conceded none. They made a statement in Serbia."

Veljko Paunovic begins as Serbia coach, making a symbolic gesture that links his return to childhood memories and his father's legacy. His career included spells abroad before coming back to face an urgent qualifying mission. Blagoje Paunovic, a former Yugoslavia defender and coach, recounted three defining matches: Pele's farewell at the Maracana (1971), the 1968 European Championship final against Italy, and the Florence win over England. Serbia now prepares to meet England at Wembley, a dominant side that has scored 18 and conceded none. Serbia sits third in the qualifying group and faces possible elimination with two games remaining.

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