Serbia national under-19 football team
National youth football team.
The Serbia national under-19 football team, known as Orlići (The Young Eagles), represents Serbia in international competitions for players under the age of 19. Managed by the Football Association of Serbia, the team is considered a successor to the former Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro under-19 teams.
Serbia U19 has a rich history, having won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship three times, with titles in 1951, 1979, and 2013. Their most recent victory came when they defeated France 1-0 in the final held in Marijampolė, Lithuania. The team's first international competition was the 1951 FIFA Youth Tournament Under-18, where they claimed victory against Austria.
The current head coach is Radovan Krivokapić, who leads a squad focused on developing young talent. The team's biggest win was an impressive 8-0 victory against Luxembourg in 1985, while their largest defeat was a 4-0 loss to Bulgaria in 1959 and a 6-2 loss to Spain in 2001.
In recent years, Serbia U19 has continued to compete actively in UEFA tournaments, reaching the semifinals multiple times since the rebranding of the competition in 2001. Their competitive record includes significant performances that have helped nurture players for the senior national team.