Matic and Peric destined to lead Serbia at EHF EURO 2014 

Former international winger Vladan Matic and goalkeeper Dejan Peric are destined to take charge of Serbia, taking over from caretaker coach Ljubomir Vranjes, ahead of the Men’s EHF EURO 2014, the Balkan country’s Handball Federation (RSS) said on Tuesday.

The RSS and Bundesliga club SG Flensburg-Handewitt have been unable to reach an agreement on Vranjes’ dual role and the former Sweden international, born in Gothenburg to Serbian parents, will carry on as the German side’s head coach while he has had to relinquish his Serbia post.

"We are disappointed that we have been unable to strike an agreement with Vranjes and Flensburg, but on the other hand we understand them because they have ambitions and objectives they have set out to achieve," RSS president Velimir Marjanovic said after the body’s managing board met to resolve the situation.

"Carrying on with Serbia would have deprived both Vranjes and his club of time and resources needed to pursue their endeavours but the door for his future engement remains open," Marjanovic added.

Vranjes took over from Veselin Vukovic ahead of Serbia’s crunch EHF EURO 2014 qualifiers against Russia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in June, which the 2012 tournament’s runners-up won to clinch a berth in next January’s 16-nation tournament in Denmark.

The RSS now faces a similar battle to ensure that Peric is joined at the helm by Celje Pivovarna Lasko coach Matic, hoping that both will be available for national team week later this month when Serbia will play a pair of friendlies against the Czech Republic.

"Celje are willing to release Matic for international duty and he is also willing to work with the national team, meaning that we now need to hammer out the technical details and assess whether he is available as a long-term solution," added Marjanovic.

Matić won the bronze medal with the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the World Championship 1999 in Egypt and two years later in France.

The Serbians are in EHF EURO 2014 Preliminary Round Group C alongside France, Poland and Russia.