Jelena Eric makes U-turn to help Serbia through

The qualifying for the Women’s EHF EURO 2014 enters a crucial stage at the end of March as 14 nations are looking to join co-hosts Hungary and Croatia in the 16-team event scheduled for December.

Group 5 has so far offered plenty of entertainment and drama, with Sweden leading the way on four points from two games ahead of Serbia and Slovenia who have two each, while Switzerland are yet to put on any points on the board in a fiercely competitive environment.

Having delighted their fans with a runners-up finish in last year’s World Championship on home court, Serbia have found the going somewhat tough in the European Championship qualifiers as they were soundly beaten in Slovenia (26:31) after a comfortable home win over the Swiss (32:21).

Hence the double-header against Sweden, at home on March 27 in Kragujevac and away three days later in Kristianstad could be vital for their ambitions to reach the 16-nation event, their third major in a row.

Coach Sasa Boskovic named a tried and trusted squad of 19 players to face the Swedes, including veteran 34-year old defender Jelena Eric who came out of international retirement to provide the kind of steel Serbia need if they are to go through.

"The first match is the most important and it’s toughest challenge we will have faced in this group yet because Sweden are a very strong team and a win would be a huge step forward," Boskovic told daily Sportski Žurnal.

"We have the quality and the know-how to come out on top, but Sweden have improved vastly since they changed their coach and we must therefore be fully focused from start to finish."

"It’s true that Eric said after the World Championship that she would quit the national team but we really need her now and she has decided to be here for us during the qualifiers.

"She will retire at the end of the qualifying campaign and her presence in the qualifying campaign will be priceless," said Boskovic.     

The coach acknowledged there was preciously little time to try out any new formations or tactics.

"We will stick to the good things we did in the World Championship because there is no time to experiment," he emphasised.

The Serbian squad:

Goalkeepers: Katarina Tomasevic (Nantes), Jovana Risovic (Radnicki Beograd), Ana Kacarevic (Jagodina)

Wingers: Jelena Nisavic (Jagodina), Sanja Radosavljevic (Radnicki Beograd), Katarina Krpez (Krim Mercator), Ivana Milosevic (Radnicki Beograd)

Line players: Dragana Cvijic (Buducnost Podgorica), Sanja Rajovic (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Marija Lojpur (WHC Vardar SCBT)

Backs: Sanja Damnjanovic (Viborg HK), Biljana Filipovic (OGC Nice), Jovana Stojiljkovic (Le Havre HC), Andrea Lekic (WHC Vardar SCBT), Kristina Liscevic (Metz Handball), Jelena Eric (HC Astrakhanochka), Jelena Popovic (Nantes), Jelena Zivkovic (Podravka), Marina Dmitrovic (WHC Vardar SCBT)