BELGRADE, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Serbia’s caretaker coach
Radovan Curcic has called up five debutants for friendlies
against Armenia and Cyprus next week in a bid to inject fresh
blood into the side that failed to qualify for Euro 2012.

Curcic, appointed instead of Vladimir Petrovic in October
after being his assistant in a dreadful qualifying campaign,
also left out several stalwarts who disappointed in 2-0 defeats
by Mexico and Honduras.

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Eight-times winners Real Madrid could face an early exit from basketball’s Euroleague after a 93-69 rout by fellow Spaniards Bilbao on Thursday.

Real Madrid, who played in last year’s final, were upset by their unfancied compatriots whose 9,000 fans in their jam-packed city arena roared them on to a decisive 34-14 lead in the first quarter.

LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) – By Zoran Milosavljevic
BELGRADE, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Denmark won the European Handball
Championship final by beating hosts Serbia 21-19 on Sunday to
clinch the only automatic berth for the 2012 London Olympics.

Serbia, who won their first handball medal as an independent
nation, will join fifth-placed Macedonia in a qualifying
tournament in April to decide additional places at the Games.

BELGRADE, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Denmark grabbed the last
remaining semi-final berth in the European Handball Championship
and booked a clash with Spain after beating Scandinavian rivals
Sweden 31-24 on Wednesday.

Hosts Serbia will meet bitter Balkan rivals Croatia after
both teams advanced into the last four with a match to spare,
having beaten their rivals in the Main Round earlier this week.

BELGRADE, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Former Chelsea manager Avram
Grant took over as coach of Partizan Belgrade on Sunday and
said his immediate priority was to ensure the Serbian league
leaders retained their title.

Grant, who led Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final
and kept them in contention for the Premier League title until
the last day of the season after taking over from Jose Mourinho,
was appointed on Friday after Aleksandar Stanojevic’s sacking.

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant was appointed Partizan Belgrade coach on Friday after the Serbian champions sacked Aleksandar Stanojevic.

“The board has decided to appoint as coach Avram Grant, firmly convinced that the club will achieve what its army of fans expect with him in charge,” the club said on their website (www.partizan.rs).

BELGRADE, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Former Chelsea manager Avram
Grant was appointed Partizan Belgrade coach on Friday after the
Serbian champions sacked Aleksandar Stanojevic.

“The board has decided to appoint as coach Avram Grant,
firmly convinced that the club will achieve what its army of
fans expect with him in charge,” the club said on their website
(www.partizan.rs).

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant is set to take over at Serbian champions and league leaders Partizan Belgrade, local media in the Balkan country’s capital reported Thursday.

Daily Vecernje Novosti said on its website (www.novosti.rs) Partizan’s board would meet by Friday to name Grant as a replacement for Aleksandar Stanojevic, who fell out with club president Dragan Djuric last month.

BELGRADE, Jan 12 (Reuters) – Former Chelsea manager Avram
Grant is set to take over at Serbian champions and league
leaders Partizan Belgrade, local media in the Balkan country’s
capital reported on Thursday.

Daily Vecernje Novosti said on its website (www.novosti.rs)
Partizan’s board would meet by Friday to name Grant as a
replacement for Aleksandar Stanojevic, who fell out with club
president Dragan Djuric last month.