Modern football in Montenegro has become part of the country’s sports life. Local teams and professional clubs take part in the competition. This sport is popular, as in other regions of the Balkan Peninsula. Before getting acquainted with the football life of Montenegro, it is recommended to learn all the stages of development.
The history of football
Prior to independence in 2006, Montenegrins were part of Yugoslav football clubs. The first of them appeared in 1930. They were amateurs and participated in local and European competitions. However, over time, there was professional growth, which led to entering the world arena. Trainings and tournaments are held between clubs, away matches are organized.
What you need to know about the development of football in Montenegro:
- finalists of the European Championships in 1960 and 1968;
- since 1992 he has played in the national team of Serbia and Montenegro;
- the last joint game in Sich was in 2006;
- the most famous player is goalkeeper Dragoslav Еврич .
Despite the good sports infrastructure left over from Yugoslavia, the development of Montenegrin football is slow. The reason is insufficient funding from the government. Clubs at the local level are developing at their own expense. Purchase of equipment and gear is done by sponsors or for charitable contributions from sponsors.
About the national team
To enter the world football arena, Montenegro joined UEFA and FIFA in 2007. This allowed the formation of leagues according to the rules of these organizations. The Montenegrin national football team was able to take part in the World Cups. The match with the Hungarian national team in the same year was the debut for the Montenegrins. The first official attempt was made in 2010, when the team took fifth place in the qualifying group for the World Cup.
How the team participated in international competitions:
- Euro 2012 Despite the first victories over Wales and Bulgaria, the Montenegrin national football team failed to qualify.
- World Cup 2014. Achievements – victories over the national teams of Ukraine and San Marino, a draw with Poland. However, the team did not leave the group, scoring 15 points.
- Euro 2016 And again the team failed, taking the penultimate place in the qualifying qualifiers. This Euro was remembered by disqualification due to riots in the stands.
- 2018 World Cup. Did not qualify against Russia.
- Euro 2020 And again a scandal. The coach of the Montenegrin national football team refused to play in the match against Kosovo.
Due to economic problems, the development of football in the country has stalled. Most of the matches take place between the teams of the League. The first and the second show relatively good results. However, it is too early to talk about entering the international arena. The calendar of matches and the table of tournaments is on the official website of the Ministry of Sports Development.
The statistics of the national team are good to call good. It requires the infusion of new forces – footballers, revision of the principles of training. Video and online broadcasts show that the level of the game is weak. This can be seen in the match with the Azerbaijani team.