Serbia national team to kick off in August

BILLERBECK, Germany, June 17 (Reuters) Serbia will play their first game as an independent national team against the Czech Republic in Prague on August 16, the Serbia and Montenegro FA president Tomislav Karadzic told reporters today.

Tiny Montenegro voted in a referendum in May to split from Serbia and become an independent nation. The soccer ties between the two will be formally severed in late July and Serbia will compete alone in 2008 European Championship qualifying.

Serbia&Montenegro slumped out of the World Cup after a 6-0 drubbing by Argentina yesterday having lost their opening match 1-0 to the Netherlands.

The result was followed today by the announcement that coach Ilija Petkovic would step down after their final appearance, against Ivory Coast on Wednesday. His contract was due for renewal after the World Cup.

Serbia&Montenegro played under the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1998 World Cup finals in France and reached the last 16.

They failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea and the 2004 European Championship in Portugal.

Montenegro will play friendly matches for the next two years, but plan to try to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

REUTERS PDS RAI0335