FIFA World Cup 2010: Group D: Serbia

BRUISER: Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic will strike fear into Serbia's opponents with his no-nonsense atttitude in South Africa (Getty Images)

RADDY Antic ended a four-year footballing exile to lead Serbia to the World Cup finals - breathing life into a team whose morale had crashed through rock bottom.

Failing to reach Euro 2008 was one thing while just a few weeks later a highly promising under-23 squad spectacularly failed to deliver at the Olympics in Beijing.

Miroslav Dukic was dispensed with and Antic stormed in - masterminding qualification to South Africa with a game to spare - after blitzing Romania 5-0.

"There is no denying that confidence was very low but I knew the ability of the players and I had belief in them," said Ancic.

"We soon created a really positive atmosphere and tried to turn the national side into a big family. I wanted to create the feeling of a club team and I think it has worked.

"There is a winning mentality now. We start a match believing we can impose our authority on the game."

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