REUTERS – Montenegro have named Serb Ljubisa Tumbakovic as their coach in a bid to turn around their flagging fortunes, the Balkan country’s football association (FSCG) said on Tuesday.

“The FSCG executive board unanimously decided at today’s session to appoint Tumbakovic as the national team’s coach,” the governing body said on its website (www.fscg.me).

“Tumbakovic will arrive in Podgorica on Wednesday to sign a two-year contract and his first two games in charge will be friendlies away to Greece on March 24 and at home to Belarus on March 29.”

The 63-year old Tumbakovic, who is taking over from Branko Brnovic, won six Serbian league titles with Partizan Belgrade and two with Chinese top division side Shandong Luneng.

His most recent job was with another Chinese team, Wuhan Zall, while he also coached Iranian side Steel Azin, Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr and Greek side AEK Athens.

Montenegro have never reached a major tournament as an independent nation and their 2018 World Cup qualifying group includes Romania, Denmark, Poland, Armenia and Kazakhstan.

They finished fourth in their Euro 2016 qualifying group, behind Austria, Russia and Sweden who all advanced to the 24-nation tournament in France.

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade, editing by Ed Osmond)