Marinović said: "Continuous work and a new four-year vision for the youth team are key to developing as many players for the "A" team as possible while achieving good results. We’ll meet with coach Sergej Barbarez to ensure a similar playing style between the youth and senior teams, something I've done with coaches Baždarević and Prosinečki before, and it’s proven effective. We’ve got a platform with a larger number of players to review their quality."

Regarding his associates, Marinović added: "I'll work with Danimir Milkanović, and other associates will be appointed in agreement with director Spahić."

General Secretary Džemidžić emphasized Spahić isn’t feeling well and will address the media later. Responding to journalists, Džemidžić said: "Key goals will be set for sure, especially for the upcoming qualifiers. Our focus is on building a solid foundation for the future, and given our limited number of domestic players, we’ll have to look more broadly. Mr. Marinović, who has significant experience and success in the Premier League, returns to national team football. We expect many young players to soon take on key roles. Better coordination with the senior team’s coaching staff is planned as well. We aim to establish a working mode similar to global teams, which will take time but is crucial for success, along with a bit of luck."

The under-21 team continues the 2025 European Championship qualifiers in September. They’ll host Austria on Sep. 6 and then visit France on Sep. 10 2024.