Soccer-Serbia name journeyman Muslin as new coach

BELGRADE, May 5 (Reuters) - Serbia have named 62-year-old journeyman Slavoljub Muslin as the Balkan nation's new coach in a bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after missing three successive major tournaments. "The Serbian Football Association's (FSS) emergency board convened today and unanimously voted in favour of appointing Muslin as the new coach," the FSS said on its official website (www.fss.rs) on Thursday. "The contract will run until the end of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign and will be automatically extended if our national team reaches the tournament in Russia." Muslin, a former Red Star Belgrade midfielder who has managed 17 different clubs in his coaching career, takes over from Radovan Curcic who parted company with the FSS by mutual consent on April 27. Curcic failed to revive Serbia's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign after replacing Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who took one point from the opening three games. There is little doubt that Muslin, who last coached Belgian side Standard Liege from June to August 2015, will be under intense pressure to deliver after Serbia also failed to qualify for Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. His appointment came amid mounting speculation that 77-year-old FSS chief Tomislav Karadzic will step down later this month after a six-year barren spell following Serbia's group stage exit in the 2010 World Cup. Serbia are in qualifying Group D with Ireland, Wales, Austria, Moldova and Georgia. (Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic, editing by Pritha Sarkar)