How Serbia have got their House of Football in order

Some of the FAI suits in Belgrade this week could learn a thing or two from their Serbian FA counterparts about the art of competing against other codes for elite talent.

The continual argument that the GAA enjoys a dominant influence over soccer is put in context when compared against a nation not even double the size in population but light years ahead of the Irish in terms of youth development.

Not alone are two of their clubs, Partizan and Red Star Belgrade, rated amongst the top 10 academies in Europe for producing players but their international team have dined at the top table in recent years and are not content to feed off crumbs.