Appointed as General Director of the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro © EuroFootball.com

Today morning there was an assassination attempt on the life of Branko Bulatovič, the General Director of the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro. Bulatovič, who has never received any threats or hints that someone would want his death, was attacked by an assailant from behind on the stairs leading to the entrance of the association's building.

According to the police report, the killer approached Bulatovič from behind and shot him in the head. After the shot, Bulatovič was left lying in a pool of blood in a coma on the stairs, while the assailant fled. Witnesses described him as a 40-year-old man with a beard. According to them, several shots were heard.

The 53-year-old Bulatovič was immediately taken to the hospital and operated on. His condition is still critical. There is very little hope of survival. The family of the General Director, as well as all members of the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro, are shocked and cannot believe what happened.

The national team coach of Serbia and Montenegro, Ilija Petkovič, was one of the first to learn about this tragedy: "Today the whole football world of Serbia and Montenegro has been shot. It seems like the shots were meant for all of us," - the coach could not believe it.

The national teams of Serbia and Montenegro will have to compete with the Lithuanian team in the qualifying cycle for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Germany.