By Nick Hawton BBC Belgrade correspondent

The World Cup gives Serbia a welcome break from its woes

It is likely to be the last time the team competes under this name, after Montenegro's vote for independence on 21 May.

And a successful World Cup is something the country desperately needs.

For the past few years, Serbia-Montenegro has been beset with political and economic problems ranging from

• the hunt for war crimes fugitives

• the dispute over the province of Kosovo

• the 2003 assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic

• the independence drive in Montenegro

Knowing our mentality here, it's good we're in a difficult group because if we were with weaker teams, we would be celebrating before the game even started Delmir, football fan Join our World Cup panel

Suffice it to say, political crisis is synonymous with Serbian politics.

But people are tired of the continuing political instability and wall-to-wall TV coverage of the World Cup will be welcome relief, especially in Belgrade where football passions often run high at the grounds of Red Star and Partisan.

Mean so much

"Before the wars of the 1990s, the former Yugoslavia, made up of Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Macedonia was a middling power in world football.

"But the collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s diluted the strength of the team," says B92 sports correspondent, Vladimir Novakovic.

"But now there is real optimism out there that this team can do well and help bring some positive news to the country," says Vladimir.

And out in the streets, the feeling is positive.

The passionate Serbian fans are expecting a good showing

"Knowing our mentality here, it's good we're in a difficult group because if we were with weaker teams like Mexico and Angola, we would be celebrating before the game even started.

"But in a stronger group we will give 110% and try that much harder," says Delimir.

"If our team is motivated and they do not make any big mistakes in the first game, then we can really go a long way in the tournament," says Zeljko.

Serbian football shirts are always a popular buy for Belgrade's youth and now the sports shops are gearing up for a bumper sale this summer as the national team prepares for the biggest stage of all.

Nationalism is never far from the surface in this part of the world. A successful World Cup would mean so much, in so many ways.

Strong team spirit

But not many people will be able to make it to Germany themselves. The Serbian economy is still struggling to regain its feet after the turmoil of the 1990s and, more to the point, obtaining visas for Western Europe is not the easiest of tasks.

Pundits say good team spirit could help the team

As for the squad itself, preparations have gone smoothly and there is said to be a "good atmosphere" in the camp - not always a characteristic of the team.

"There are no real big stars. It's all about team spirit. And that is the potential strength," says Vladimir Novakovic.

One of the team's potential future stars is the Red Star Belgrade striker Nikola Zigic.

At six feet eight inches tall, some say he is the tallest footballer in the game. Some believe he has the talent to match and a number of Premiership clubs, including Arsenal, have been linked with the player.

"We've had a lot of political problems in Serbia during the past few years. But we've managed to create a strong football team and in the qualification group we showed we deserved to be at the big party in Germany," says Zigic.

Serbia had - and still has - its fair share of political problems whether it is the hunt for war crimes fugitives or the disputed status of Kosovo. The World Cup will provide a welcome break from all that.

The question is how long that break will last for.

Ultimately, Serbia-Montenegro's fate in the World Cup is a bit like the region - unpredictable.

Will you be watching the World Cup in Serbia and Montenegro? Would you like to join our World Cup panel and give us updates on the atmosphere and excitement among fans there? If so, click on the link below for more details.