Milutinovic - fifth World Cup (Allsport).

By Reece Killworth, Sportinglife.com

Bora Milutinovic will make history this summer, even if his spell as China coach ends in a first-round exit.

The Serbian will be leading his fifth side into a World Cup, moving ahead of Carlos Alberto Parreira in the record books.

After a playing career which took him from Partizan Belgrade through Monaco, Nice and Rouen to FC Winterthur in Switzerland, Milutinovic got his fist coaching post at UNAM Pumas in Mexico.

From there he was handed the chance to lead Mexico into the World Cup they hosted in 1986.

A quarter-final finish - the highest the Central Americans have ever achieved - marked him out as a manager of some repute at the top level.

Four years later and Milutinovic was appointed Costa Rica coach - and managed to lead them into the second round in Italy, another best for the country.

The following year he was named as manager of the United States - with USSF president Alan Rothenberg branding him a "miracle worker".

The miracles continued as he took the Americans into the second round out of a group that also contained Romania and Colombia.

But a year later he was packing his suitcase again and Mexico offered him the chance to stay in the international game.

Another three years passed and with another World Cup nearly upon us, Milutinovic got the chance to lead Nigeria into France 98.

A second-round finish there was a boost for the African game but the Serb was soon off with Peru his next port of call.

By last year, though, Milutinovic had been appointed coach of China after turning down Paraguay and now his fifth World Cup beckons.

Throughout his lengthy coaching career Milutinovic has earned himself a reputation as an adept manager and is a charismatic character.

Despite criticism from certain quarters about being a mercenary, Milutinovic continues to work his 'miracles'.

And only a brave man would bet against him continuing his record of leading countries into the second round.