Dragan Džajić (right) facing Sweden's Jan Olsson at the 1974 FIFA World Cup |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Dragan Džajić | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 May 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ub, FPR Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left winger | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1975 | Red Star Belgrade | 590 | (287) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1977 | SC Bastia | 56 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Red Star Belgrade | 25 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1978 | SFR Yugoslavia | 85 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Dragan Džajić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Џајић) (born 30 May 1946 in Ub, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) is widely considered to have been one of the best Serbian football players to emerge from former Yugoslavia. Regarded as a preeminent and very proficient left winger, he is strongly reputed to have been one of the finest European players of his generation. Džajić has been known for his "great crosses and passes, unstoppable dribbling with great pace, natural technique and some of the best left footed free kicks ever seen". Through soccer fanatics, Džajić is viewed as perhaps one of the most underrated players in European football, partly because he played in Yugoslavia. In December 2011 Džajić was named in being part of "the greatest European Championship XI of all time" by Goal.com![1]
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Džajić's professional career (1961–1978) was spent primarily with Red Star Belgrade. Džajić was a brilliant left winger who guided a Red Star Belgrade career spanning 590 games and 287 goals by winning five league titles and four Yugoslavian Cups. In 1969 Džajić received a golden badge Sport, award for the best athlete of Yugoslavia. He is considered one of the most important players in the history of the club and is one of only five players to have been awarded the Zvezdine zvezde.
Born on 30 May 1946 in the small town of Ub, 60 kilometres outside Belgrade, he was plucked from the relative obscurity of his local club, FK Jedinstvo, by Red Star Belgrade coach Miljan Miljanić. Though aged only 17, he was soon handed his senior debut in a first division match against FK Buducnost Podgorica, a goalless draw. Miljanić's faith was certainly rewarded over the following years.
Džajić might have started out as a left-back, but it was further up the flank that he made his impact. Red Star Belgrade's resident No11 was an expert dribbler whose sweet left foot provided countless goals for team-mate Vojin Lazarević; his right wasn't bad either. Džajić was rewarded for his brilliance with championship medals in 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1973, while he lifted the cup in 1964, 1968, 1970 and 1971.
European Champion Clubs' Cup success very nearly came his way too. In the 1970/71 season, Red Star Belgrade reached the semi-finals of the top continental club competition, and beat Panathinaikos FC 4–1 in the first leg in Belgrade. Džajić was suspended for the return in Athens, however, which the Greek team won 3–0 to go through on away goals.
From 1975 to 1977 he played for SC Bastia in France (finding the net another 31 times). He is one of their most notable players of all time.
Džajić was just 18 when he was first named to the Yugoslav national team. He made his debut on 17 June 1964 against Romania and would go on to earn 85 caps (the most in the history of the Yugoslav national team) and score 23 goals. Few who saw the left-winger play could ever forget Džajić's brilliant play. He achieved international renown for his passing and dribbling as well as his goal-scoring. His most famous international match was likely the 1968 European Championship semifinal against England, in which his 87th-minute lob over goalkeeper Gordon Banks gave Yugoslavia a 1–0 victory against the defending world champion. The British press dubbed him "the magic Dragan," and Pelé was moved to say: "Džajić is the Balkan miracle – a real wizard. I'm just sorry he's not Brazilian because I've never seen such a natural footballer." [2] He went on to score in the final against Italy but he could not prevent Yugoslavia going down 2–0 after a replay.
He participated in the 1974 FIFA World Cup which was held in West Germany. Džajić participated in Yugoslavias opening championship game draw with world champions Brazil and achieved a record victory of 9-1 against Zaire, he scored one goal. However, after passing the second stage of the championship, representatives of Yugoslavia didn't repeat the game's from the first phase. They lost three games in a road, and had to return home.
He was much loved because of his kindly nature and easy-going manner, while on the pitch, he won admiration for being an exceptional left-winger who could both score goals and deliver defence splitting passes with fantastic precision. The left wing was his domain – and it was quite usual for him to take off, leaving all defenders in his wake to deliver an inch-perfect pass into the penalty area. If highly appreciated by players and coaches alike for his passing ability, Dzajic was no less embraced for his goal-scoring. The man could score from just about any angle and many of his successful attempts came direct from corner kicks. Gifted with vision and that rare gift, a killer left foot, he was already scoring "Platini-like" free kicks when the French legend was still in shorts.
Džajić retired as a player in 1978, at age 32. In 1979 he returned to his club, serving as Red Star's technical director and then, from 1998, as the club's president – a position he resigned from in 2004 due to "health issues." It was stated by local Serbian newspapers in the beginning of December 2011 that he would return to the administrative of Red Star. It was to believe that Džajić is the only one who could get Red Star back on it's right path. Early elections in midle of December in Red Star did not surprise anyone, but what the real surprise was is that in the board meeting nobody mentioned Dragan Džajić on his return! Yet it turned out that the red and whites greatest legend won't be coming back. Džajić spoke to Blic (tabloid daily newspaper in Serbia) after the board meeting, saying: "I spoke with people from the club, the desire to return was not disputed, I wanted to help, because everything that I previously experienced with the club can not be forgotten. I followed, listened to and read what happened at the meeting, I wanted to come back but nothing happened and life goes on. I remain available and in this case I can only wish Red Star better days."[3]
On January 31, 2011, the trial started in which Džajić is charged of fraud perpetrated during the sale of players from Red Star Belgrade during Džajić's time as the president of the club, specifically Nemanja Vidić. Džajić pled not guilty.[4] The Charge against Nemanja Vidic were dropped.
Red Star Belgrade
Yugoslavia
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Serbia and Montenegro by the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. [5]
Ahead of the last draw for the finals of Euro 2012, Goal.com looked back at all the past tournaments since the first edition in 1960 to select a best-ever XI. The greatest European Championship XI of all time featuring Zidane, Van Basten & Maldini also featured Dragan Džajić! The players were chosen based on their performances for their countries in the European Championship only. Author of the text said: "Regarded by some as Europe's greatest ever left winger, Dzajic was Euro '68's best player. He scored the semi-final winner versus England with a delightful lob before opening the scoring in the final against Italy. Yugoslavia were set to triumph until a late equaliser from Angelo Domenghini forced a replay that Italy won 2-0. In 1976, he was again up to mischief as he ran West Germany ragged in the semis, scoring to put Yugoslavia 2-0 up. Germany forced extra-time with a late comeback and eventually won 4-2. Dzajic was a master dribbler with a vicious left foot."[1][6][7]
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Đurđa Bjedov |
The Best Athlete of Yugoslavia 1969 |
Succeeded by Desanka Pešut |
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