Quick Facts
Biography
Dragan Džajić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Џајић; born 30 May 1946) is a former Serbian footballer who is widely considered to be one of the best Serbian footballers to emerge from former Yugoslavia. Regarded as a preeminent and very proficient left winger. 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". Džajić is viewed by some football experts 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.
Club career
Born on 30 May 1946, in the small town of Ub, 60 kilometres outside Belgrade, Džajić's football 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 the Sport newspaper's Golden Badge award for Yugoslavia's best athlete. He is considered to have been 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 status.
In 2013, Džajić was identified as the greatest Yugoslavian player of all time, and honoured by his inclusion alongside Pele in the best Sheep Draft team of the year.
Red Star Belgrade
Early starter
Džajić was plucked from the relative obscurity of his local club, FK Jedinstvo, by Red Star Belgrade youth coach Miljan Miljanić, spending two years in the club's youth system.
Though only 17 years and 8 days of age, Džajić was handed his first team debut by head coach Miša Pavić in a Yugoslav First League match against FK Budućnost Titograd on 8 June 1963, which finished 0–0. It was the last week of the 1962–63 league season with FK Partizan already clinching the league championship and Red Star hovering in 7th place, out of European spots. The match was played at Omladinski Stadium at Karaburma because Red Star's famous home Marakana was in the final construction stages.
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 # 11 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.
Semi-final defeat
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.
SC Bastia
From 1975 to 1977, he played for SC Bastia in France (scoring another 31 times). He is considered to have been one of their most notable players of all time.
International career
Džajić on his most well-known international matches (at the UEFA Euro 1968):
"I have nice memories from that championship. It's true that our failure in the final hurts me, but from today's perspective, I can say that we made a great result. Some excellent teams were behind us, but against the home side, we were in a subordinate position due to a 'higher power.' The referee Dienst was the Azzurri's twelfth man and they won only due to his help. In those circumstances, our generation couldn't win the gold medal. It's also too bad that there was no Ilija Petković in the repeated match because our game play would have been much quicker."
Džajić was just 18 when he was first named to the Yugoslav national team. He made his debut on 17 June 1964 in a 2–1 defeat against Romania at the JNA Stadium in Belgrade. Džajić would go on to earn 85 caps (the most in the history of the Yugoslav national team) and score 23 goals. He became renowned for his passing, dribbling and goal-scoring. His most famous international match was likely the 1968 European Championship semifinal against England, in which his 87th-minute lob over the goalkeeper Gordon Banks gave Yugoslavia a 1–0 victory against the defending world champions. The British press dubbed him "the magic Dragan." He went on to score in the final against Italy but he could not prevent Yugoslavia losing 2–0 after a replay.
He participated in the 1974 FIFA World Cup which was held in West Germany. Džajić participated in Yugoslavia's opening championship game draw with world champions Brazil and scored one goal in a record victory of 9–0 against Zaire. However, after passing the second stage of the championship, Yugoslavia didn't repeat the results of their opening games. They lost three games in a row, and had to return home.
Administrative
Džajić retired as a player in 1978, at the age of 32. Right away, he began performing a role as Red Star's technical director. In his first season in the new administrative role, the club reached the UEFA Cup final. Džajić became the main decision-maker within the club when it comes to transfer policy.
In 1998, Džajić became the club's president – a position he resigned from in 2004 due to health issues.
Corruption allegations and presidential abolition
On 31 January 2011, the trial started in which Džajić was 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 pleaded not guilty. The charges against Nemanja Vidić were dropped. On 16 November 2012, Tomislav Nikolić, the President of Serbia, signed an exempt from criminal liability of all charges. This abolition ended all proceedings against Džajić.
Return to Red Star and Re-election as president 2012
It was stated by local Serbian newspapers in the beginning of December 2011 that Džajić would return to the administration of Red Star, as it was believed that Džajić was the only one who could get Red Star back on track. However, nothing came of this. 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 cannot 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."
On 19 December 2012, Džajić was elected as Red Star President for the third time.
Honours
Club
- Red Star Belgrade
- Yugoslav First League: 1963–64, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1972–73
- Yugoslav Cup: 1963–64, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1970–71
- Mitropa Cup: 1968
- Santiago Chile: 1962
- Racing Paris Tournament: 1962
- Iberico Trophy Badajoz: 1971
- Trofeo Costa del Sol: 1973
- Trofeo Naranja: 1973
- World of Soccer Cup: 1977
- Singapore Trophy Winners
- Australian Trophy Runners-up
National
- Yugoslavia
- Mediterranean Games: 1971 Izmir
- UEFA European Championship: Runners-Up 1968 Italy
Individual
- UEFA Euro Top Scorer: 1968
- UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 1968, 1976
- Ballon d'Or (3rd place): 1968
- Golden Badge: 1969
- World Soccer World XI: 1969
- Best Sportsman of SD Crvena Zvezda: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970
- YU-Serbian UEFA Golden Player: 2004
- FIFA XI: 1968
- "ERIC BATTY’S WORLD XI – THE SIXTIES" Retrieved on 17 June 2016
- FIFA XI´s Matches - Full Info Archived 17 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
Individual honours
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.
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 and 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, Džajić 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."
In 2016, UEFA organized a voting to select EURO-s 11 Best players of all times, from a list of 50. Dragan Dzajc is a candidate, for voting to take place by June 2016.