Vladica Popović

Born in Zemun, Popović started playing at local side Jedinstvo but his talent was spotted while he was still very young and giants Red Star Belgrade brought him to their youth team where he will later play for more than a decade becoming team captain and also regular member of the Yugoslavia national team. He was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He earned a total of 20 caps (no goals) and his final international was a June 1965 World Cup qualification match away against Norway.

Popović began coaching football in Venezuela in the 1970s, leading Portuguesa FC, Caracas F.C. and Deportivo Italia. He also managed Colombian sides Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Cali, and Millonarios as well as the Peru national football team.

Player

Club

Red Star Belgrade

Yugoslav First League: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1963–64 Yugoslav Cup: 1957–58, 1958–59, 1963–64 Mitropa Cup: 1958

International

Yugoslavia

Summer Olympics Second place: 1956

Manager

Independiente Santa Fe

Categoría Primera A: 1971 Atlético Nacional

Categoría Primera A: 1973 Deportivo Cali

Categoría Primera A: 1974 Napredak Kruševac

Yugoslav Second League (East): 1977–78 Red Star Belgrade

Yugoslav First League: 1991–92 Intercontinental Cup: 1991