Zoran Filipović

Filipović, born 6 February 1953, in Titograd, SR Montenegro, FPR Yugoslavia, made his name in Yugoslavia as a potent striker with Red Star Belgrade, during more than ten seasons at the club (5 June 1969 to 29 June 1980). He played a total of 520 games for the club scoring 302 goals. He was the Yugoslav First League top scorer in 1976–77 season with 21 goals. He also still holds the club record for most goals in European competitions – scoring 28 goals for Red Star in European Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup. His first stop abroad was a season at Club Brugge in Belgium, scoring eight goals in 21 league matches. In the summer of 1981, 28-year-old Filipović joined the reigning Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica where over the following three seasons he scored 28 goals in 54 league matches. Filipović also guided the club Benfica to the 1983 UEFA Cup Final against R.S.C. Anderlecht, being the top scorer of that season's competition and scoring memorable goals for the Portuguese in the quarterfinal against A.S. Roma and in the semifinal against Universitatea Craiova. Filipović ended his career with Boavista FC (1984–1986) when he became the assistant coach at the same club.

Filipović made his debut for Yugoslavia in a May 1971 European Championship qualification match against East Germany in Leipzig, scoring a debut goal after only 11 minutes. He earned a total of 13 caps, scoring 2 goals and his final international was a November 1977 Balkan Cup match (0-0) against Greece in Thessaloniki.

Filipović got his first head coaching job at S.C. Salgueiros in 1988 and stayed with the club for five seasons. He orchestrated the club's most notable moments in history by becoming Second League champion in 1989–90 and achieving UEFA Cup participation through best placement in club's history immediately in the next season. In 1993, he moved to S.C. Beira-Mar where he coached for a season. In 1994, he returned to S.L. Benfica for a two-year spell where he was the assistant coach and interim head coach winning one Portuguese Cup in 1996, and participating in the UEFA Champions League. In 1997, he coached Boavista. From mid-1990s, Filipović was on the FR Yugoslavia national team coaching staff as an assistant to head coach Slobodan Santrač. He was part of Yugoslav coaching staff at the World Cup 1998, leaving the post together with Santrač right after the tournament. After joining as their head coach for a short spell, he left to work as part of Sampdoria coaching staff. Vujadin Boškov called him on to become his assistant during the second part of the 1998 season. Filipović's next stop was Vitória S.C. in the Portuguese league. However, he re-joined the FR Yugoslavia national team in 1999 continuing his collaboration with Vujadin Boškov when he took over. Filipović was the assistant at the Euro 2000. Following Euro 2000, he briefly coached Panionios in Greece. In 2001, Filipović returned to coach Red Star Belgrade in Serbia until 2003 with which he won the 2001–02 FR…

Player

Red Star Belgrade

Yugoslav First League: 1972–73, 1976–77, 1979–80 Yugoslav Cup: 1970–71 Benfica

Primeira Liga: 1982–83, 1983–84 Taça de Portugal: 1982–83 UEFA Cup: runner-up 1982–83

Manager

Benfica (as an assistant)

Taça de Portugal: 1995–96 Salgueiros

Portuguese Second Division: 1989–90 Red Star Belgrade

FR Yugoslavia Cup: 2001–02

Individual

Yugoslav First League top scorer: 1976–77 UEFA Cup top scorer: 1982–83