Velibor Vasović was a legendary Serbian footballer known for his defensive prowess and tactical awareness.
He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation, playing as a sweeper and midfielder.
Vasović began his professional career at FK Partizan, where he played from 1958 to 1963.
Биография
Early Life
Velibor Vasović was born on October 3, 1939, in Požarevac, Serbia, just before the outbreak of World War II. He was the youngest of nine children in a family with roots in Montenegro. His father, Živojin Vasović, worked as a tax office clerk, while his mother, Jelena "Jelka" Laušević, was a homemaker. The war disrupted their lives significantly; Vasović's father was taken prisoner by the Germans, and his older siblings joined the Partisan resistance. After the war, the family moved to Belgrade, where Vasović began his secondary education at the First Belgrade Gymnasium.
Football Career
Vasović's football journey began at FK Novi Beograd, a local club, before he was scouted by FK Partizan's youth coach in 1955. He joined Partizan's youth system, known as "Matekalo's Babies," and made his debut for the senior team in 1958. Over five seasons, he became a key player, contributing to the club's success. In 1963, he made a controversial transfer to archrivals Red Star Belgrade, where he played for six months before returning to Partizan. Vasović also had a notable international career, representing the Yugoslavia national team from 1961 to 1966, earning 32 caps and scoring two goals.
Later Career and Coaching
After retiring from playing in 1971, Vasović transitioned into coaching, taking the helm at FK Partizan and later managing several clubs, including Angers SCO and Paris Saint-Germain in France. He achieved notable success, winning the French Division 2 title with Angers and the Yugoslav Championship with Red Star Belgrade. After his coaching career, he returned to Belgrade and worked as a lawyer, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
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Галерея
Карьера и клубы
Simultaneous with starting gymnasium studies, Vasović got introduced to the game of football at FK Novi Beograd, a small local lower-league outfit.
Partizan
In 1955, youngster's footballing talents got spotted by FK Partizan youth coach Florijan Matekalo, initiating fifteen-year-old Vasović's transfer across town to the big club's youth system where he came in alongside additional talented teenagers such as right back Fahrudin Jusufi and central midfielder Vladica Kovačević, brought in from Prilep and Ivanjica, respectively. Others already on the youth team were twin brothers Srđan and Zvezdan Čebinac as well as Branko Pejović. The entire talented generation soon came to be known as "Matekalo's Babies". In June 1958, eighteen-year-old Vasović got moved up to the full squad. He spent five seasons at FK Partizan in this stint (June 1958 – June 1963) before controversially transferring to archrivals Red Star Belgrade during summer 1963.
Six months at Red Star Belgrade
In the summer of 1963, twenty-three-year-old Vasović was coming off another stellar season for Partizan in which he greatly contributed to the crno-beli winning their third consecutive league title. However, his contract with Partizan was set to expire. In a 1986 interview for Duga magazine, Vasović recalled how his transfer to Red Star came about: Both my and Jusufi's contracts were expiring in the summer of 1963. And in addition to being key members of the Partizan team, both of us were also…
After ending his career as a player in 1971, he coached FK Partizan (second part of 1971–72 season, full 1972–73, and the first part of 1973–74), Angers SCO (1975–1976), Paris Saint-Germain (first part of 1976–77 and the first part of 1978–79 seasons). He also managed Egyptian club Zamalek SC (1982–1983), Ethnikos Piraeus (1983), Red Star Belgrade (1986–1988), and AC Bellinzona (1989) before returning home to Belgrade and working as a lawyer. During his coaching career, he managed to win one French Division 2, in [[1975–76 French Division 2 |1975–76]] season, with Angers, and one Yugoslav Championship, in 1987–88 season, with Red Star.
In the Yugoslavia national team Vasović appeared from 1961 until 1966 in 32 fixtures and scoring two goals. His final international was a June 1966 friendly match away against Sweden.
Scores and results list Yugoslavia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vasović goal.
- Club
- FK Partizan (1964–1966)
- Club
- Yugoslavia men's national football team (1961–1966)
- National team
- Yugoslavia
- Club
- FK Partizan (1958–1963)
- Club
- FK Crvena zvezda (1963–1963)
- Club
- AFC Ajax (1966–1971)
Личное
Born on 3 October 1939, in Požarevac, on the eve of World War II, to parents hailing from Montenegro—tax office clerk Živojin Vasović and homemaker Jelena "Jelka" Laušević—young Velibor was the couple's ninth child. He had four older brothers and three older sisters, while another one of his sisters died before he was born. With the Nazi German invasion and subsequent dismemberment of the Yugoslav kingdom in April 1941, Vasović's father got taken prisoner by the Germans, spending four years in captivity, while his oldest siblings joined the Partisan resistance movement. The youngster completed primary education in his hometown before moving to capital Belgrade along with his entire family courtesy of his maternal uncle David Laušević who in the meantime rose to high post with the Directorate for State Security (UDB). Vasović began his secondary studies by enrolling at the First Belgrade Gymnasium.
Клубы
- FK Partizan1958–1963
- Yugoslavia men's national football team1961–1966
- FK Crvena zvezda1963–1963
- FK Partizan1964–1966
- AFC Ajax1966–1971
Играл вместе с
Aaron MokoenaAFC Ajax · 1999–2003- Abdel Malek El HasnaouiAFC Ajax · 2013–2015
Abdelhak NouriAFC Ajax · 2015–2017
Abiola DaudaFK Crvena zvezda · 2013–2014- Aboubakar OumarouFK Crvena zvezda · 2008–2009
- Aboubakar OumarouFK Crvena zvezda · 2009–2009
- Aboubakar OumarouFK Partizan · 2015–2016
- Abubakari YakubuAFC Ajax · 1999–2005
Aco StojkovFK Partizan · 2006–2006Adem LjajićFK Partizan · 2008–2010
- Adham El IdrissiAFC Ajax
Adilson dos SantosFK Crvena zvezda · 1998–1999
Архив
Паспорт
Идентификаторы и алиасы
Velibor Vasović was a Serbian footballer and manager, also one of the legendary players of Partizan and Ajax and is regarded one of greatest defenders of his generation. A sweeper who could play in midfield, Vasović was renowned for his defensive positioning, never-say-die attitude and tactical awareness.
Мнения фанатов — не проверенные факты.
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