Dragan DŽAJIĆ
A legendary player, then an administrative officer. Officially, he is the best Serbian football player of the 20th century, winner of many titles and awards. Dragan Džajić was born in Ub, on 30th May 1946. He came to FK Crvena zvezda as a fifteen-year-old, after a youth tournament in Valjevo, which saw his outstanding performance. It took him only six months to earn a summon to the senior team and made his debut in a match against FK Budućnost from Podgorica on 8th June 1963.
Dragan Džajić is the person with the most trophies in the history of FK Crvena zvezda. As a player, director, and president he won 31 official trophies: 16 championship titles, 12 cup titles, the Champions Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the Central European International Cup.
He was on of the world’s best players. He won his first title with FK Crvena zvezda in 1964, and he will be remembered as the leader of the generation that was the first in history to record a hat-trick in former Yugoslav league (1968, 1969, 1970). He won his fifth title in 1973, and he won the national cup trophy four times.
After leaving our most trophy-winning club, he spent two years abroad, in the French first league club SK Bastia, for which he performed in 80 matches. He returned to FK Crvena zvezda and played for the club until his farewell match in Mostar, on 28th May 1978. Statistics say he played a record of 590 matches for FK Crvena zvezda and scored 287 goals. He set a number of the club records that will be hard to beat.
Džajić performed in the Yugoslavia national team jersey 85 times and scored 23 goals. He held the record for the number of matches played for the national team all until October 2004. He made his debut in a match against Romania on 17th June 1964, and he bid farewell to the national team in a match with Argentina on 16th September 1979.
He played at the 1968 European Championship in Italy, when we reached the final and in Yugoslavia in 1976. He took part in the 1974 World Cup in Germany. He played for the team of Europe four times (Lisbon in 1970, Moscow in 1972, Hamburg and Basel in 1973), and twice for the team of the world (Rio in 1968 and Paris in 1969). For its 50th anniversary celebration, UEFA chose the ideal team of the 20th century and Dragan Džajić was among 50 players.
After his exceptional playing career, Džajić became the technical director of FK Crvena zvezda in 1979. He formed a team that became the European and the world champion in 1991, when the most beautiful page in the history of FK Crvena zvezda was written. Since 1998 and apart from the position of technical director, Džajić held the position of the president for two terms (1998-2004 and 2012-2014). As the club’s director and president, he won 11 championships, 8 cups, the Champions Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.
By the decision of the FK Crvena zvezda assembly, Džajić was elected the honorary president in December 2014. Since 14th March 2023 he holds the position of the president of the Football Association of Serbia.
Prof. Jovan Šurbatović, PhD
Prof. Jovan Šurbatović was born on 29th March 1968. He holds bachelor degree in economics. In 2007 he completed his postgraduate studies at the international school of the European Centre for Peace and Development University for Peace Established by the United Nations in Belgrade with grade point average 9,7, by successfully defending Master’s thesis “Categorization of Sports As a Factor of Valorisation Methodology of Sports Organisations” and thus obtaining academic title Master of Management Science. In 2012 he defended his PhD thesis “Citizens’ Public Interest and Needs As a Factor of Managing Sports Centres” at the Association of Centres for Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Studies and Research of the University in Novi Sad and obtained scientific title Doctor of Science in the field of Sports Management.
Professional development: Prof. Šurbatović took part in numerous programmes of professional training, among else, he participated in the “School of Journalism” of the Yugoslav institute for Journalism in the class of Mr Dragan Nikitović and became sports journalist (1991) and he also participated in the programme “Manager in Foreign Trade” organised by the Institute for International Management Belgrade and Institute Superior de Gestion Paris (1992).He completed a specialized master program MESGO – The Executive Master in Sport Governance, 5th edition / 2018-2020, with the highest grade and as a candidate chosen by UEFA, organized by leading European Univesities (University of London, University of Limoges, University of Lausanne, University of Lleida, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz), with support by UEFA, FIBA, EHF, IIHF, EPAS and Council of Europe.
Work in sport organizations: On 9th December 2016 he was elected General Secretary of the Football Association of Serbia, as from 1st August 2016 till then he had acted as Deputy to the General Secretary. In the previous period he was General Secretary of the Football Association of Belgrade (2011-2016) for three terms, and before that Vice-President of Temporary Managing Board of the FA of Belgrade (2010-2011). He was a long-time member of the football club FK Crvena zvezda Assembly and member of the Managing Board of the athletic club AK Crvena zvezda. He was Vice-President and President of the handball club RK Crvena zvezda (double crown won and participation in the Champions League in 2004) and also Director of the football club FK Radnički Obrenovac during the period of historic successes of the club (qualification in the Super League and two Super League seasons 2001-2004). He was also the President of the Athletic Association of Belgrade and has been a member of the Managing Board of the Athletic Federation of Serbia (2009-2016). He was a member of the Managing Board of the Sports Association of Belgrade and Chairman of the Program and Finance Committee in same period.
UEFA engagements: Member of UEFA HatTrick Committee since July 2019 and UEFA Match Delegate since 2017/18 season (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Eurpa League).UEFA Academy Alumni member from 2020.
Professional career: He is a professor at the Faculty for Sports of the “Union – Nikola Tesla” University, lecturing subjects within the professional area of sports management (as from 2016). He is a Chairman and Council member of the College of Sports and Health in Belgrade (as from 2018). He also lectured at the Faculty for Management in Sport of the Singidunum University, as well as at the Belgrade College of Sports and Health (2010-2016). At the same time he also was a member of the Managing Board of the “Poštanska štedionica Bank Ltd” (2011-2015). He performed tasks of the Finance Director of the “Srbijaautoput Ltd Beograd” company (2009-2011). Before that, he was Director for Economy Business in the Intesa Bank Ltd Beograd (2007-2009), Assistant to the Director of the public company “Ada Ciganlija Beograd” (2005-2007), Director of the public company “Agencija za obnovu Beograda”, Chairman of the Managing Board of the Belgrade Arena, member of the Managing Board of the public company “Ada Ciganlija Beograd” and member of the Belgrade City Government for Youth and Sports (2000-2005), owner and Director of the estate agency “Bona Mente” (1997-2000), professor of IT science at the Obrenovac high-school and agronomy-chemical high school (1993-1997).
Other projects: Member of two important working groups made by Serbian Government: first – for monitoring the implementation of the National Stadium construction project and second – Joint Bid Committee for candidacy of Euro 2028 and WC 2030 together with Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. Council for Sport of the Republic of Serbia member from 2022.
Scientific works: He has published numerous professional and scientific papers.He coauthored monographs “Privatization and Sports Law”, Belgrade, 2009, “Serbian Football – State and Perspectives”, Belgrade, 2016 and “Sport and Business”, Belgrade, 2021; author of monograph “Sports Categorization”, Belgrade, 2011, as well as a textbook for colleges and faculties, “Management in Sport”, Belgrade, 2014 For a long time he has published professional texts in the daily “Blic”, with the subject on privatization of the clubs.
He speaks English and also is currently learning Italian language.
Jovan Šurbatović is married to Aleksandra, and is father of Anja, Luka and Iva.
