Dejan Savićević | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Дејан Савићевић | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Savićević in 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of theFootball Association of Montenegro (FSCG) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 7 July 2001[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1966-09-15)15 September 1966 (age 59)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Independent DPS (affiliated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dejan Savićević (Cyrillic:Дејан Савићевић,pronounced[dějansaʋǐːtɕeʋitɕ]; born 15 September 1966) is a Montenegrin former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder. Since 2001, he has been the president of theMontenegrin Football Association (FSCG),[4] currently in his fifth term at the post.
Savićević was considered one of the best players in the world during the 1990s, and is regarded as one of the greatest Yugoslav footballers of all time.[5] During his time inAC Milan, he was nicknamedIl Genio (The Genius) by the Italian sports press.
After beginning his professional career with hometown sideBudućnost in Yugoslavia, Savićević moved to the more established Yugoslav First League clubRed Star Belgrade in 1988 where he became prominent part of the team that won the1990–91 European Cup—coming second in the1991Ballon d’Or voting—before making a big money transfer to Italian championsAC Milan in 1992. With Milan, he won threeSerie A titles and the1993–94 UEFA Champions League, among other trophies. He later returned to Red Star for half a season in 1999, before ending his career withRapid Wien in 2001.
At the international level, he representedYugoslavia at the1990 and1998FIFA World Cups and, after retiring from playing, coached theSerbia and Montenegro national team from 2001 until 2003.[6]
Following an illustrious professional playing career that lasted 18 seasons, as well as a short and unsuccessful head coaching stint during the early 2000s, he has turned to administrative matters – becoming, during the summer of 2001, the president of the Montenegrin FA.
Born to father Vladimir Savićević, an employee of the state-owned Titograd railway transport company, and mother Vojislava "Vojka" Đurović, an administrative clerk in the same company,[7] Dejan grew up with a younger brother Goran in the family's apartment located in Titograd'sDrač neighbourhood near theTitograd railway station.[8]
From early adolescence, he took upstreet football as an activity with neighbourhood friends—playing on outdoor surfaces in the vicinity of his apartment building,[9] mostly on a nearby field called Đečevića Livada.[10]
Savićević's first attempt at playing structuredassociation football took place at age 13 in the fall of 1979 withinBudućnost's youth system under coach Dragan Šaković.[11] Barely a teenager, Savićević arrived there on recommendation from lower leagueFK Grafičar Titograd goalkeeper Čedo Šaković, cousin of Budućnost's youth coach.[11] However, only three months into young Savićević's participation at Budućnost, coach Šaković was transferred to the club's first team coaching staff and his successor at the youth coach position decided not to include Savićević in the squad being taken to a youth tournament inBorovo.[11] Disappointed about being cut, young Savićević quit the team altogether and went back to playing street football.[11]
His street football activity would soon take on a slightly more serious note with participation at outdoorconcrete and clay surfacefutsal tournaments. Due to the popularity of thisfive-a-side "scaled-down football" in Titograd at the time (known as "mali fudbal" throughout theBalkans), many tournaments of semi-formal character were being organized in and around town, giving the youngster plenty of opportunities to showcase his skills. Savićević played for an informal futsal team—consisting of men from his street—named Tehnohemija after the entire block of apartment buildings in the neighbourhood where they lived. More than able to hold his own with and against men considerably older than him, the youngster quickly marked himself out as a skilled street baller with great ball control and good overall technical ability. During this time, Savićević often played with or against a neighbourhood friend three years his senior, Željko Gašić, who would go on to become widely recognized as the best futsal player in Montenegro and among the best in SFR Yugoslavia.[9][12]
In the summer of 1981, following a two-year period (1979–1981) during which he only played street football and futsal, teenager Savićević's involvement with structured association football began in earnest in the youth teams ofOFK Titograd under youth team coach Vaso Ivanović. Almost fifteen years of age at the time of joining OFK Titograd—considered fairly late to be starting out by professional football standards—Savićević continued playing street football in parallel with OFK.
After a year and a half at OFK Titograd's youth setup, in January 1983, sixteen-year-old Savićević was attached to the club's full squad struggling near the bottom of theYugoslav Second League East Division. Within weeks of joining the full squad, as part of the winter break training, he played at a friendly tournament inNikšić against the SR Montenegro-based Second League competitorsSutjeska Nikšić andLovćen as well astop-tier league clubBudućnost. Knowing that the appearance against Budućnost would be a good showcase for him but already runninghigh fever following his appearance against Sutjeska in wintry conditions at the first match in the friendly tournament, teenage Savićević so desperately wanted to play that he kept silent about his health to his OFK Titograd coach.[13] Despite lasting only a half against Budućnost, Savićević still did enough to get Budućnost head coach Milutin Folić's attention.[13] And although Savićević's ailment soon progressed into full-blownpneumonia,[13] by February 1983, the teenager got his wish of transferring across town to the more established Budućnost without appearing in any competitive matches for OFK Titograd's full squad.
Teenage Savićević played at Budućnost's youth setup from January 1983 until summer 1984, a period during which he recorded nine league appearances (most of them substitute) for the full squad as well. The club signed him to a 4-yearstipend-based agreement, which was not a professional contract. Furthermore, throughout this period, he had been receiving regular call-ups to theYugoslavia national under-20 football team as well as SR Montenegro youth select team (alongside future notable professionals such asBožidar Bandović andRefik Šabanadžović) that competed at annual tournaments against other Yugoslav republics' select squads.
On 5 October 1983, week 10 of theleague season, due to an injury incurred by the starting forwardŽeljko Janović, head coach Folić gave the seventeen-year-old Savićević his first full-squad starting appearance at home versusRed Star Belgrade and the youngster ended up scoring on an 81st minute put-back that he chased down ahead of Red Star's defenderZoran Banković and its goalkeeperTomislav Ivković. Savićević's first-ever top-flight goal ended up being the winning one as Budućnost recorded a famous 1-0 league victory over the heavily favoured Belgrade visitors.
In the summer of 1984, in preparation for the upcoming1984–85 league season, newly arrived head coachJosip Duvančić made seventeen-year-old Savićević a full squad member at the expense of the thirty-two-year-old club legendAnte Miročević who was essentially incentivized to retire by being given a position on the club's coaching staff.
With a new coach in addition to two established player acquisitions—goalkeeperRade Zalad fromPartizan and strikerRadomir Savić who arrived fromSpartak Subotica having previously attained some big match pedigree atRed Star Belgrade andFK Sarajevo—expectations were raised. After two consecutive seasons of finishing barely above the relegation zone, now with a squad featuring long-time club regulars Duško Vlaisavljević, forwardŽarko Vukčević, Muhamed Koljenović, Rade Vešović, defenderZoran Vorotović, strikerŽeljko Janović, midfielderDragoljub Brnović, and defenderSlavko Vlahović, the club was hoping for a top half of the table league performance. However, the season quickly turned into yet another disaster as Budućnost barely avoided relegation again with Duvančić sacked only six months into the league campaign. For Savićević personally, the campaign marked a bit of a breakthrough as he recorded 29 league appearances, scoring six goals and clearly establishing himself as the club's best young asset.
I didn't take Džajić's advice [to reject Budućnost's professional contract offer]. Mostly out of concern that had I rejected them [and continued on as a stipend player], they probably would've purposely undermined me as revenge [for just waiting out my stipend agreement in Titograd before I could move to Red Star]. You know, things like leaving me on the bench, which would lead to a loss of form and then eventually even Red Star wouldn't be interested anymore. A footballer's job is uncertain. Any number of things can end your career. Having this professional contract was at least that little bit of security.
During the summer 1985 transfer window, not content with waiting around for the Budućnost management to accommodate him financially, soon to be nineteen-year-old Savićević looked to leave the club in search of a professional contract. To that end, he went to Red Star Belgrade on his own initiative and got to the club's technical directorDragan Džajić who in turn had former refereeKonstantin Zečević [fr] look at Savićević's stipend agreement at Budućnost with a view of examining the legal basis for a possible transfer.[14] Zečević reportedly determined that in order to transfer to Red Star at this time, despite not being under a professional contract with Budućnost, Savićević would still require Budućnost's permission, which the Titograd club was unlikely to give. Another option was for Red Star to financially compensate Budućnost in order to let the player go, however, the Belgrade club was not sufficiently interested in Savićević at this particular time to do that. As a parting bit of career advice on this occasion, Džajić reportedly counseled Savićević not to sign a professional contract with Budućnost at all and then come to Red Star two years later in 1987 on a free transfer once his stipend agreement expires.
Wanting the security of a professional contract, Savićević continued pursuing it, going straight toNikšić the same summer and getting a verbal commitment fromFK Sutjeska that seemed ready to pay a large sum to Budućnost in order to have the talented youngster. However, the move soon fell through and Savićević was back home in Titograd where Budućnost offered him a four-year professional contract, which he decided to accept thus putting his stipend agreement with the club out of effect.[14] In addition to theYUD35-40 million monthly salary, his Budućnost contract contained a stipulation about the entire deal being void if the club fails to provide him with a two-bedroom apartment by summer 1987.
Theseason, Savićević's first as a professional footballer, was marked by another desperate struggle to stay up until the very last week of league fixtures. With a new head coachSrboljub Markušević and a team featuring midfielderDragoljub Brnović, Duško Vlaisavljević, Muhamed Koljenović, defenderZoran Vorotović, Rade Vešović, strikerŽeljko Janović, and defenderSlavko Vlahović, Budućnost managed to avoid relegation again amid a huge league-wide match-fixing scandal that erupted in Yugoslavia. For Savićević personally, despite good numbers, team-leading 10 goals in 32 league matches, the season was one of stagnation and antagonism as he butted heads with the club's management and head coach Markušević on a regular basis, even losing his starting spot and getting suspended over a row with teammate Vorotović towards the end of the league campaign.
Ahead of the1986–87 season, head coachMilan Živadinović took over the reins, bringing in a number of new signings such as midfielderMiladin Pešterac.
The team started their league campaign off exceptionally well, continually keeping pace with teams at the top of the table. Among the notable results Budućnost posted during this great run was getting a 1–1 draw versus Partizan away atJNA Stadium in mid August 1986, beating Red Star Belgrade 1–2 away at theirMarakana ground in mid October 1986 as well as winning over Hajduk Split by the same score away at theirPoljud Stadium in late November 1986. As the league winter break commenced in mid December 1986, the Titograd club was in fourth place—behindVardar,Partizan, andVelež.
You know, the way I see it,Milko Đurovski is the best player in Yugoslavia right now, but what good is that if he doesn't have a platform to show it to the world.Last season hedidn't even play half of Red Star's league matches and then in the summer he transferred to Partizan thereby giving up a chance to play European competition. Season after season, he's not being showcased. D'you know what I mean, what good is it if he's the best? On the other hand, players that are a lot more modest in talent and ability compared to him likeMarko Elsner andMilan Janković are constantly on the big stage either through the national team or Red Star'sEuropean Cup matches. So what's better I wonder? To be a talent and the best player no one sees or to be prudent and make sure I always play on the right stage even if I'm not the best. I read somewhere thatVelibor Vasović is the most successful Yugoslav footballer of all time in terms of the silverware he's won. NotŠekularac, not Džajić, notBobek—but Vasović. I'm a practical pragmatist and I'd prefer to have Vasović's fate over Šekularac's fate. This is why I'm still pondering my next move.
Talented Savićević had truly came into his own over those four months, becoming the team's focal point. The success led to increased attention, resulting in the skilled midfielder getting his first cap for the national side in October 1986againstTurkey in a Euro 1988 qualifier. Two months later, in late December 1986 during the league winter break, he was voted the league's "breakthrough player of the season".[14] He furthermore placed high inTempo magazine's 1986 Yugoslav Player of the Year poll—with the top prize going to Red Star'ssweeperMarko Elsner while Velež'sSemir Tuce, Savićević, and Željezničar'sHaris Škoro placed just behind.[16]
Discovering the young player's outspoken nature, as well as absence of qualms about openly discussing details of his personal life and professional career, Yugoslav print media began giving colourful Savićević a lot of attention, with numerous print interviews and electronic media appearances, with space not just in sports outlets, but lifestyle ones as well.[14] With his future career plans dominating the conversations, young Savićević talked about wanting to avoid various pitfalls that had befallen some of the exceptionally talented young Yugoslav footballers before him such asMiralem Zjajo andBožidar Bandović, who had joined bigger Yugoslav clubs from their small local clubs early into their respective personal footballing development, only to then end up in an administrative scandal (Zjajo) or an undesirable footballing destination such asindoor football in theUnited States (Bandović).[15] Savićević thus underscored his desire not to leave Titograd just for the sake of leaving without a clear plan for what happens after he joins the bigger club, mentioning Titograd and Yugoslavia as his "natural setting" before considering transferring abroad.[15]
In the second half of the domestic league campaign, Budućnost quickly ran out of steam: with the league restarting on 22 February 1987,plavo-bijeli only managed a 1–1 draw away at bottom-placedDinamo Vinkovci before drawing 1-1 at home versus Partizan the following week and then losing 2-0 away at another bottom-feederSpartak Subotica the week after that. Losing 0-1 at home to yet another bottom-of-the-table teamSloboda Tuzla in mid March 1987 indicated the full scale of the team's post winter break malaise. Although the results somewhat improved after that with a home win versusČelik Zenica, away draw atRijeka and home win versusDinamo Zagreb, Budućnost was back to losing winnable matches by mid April 1987, falling toŽeljezničar away andFK Priština away within a two-week span. The latter loss launched the team on yet another losing streak with losses to Red Star Belgrade at home and local rivalSutjeska Nikšić away. Eventually, the Titograd club finished the league season in 7th spot thus missing out on Europe.
Similarly, in theMarshal Tito Cup, after initially eliminating the 4th-tierNeretva Metković followed by overcoming the First League rivalsVelež Mostar in a hard-fought two-legged tie (4-3 on aggregate) in the round of 16, and finally beatingRadnički Kragujevac in the quarterfinals, each win coming throughout the fall of 1986, Budućnost eagerly awaited its semifinal clash versusRijeka set for March and April 1987. Coinciding with the team's general loss of form following the league restart post winter break, Budućnost lost the opening leg 2-1 away in Rijeka before only managing a 1-1 draw at home three weeks later and getting eliminated from the competition, 3-2 on aggregate.
Still, despite Budućnost's initially highly-promising season ending without a single tangible achievement, young Savićević further solidified his play-making and goalscoring credentials as it became clear he would soon be making the move to a bigger club.
By the1987–88 season, bigger Yugoslav teams—primarily Red Star Belgrade and Partizan—began expressing strong interest in the Montenegrin's services. The twenty-one-year-old became the most sought-after young asset in Yugoslav football resulting in his entire league season at Budućnost being marked by the chase for his signature. Though the player had often had issues with Budućnost's club management in the past, often openly stating so in Yugoslav sports media, this relationship further deteriorated when one of the main stipulations of his professional contract with the club—that of being given a two-bedroom apartment by summer 1987—was not met within the agreed-upon timeframe. Already talking to Red Star's Montenegro-born scout Nastadin Begović who had family in the Titograd area and often checked in on the young player whenever in town, Savićević wanted out of Budućnost and, via his media statements, began putting pressure on the club to sell him immediately.
Under new head coachŠpaco Poklepović, the Budućnost roster went through some notable changes. Though forwardŽeljko Janović was still the number one option up front, talented youngstersPredrag Mijatović andAnto Drobnjak from the club's youth system were attached to the first team and immediately began getting regular opportunities at forward spots. Despite putting in another confident season under head coach Poklepović that would see Savićević score 10 league goals from 29 appearances, the player simultaneously butted heads with the Budućnost management, at one point even resorting to refusing to go to the mid-season training camp with the rest of the team during the winter break.
Meanwhile, regarding Savićević's imminent transfer out of the club, Budućnost were reportedly more inclined on selling their prized asset to Partizan, with the player even travelling to Belgrade, accompanied by his father, for a meeting at the FK Partizan executive board president and JNA general Zdravko Lončar's apartment where Lončar presented them Partizan's offer. Also present at the meeting were club's representatives: general secretaryŽarko Zečević, technical directorNenad Bjeković, and ex playerGajica Đurović. However, by January 1988, following a meeting inBudva between Budućnost's club management and Red Star's representatives—managing board member Miloš Slijepčević, scout Nastadin Begović, football directorDragan Džajić, and general secretaryVladimir Cvetković—the sought-after player suddenly seemed closer to going to Red Star. Savićević stated in later interviews that the personal relationship he had developed with Begović, and eventually Slijepčević, as well as Red Star's offer being "direct and financially more concrete than Partizan's" ultimately swung his decision where to continue his footballing career.[7]
In late March 1988, Hajduk Split also joined the chase for Savićević's signature and, according to the player's claims in later interviews, offered the largest sum of money of the three suitors, but he still decided to honour his preliminary agreement with Red Star. It was precisely against Hajduk—a team finishing up adisastrous league season—that Savićević played one of his last matches in the Budućnost shirt, scoring twice away atPoljud on 15 May 1988 for a memorable 1-2 come-from-behind win.
On 20 June 1988, the first day of the summer transfer window, Savićević signed with the Yugoslav league championsRed Star Belgrade.[7] Also signing with Red Star on the same day wasDarko Pančev, a twenty-two-year-old natural striker with great goalscoring pedigree fromVardar Skopje. The young creative midfielder and prolific striker duo thus joined the squad led by twenty-three-year-old attacking midfielderDragan Stojković who had already established himself as the team leader. The club additionally had a supremely talented nineteen-year-old midfielderRobert Prosinečki as well as a potent up-and-coming all-around squad.
Barely a few days after signing with Red Star Belgrade, twenty-one-year-old Savićević promptly was called in to serve the mandatoryYugoslav People's Army (JNA) stint that would keep him out of action for the entire1988–89 league season. The other new high-profile acquisition Pančev also got called up to the army right after signing.[17] Many, including Savićević himself who stated so directly, speculated that the timing of the call-ups was FK Partizan's (Yugoslav army club with many ties to top military authorities) revenge on both players for signing with their biggest rivals.[17] Right after reporting to the military, Savićević was transferred to the barracks inSkopje with an agreement that he'll be allowed to turn up for Red Star's European ties and national team matches.
JNA soldier Savićević, still stationed in the city of Skopje, was approved aleave to make his competitive debut for Red Star during early October 1988 in the return leg of theEuropean Cup first-round clash versus Irish championsDundalk. With the tie already decided with Red Star carrying a 5-goal first-leg advantage, Savicevic had a first training session after 4 months without any football activity and promptly had a severe muscle inflammation. At the return leg match itself, with Red Star leading 1–0 at the half, out-of-competitive-shape Savićević was sent on by head coachBranko Stanković as a second-half substitute forRobert Prosinečki. The Montenegrin ended up scoring his first goal in the new uniform as Red Star once again routed the Irish team, 3–0. Seeing that Savićević was completely out of competitive shape with the next round tie versus Milan coming up in a few weeks, in order to help him maintain his fitness and conditioning, Red Star dispatched their trainer and youth team coachVojkan Melić to Skopje in order to work with the player individually for two weeks by putting him through a daily training regimen.
A few weeks later, soldier Savićević was approved another leave ahead of what would turn into an epic second-round tie againstAC Milan played over three matches in late October and early November 1988. Surprising many, coach Stanković decided to play Savićević in the starting lineup in the first leg atSan Siro—handing him an important role upfront instead of the player's customary position on the left wing that instead went toMiloš Bursać—as Red Star played to a hard-fought 1–1 draw withDragan Stojković scoring the valuable away goal.[10] Considering Savićević's lack of match fitness and strikerMitar Mrkela's good run of form, even Savićević himself expressed "surprise, even shock" at getting the start as a forward, stating that had he known of the coach's plans in advance he probably would have advised him against it.[10] Two weeks after that, the return leg inBelgrade was even more eventful. Now better prepared fitness-wise, Savićević—who again got the start at forward ahead of Mrkela despite Mrkela scoring a brace three days earlier in a league derby win versusDinamo Zagreb—had his team up 1–0 with an excellent 50th minute strike. However, seven minutes later in the 57th minute, the German refereeDieter Pauly stopped and voided the match because of thick fog that had engulfed the city. The second leg replay was played the very next day, resulting in a 1–1 scoreline again, taking the match to penalties where the Italians came up on top 2–4 as Savićević and Mrkela (who had entered the contest off the bench) failed to convert their spot-kicks.
In the meantime, Yugoslav FA presidentMiljan Miljanić was successful in his lobbying efforts with theJNA chief of staffVeljko Kadijević to form the so-called "sportingcompany" (sportska četa) within a Belgrade-basedFirst Army battalion thereby allowing young professional footballers to serve their army stint together while also providing them with the conditions to continue with their sporting regiment. After five months of serving in SR Macedonia, in late fall 1988, Savićević thus got transferred back to the nearbyTopčider barracks in Belgrade. Other recruits in the sporting company were fellow professional footballers: Savićević's Red Star teammate Pančev,Zvonimir Boban andKujtim Shala fromDinamo Zagreb,Fadil Vokri,Goran Stevanović,Goran Bogdanović,Milinko Pantić, andMilko Đurovski fromPartizan,Aljoša Asanović,Ante Miše,Dragi Setinov,Stjepan Andrijašević, andDragutin Čelić fromHajduk Split, goalkeeper Ilica Perić fromOsijek,Dragan Jakovljević fromSarajevo,Predrag Jurić fromVelež, etc. Right after being established, the sporting company formed a select squad—occasionally referred to as the "Yugoslav People's Army representative team"—that was coached byStanislav Karasi and toured the country, making appearances such as: playing friendly matches at the Republic Day tournament inJajce in late November 1988, friendly match versus the third-tier clubFK Rudo [sr] inRudo on 22 December 1988,[18] and Marjan tournament in Split during spring 1989.
Describing his time in the JNA's sporting company, Savićević said: "The players all served in Belgrade, which in and of itself was a perk since it meant we weren't in some godforsaken remote location. Furthermore, we only spent time in the barracks in the morning while in the afternoon we'd be at the stadium training. We were certainly privileged compared to other JNA soldiers".[7]
Midway through the season, head coachBranko Stanković was let go andDragoslav Šekularac was brought in as replacement. The change suited Savićević just fine as he and another key player Dragan Stojković never saw eye to eye with Stanković.
Savićević's first season in earnest with Red Star was1989–90.
Savićević helped Red Star win three consecutive national titles – in 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92, two national Cups in 1990 and 1992 as well as aEuropean Cup and anIntercontinental Cup, both in 1991.
In 1991, following Red Star's European success, Savićević camejoint second in the voting for theEuropean Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or). In theSport daily newspaper's choice, he was declared the bestYugoslav athlete.
Savićević's tremendous close control and vision convinced Serie A championsAC Milan to secure his services for the reportedITL10 billion[19] orDM30 million[20] (≈ £9.4 million) ahead of the1992–93 season as part of the £34 million worth of transfer fees club ownerSilvio Berlusconi injected into the team that summer. The player had reportedly been on the club's radar for more than a season, with Milan's sporting directorAriedo Braida coming to Belgrade in April 1991 to personally assess him at the European Cup semi-final return leg versus Bayern.[21] Furthermore, sports agent Predrag Naletilić was the main operational liaison involved in the transfer.[21] Also arriving to an already star-laden squad during the same transfer window were the world-class playersJean-Pierre Papin (world record signing for £10 million if only for a few weeks untilJuve boughtGianluca Vialli fromSampdoria for £12 million),Zvonimir Boban,Gianluigi Lentini (another Berlusconi'sworld record signing for £13 million) andStefano Eranio.
Savićević was thus handed the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in the financial centre of European club football at the time—the league where the world's best footballers played. His competitive debut in AC Milan shirt saw him score twice in a 4-0Coppa Italia rout at home versus lowlySerie B sideTernana. A week later, he added another goal in the return leg against the same opponent. His Serie A debut took place on 13 September 1992, week 2 of theseason, away atPescara, two days before his 26th birthday as Milan won 4–5 atStadio Adriatico.
However, Savićević's first season for theRossoneri under head coachFabio Capello would turn out to be a rather modest affair, with only ten league appearances, contributing four goals to Milan's successful title defence. As Savićević was seen to be Berlusconi's rather than Capello's signing, the head coach overlooked him during the majority of the first half of the season. Theall-star Milan squad already had a creative attacking presence in the highly influentialMarco van Basten who, when healthy, was the preferred option by Capello throughout most of the season. Similarly, thirty-year-oldRuud Gullit, increasingly a peripheral figure under Capello, was still chosen ahead of Savićević in the pecking order most of the time. Due to UEFA enforcing the three foreigners rule at the time, Savićević often found himself omitted from the squad on matchdays as, in addition to Gullit and Van Basten, the Milan roster also featured several other high quality foreigners in midfield and attack, such asFrank Rijkaard, Papin and Boban. Additionally, Capello often preferred hard-working midfielders such asDemetrio Albertini and Stefano Eranio for his tactical setup over the high-priced creative imports.[22] Not taken with the Montenegrin's superior technical abilities, though recognizing his talents, Capello's assessment of Savićević was that he played "a Yugoslav style—he was the star and the others had to run for him".[23]
Furthermore, from the start of theChampions League competition in September 1992, Savićević was completely omitted from the squads selected for the European matches. Savićević and Capello quickly developed an antagonistic relationship with the former frustrated at being regularly dropped from the first team, and the latter unwilling to change the winning formula that had the team on an undefeated run in the league dating back to May 1991 (the streak would eventually end after 58 matches in March 1993 versusParma). In November 1992, when asked how he copes with leaving out world class players such as Savićević or Papin, Capello responded:
It's very difficult for all these great players. At most clubs, there's a squad of 15 or 16. Here we have 24. They have to change their mentality just like I've had to change mine. This is a different way of doing the job. It means they have to be prepared to work hard even when they aren't in the team. Work, work, work. That's the only way. It's not easy for them.[22]
By December 1992, Savićević was so unhappy with his status at the club that he made a firm decision to leave during the winter transfer window as he had offers from Marseille andAtlético Madrid that ended up falling through and the player staying put.[24]
It was not until 24 January 1993 that Savićević scored his first league goal for Milan—a 78th-minute penalty kick effort at home versusGenoa that turned out to be the game-winner. Finally opening his scoring account encouraged Savićević somewhat, and two weeks later he got another one versus lowly Pescara. His shining moment in the otherwise forgettable debut league season in Italy came on 7 March 1993 at home versusFiorentina when he scored a second-half brace for a 2–0 Milan win.
In mid-March 1993, Savićević finally made his European debut for Milan, entering the Champions Leaguegroup stagematch versusPorto as a 77th-minute substitute forMarco Simone. Three weeks later, in early April 1993, he got the full ninety minutesaway atIFK Göteborg followed by another full ninety minutes two weeks after thatat home versusPSV Eindhoven. To cap off the frustrating season, in late May 1993, Savićević was not included in the team Capello took to Munich to faceOlympique de Marseille in the1993 UEFA Champions League Final as the three foreigners chosen were van Basten, Rijkaard, and Papin.
At the end of the campaign, following his less-than-mediocre season, Savićević's fate at the club was being decided among Milan brass. Capello wanted him out while Berlusconi was adamant about the player staying and getting more opportunities to play.[24]
The summer 1993 off-season brought some player personnel changes that would end up benefiting Savićević. His main two attacking midfield competitors Gullit and Van Basten were gone; the former transferring toSampdoria frustrated at seeing his role at Milan greatly reduced and the latter taking a year off to heal his ankle injury that would eventually turn out to be career-ending. Also, Frank Rijkaard transferred back toAjax, which freed up even more room. New foreign summer arrivalsBrian Laudrup andFlorin Răducioiu would find little playing time in Capello's structure, all of which made the competition for three foreign spots easier for the remaining foreigners Savićević, Boban and Papin during the first part of the season.
The competitiveseason began on 21 August 1993 in Washington, D.C. in front of the half-emptyRFK Stadium where Milan beatTorino 1–0 to win theSupercoppa Italiana with Savićević getting a start before being subbed off forRoberto Donadoni after 60 minutes.
A week later at the beginning of thenew league campaign, it looked like Savićević would be getting more first-team opportunities as he started the league season opener away at Lecce before again making way for Donadoni fifteen minutes into the second half. However, it turned out to be a false dawn as Savićević didn't get a minute of action in the following five league matches as Capello preferred Donadoni. During that time, frustrated Savićević initiated another run-in with the head coach, deepening their simmering row. The Montenegrin gave an interview to the Italian papers, openly blasting Capello over the way he's running the team, and specifically about the lack of playing time he's been given by the coach. Decades later, in March 2013, Savićević talked about the incident:
I gave it to Capello real good in the papers and not too long after that, Boban came over during training telling me Capello wants to talk. I went over to talk, bringing Boban along as a translator since I didn't yet speak Italian all that well. Capello first wanted to know if everything that appeared in the papers was genuine. And after I confirmed it was, he was like 'How could you say things like that' to which my response was 'well, I could'. He then started lecturing me about this and that and how I can't be saying such things and I just told Boban to tell Capello that I said Capello can go fuck himself. Then Boban told me he won't translate that, and I just finally had it with the whole thing, saying 'fuck him' to Boban and walking away in the middle of Capello's little lecture.[25]
It wouldn't be until week 7 in early October 1993 that Savićević reappeared with a home start and full ninety minutes versusLazio. Although still not a regular, he finally began to establish himself in the club with confident displays when given a chance though Capello still wasn't convinced enough to play the Montenegrin in bigger matches, notably dropping him from the squad versus fellow title contendersJuventus in week 9 andcity rivalsInter in week 11.
The player's tense relations with Capello soon inflamed again. First, as theChampions Leaguegroup phase began in late November 1993, Capello named Savićević to the reserves for the opening match away atAnderlecht, which the player protested by refusing to travel toBrussels with the team. Then, in mid-December 1993, the row deepened when Capello dropped him from the squad altogether for the1993 Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo versusTelê Santana'sSão Paulo, choosing Papin, freshly arrivedMarcel Desailly, and Răducioiu as the three matchday foreigners. The omission sparked another round of antagonism between the player and the head coach through the Italian press. Years later, Capello admitted in hindsight that Savićević's big match quality probably would've swung the match in Milan's favour but that, at the time, he wanted to stick with Răducioiu in the lineup since the Romanian was among the group of players Capello had been preparing the Cup final with in the days leading up to the contest.[26]
The playing setup Capello employed throughout this season was an extremely defensive 4–4–2 that resulted in the entire squad scoring only 36 goals in 34 league matches while letting in only 15, as they won their third consecutive Serie A title.[27] Further solidifying the defensive focus was the November 1993 arrival of Desailly who became a regular right away. Still, for the Montenegrin's inspirational and creative play, Milan-based journalist Germano Bovolenta ofLa Gazzetta dello Sport hailed Savićević asIl Genio (The Genius), a nickname that initially drew snickers and even occasional ridicule from other Italian journalists—especially those writing for theTurin-basedTuttosport andRome-basedCorriere dello Sport—but would eventually gain wider acceptance in the country after Savićević's performance in the 1994 Champions League Final.[28] For the time being, as of late 1993, his footballing talents had continually been admired by club president Berlusconi whom Savićević developed great rapport with, as it was basically Berlusconi's personal support that kept Savićević from leaving the club during various low points of the player's relationship with Capello.[29]
Still, the season would end on a high note for Savićević. His performance in the1994 UEFA Champions League Final atAthens'Olympic Stadium on 18 May would turn out to be his greatest moment in football and arguably one of the finest individual displays seen in the competition.[30] He had already given indications of improved form and confidence in the second part of theChampions League season, scoring twice during March 1994 right after the winter break in consecutive home-and-away matches versus Werder Bremen (though the goal at San Siro came as result of an atrocious mistake by Werder defender).[31] Still, despite smoothly finishing top of the group and easily winning the one-match semifinal, Milan was in a bit of disarray heading into the final as both central defendersFranco Baresi andAlessandro Costacurta, the core of Capello's tactical defensive setup, were suspended. Considering that the opponent was the high-flyingJohan Cruijff'sBarcelona "dream team" withRomário,Hristo Stoichkov,Ronald Koeman,José Mari Bakero,Pep Guardiola, etc., Capello made a decision to fight fire with fire by sending out a lot more offense-minded formation. The changed approach suited Savićević just fine: he created the opening goal forDaniele Massaro[32] and then scored a spectacular 35-yard half volley for 3–0 to put the game beyond Barcelona's reach. The sheer audacity and technical brilliance of the goal – decision to go for a well-placed lob from the right edge of the penalty area on Barca goalkeeperAndoni Zubizarreta who was slightly off his line in a situation when most would get closer and opt for a hard-driven shot as no defender was near – won Savićević much praise and accolades.[33][34]
As a result of his much publicized Champions League final outstanding performance, Savićević's stock at Milan was raised to the point of club chairman and CEOAdriano Galliani contacting him during the summer 1994 offseason to seek input regarding the club's intent of acquiringDavid Ginola fromParis Saint-Germain andFaustino Asprilla fromParma.[35] Speaking to Galiani from a vacation, Savićević was reportedly vehemently against both proposed moves due to increasing the number of squad foreigners to five or six thus limiting his playing opportunities, even telling Galliani that if Ginola and Asprilla are brought in he would not show up for training camp and would be seeking to be transferred out of the club.[35]
Though neither Ginola nor Asprilla ended up being acquired, the following 1994–95 season at Milan began much the same way for Savićević since Capello returned to his usual manner of running the team with tactics and defence dominating over offensive creativity, meaning the player was still forced to endure occasional omissions on match days (though the competition for foreign spots became easier with only returnee Gullit who left again by mid-season, Boban, and Desailly as competition). On top of that, nagging injuries followed Savićević throughout the season limiting the Montenegrin's league appearances to 19 matches out of 34. However, he managed to score nine league goals (his greatest single season scoring output in Serie A), including four goals in a single match on 14 January 1995[36] versusBari atStadio San Nicola, the site of his European Cup triumph with Red Star. In the second leg of the1994 UEFA Super Cup Final againstArsenal in Milan, he set up Daniele Massaro's goal to give Milan a 2–0 aggregate victory.[37]
Despite the team's mid-table Serie A form in 1995, Savićević continually played well for therossoneri in the Champions League en route to their third successive final that, for him, culminated in a spectacularsemi-final versusParis Saint-Germain, where he scored twice in the return leg at San Siro.[38] Two weeks prior in the first leg at theParc des Princes, Savićević set up Boban in injury time for the only goal of the match.[39] Despite his brilliant performance against PSG and his statistical importance to the team in 1995, he was not part of the team Capello took toVienna for the1995 Champions League Final due to 'injury', even though Savićević insisted he was fit. In the final, a very negative and defense-minded Milan side created few opportunities and ultimately lost 1–0 toLouis van Gaal's youngAjax side.
New foreign arrivalsPaulo Futre andGeorge Weah as well as the signing ofRoberto Baggio increased the competition in both midfield and attack, but 29-year-old Savićević managed to turn in a successful season with 23 league appearances and six league goals as Milan managed to recapture theleague title. His brightest moments occurred in theDerby della Madonnina as he finally scored a goal versus the cross-town rivalsInter. On more than one occasion Savićević displayed his amazing technical skills and ball control such as when he dribbled and danced around Parma defendersFernando Couto andLuigi Apolloni to set up Baggio for the opening goal against Parma at San Siro, before scoring one of his own in the eventual 3–0 win.[40]
Savićević's final seasons at Milan were less successful. The1996–97 season saw the arrival of several new players, as well as managerÓscar Tabárez;[41] Milan started the season with a 2–1 loss in the1996 Supercoppa Italiana to Fiorentina, with Savićević scoring Milan's only goal of the match.[42][43] A series of disappointing results in the league[41][44] saw Milan's former coachArrigo Sacchi return to the club as a replacement.[41][45][46][47] Milan failed to retain their league title, finishing the season in a disappointing eleventh place,[41] while they were once again knocked out in the quarter-finals of theCoppa Italia, and also suffered a group stage elimination in theUEFA Champions League.[41][48]
Thefollowing season saw Fabio Capello recalled to the Milan bench and several more arrivals. Milan once again failed to qualify for Europe, placing tenth in Serie A, although they managed to reach thefinal of theCoppa Italia; Savićević's final goal for Milan came in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the tournament, on 8 January 1998, a 5–0 win against cross-city rivals Inter.[49] Savićević was released by Milan during the summer 1998 transfer window.
In his total time at the San Siro, he won seven trophies, including three scudetti (Serie A championships) – 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96 - one European Cup – 1993–94 - and oneEuropean Super Cup, totalling 144 appearances and 34 goals between 1992 and 1998. In spite of his skill and success with Milan, he was also criticized in the Italian media during his time with the club for his poor work rate and lack of consistency, in particular for not always running or trying against smaller teams, and his performances regularly blew hot and cold.
In January 1999, following six months away from playing competitive football, thirty-two-year-old Savićević returned to his former club Red Star Belgrade under head coachVojin Lazarević. Coming back toMarakana, the site of his great career successes, the club was third in theleague at the winter break, behindPartizan and reigning league championsFK Obilić. Featuring a solid young team core ofGoran Drulić,Goran Bunjevčević andBranko Bošković, the club had just sold its best young prospectPerica Ognjenović toReal Madrid, while simultaneously bringing inMihajlo Pjanović fromOFK Beograd.[50]
Veteran Savićević—who was immediately given the captain's armband—made his debut as the league restarted following the winter break. His most notable outing took place on 20 March 1999 againstcross-town rivalsPartizan where he earned the man of the match performance.[50] Four days laterNATOattackedFR Yugoslavia, forcing the league season to be interrupted and eventually ended prematurely.[50]
In total, Savićević made three league appearances during his second stint with Red Star.
He played his final two seasons with the Austrian sideRapid Wien, before retiring in 2001, after persistent injury struggles.
Spanning 13 years, Savićević's national team career is divided in two distinct parts: first six years under head coachIvica Osim forYugoslavia national team ofSFR Yugoslavia and last five years under head coachSlobodan Santrač representingFR Yugoslavia, which consisted ofSerbia andMontenegro.
His years under Osim were marked by the tumultuous relationship the two men shared,[51][52] with conservative Osim often distrustful of Savićević's talents, preferring players he considered to be more mature and reliable for the forward and attacking midfield positions such asZlatko Vujović,Mehmed Baždarević,Dragan Stojković, and even veteranSafet Sušić.
Under Santrač, Savićević was an automatic regular, but due to theUN embargo imposed on FR Yugoslavia and resulting sporting sanctions, he missed two and a half years of national team football altogether. Also, since Yugoslavia did not resume playing competitive matches until mid-1996, it meant Savićević was prevented from playing any competitive national team matches from the time he was 25 until almost turning 30.
Twenty-year-old Budućnost midfielder Savićević made his national team debut on 29 October 1986 in aEuro 88qualifierversus Turkey inSplit.[53] Head coachIvica Osim—himself only in his fourth match overall coaching the national team (and his first doing it alone as he previously shared the coaching duties withIvan Toplak)—put the talented twenty-year-old in as a 53rd-minute substitute forHaris Škoro with Yugoslavia up 2–0 throughZlatko Vujović's first-half brace. Debutante Savićević wasted no time in making a mark, scoring the 3–0 goal in the 73rd minute before Vujović completed a hat-trick for a 4–0 final scoreline.[54] However, despite getting a goal on his debut, Savićević's thunder was somewhat stolen by another debutante—twenty-two-year-old subSemir Tuce whose confident midfield display on the left wing grabbed all the headlines. Two weeks later, Osim did not call up Savićević for the important qualifier away atWembley versus England while Tuce was called up, making a second-half substitute appearance. Yugoslavialost 0–2.
Within months, furious over lack of playing time and overall status in the national team, young Savićević began viciously criticizing Osim in the Yugoslav press, questioning the coach's expertise and even professional integrity. In a February 1987 interview for theDuga magazine, twenty-year-oldFK Budućnost attacking midfielder Savićević launched a blistering broadside at the Yugoslavia head coach:
Had I been playing my club football atŽeljezničar, I'd be a national team regular right now. Osim doesn't appreciate my skills and even declares so publicly. Well, I'm not gonna sit here and take that—I've got no respect for him as a coach, neither on the club nor the national team level. And it's not because he's not giving me national team call-ups, but because he completely privatized the national team head coaching post. None of the Yugoslav football officials have the guts to talk about this, but I do because I've got nothing to lose. Osim is giving unjustified opportunities to Željezničar players in the national team at the expense of the more deserving players from other clubs. And in that process, he's not only causing damage to those omitted players' careers but even more so to the national team itself. At the 10-day training camp inTopolšica ahead of the Turkey qualifier, Osim's favourite playerHaris Škoro didn't even train once; he was constantly rehabbing his injury. But then he got the starting assignment against Turkey. Not only him butRadmilo Mihajlović, another Željo player, too. Then, once the team started playing badly, not result-wise obviously, but the overall play, Osim decided to take both Škoro and Mihajlović off with Yugoslavia up 2-0, a move that implied their supposed injuries thereby giving them a reprieve for both having poor outings. And afterwards, I'm the one who gets criticized even after scoring a goal after being on the pitch for 20 minutes. Osim also leftŠtef Deverić on for the entire match despite him having such a horrible performance that even his own father would have subbed him at the half. Osim did that, of course, because the match was being played inSplit in front of Deverić's club fans..... And then finally the wholeWembley debacle. Don't even get me started on that. Before the England qualifier, I got a call-up notice without specifying if it was for the full squad or the under-21 one. So upon my club's insistence to clarify, the FA presidentMiljan Miljanić sent a follow-uptelex that I've in fact been called up for the full squad and that I'll definitely be playing at Wembley. However, as we boarded the plane for England I got told I'll be playing for the u-21s, supposedly, as it was put to me because it's in 'the national team's best interest'. I was furious. I was the one promised a start at Wembley ahead of Škoro. But no, Osim gave him the start again and then took him off again supposedly because of injury while half of the Željo squad, a team that's near the bottom of ourleague, got to play at Wembley. Osim is not only making a mistake in loading the national team with so many Željo players since not all of them are on form, but he's also making a huge error for tinkering with their customary playing positions. He's forcing his former club's players to play positions in the national team that they never play in their club. Everyone can see that Škoro, and evenMirsad Baljić, playtarget forward positions at Željo while in the national team, Osim is overnight trying to make Baljić into afull back and Škoro into amidfielder. A magician wouldn't have been able to pull that off, let alone Osim, because the habits a player picks up in his club are too set to be changed in the national team..... Yes, Osim called me up for winter training in January, but he only did it to supposedly prove to me, and to some other players, that we have no place in the national team's full squad. We played a training match versusFK Velež' club side inMostar and lost. It was embarrassing. He put Škoro,Piksi Stojković, Radmilo Mihajlović, myself, and Semir Tuce in midfield and upfront – all attractive names for the crowd, but players that can never make a good team. We're stars in our respective clubs where we have teammates that run for us. This time there was nobody who would run and it was a disaster. We all wanted to be the main guy, and the setup didn't work. But this isn't just the problem for the five of us, almost everyone Osim calls up has this issue. The national team can't be an All-Star squad, but a new entity. Osim still doesn't get that.[15]
Youngster Savićević would wait a whole year for his second cap. In mid-October 1987, with Euro 1988 qualifying still on and Yugoslavia playing Northern Ireland atGrbavica inSarajevo, the Budućnost attacking midfielder came on as a second-half sub again, this time in the 76th minute for the double scorerFadil Vokrri. With the contest already decided, Osim brought Savićević and his Budućnost teammateDragoljub Brnović on as part of the double substitution, with Brnović coming on forMarko Mlinarić. Yugoslaviawon the game convincingly 3–0, and with England destroying Turkey 8–0 at home on the same day, the stage was set for a crucial Yugoslavia vs. England clash that would decide who goes to West Germany. England needed a win or draw to automatically qualify while for Yugoslavia the match was a must-win, though the Yugoslavs would then also have to later win away at Turkey in order to qualify and overtake England. The contest was played on 11 November 1987 in front of a packed house of 70,000 atMarakana in Belgrade and Savićević again did not get a chance to play as Yugoslavia wasdestroyed 1–4 byBobby Robson's England, thus failing to qualify for the Euro.
A month later, Osim gave 21-year-old Savićević his first national team start in a meaningless remaining qualifier versus Turkey inİzmir.
Over the coming period between two qualifying cycles, Yugoslavia played six friendlies from March to September 1988 and Savićević featured only in the first two (full 90 minutes versus Wales and Italy in late March 1988) as his uneasy relationship with Osim – who was not fired by the Yugoslav FA despite the failure to qualify for Euro 88 – continued.
The1990 FIFA World Cupqualifying started in October 1988 with Savićević—who had in the meantime completed the big-time summer 1988 move toRed Star Belgrade and right away got sent to serve the mandatory army service—not being called up for the first match away at Scotland.
Then, a month later—perhaps surprisingly knowing the coach's conservative nature—Osim brought on the JNA soldier Savićević (who was also coming off a great performance in Red Star's European Cup tie versus Milan) as a 69th-minute sub forBora Cvetković right after France went ahead 1–2 a minute earlier on a goal byFranck Sauzée. The substitution paid off in a big way as French players had no answer for Savićević's fresh legs and midfield creativity. Dejan first initiated a Yugoslav offensive movement that ended with Sušić scoring the equalizer and then with two players guarding him provided a perfect cross from the left for Red Star teammate Stojković to score the winning goal in the 83rd minute as Yugoslavia recorded abig comeback 3–2 win at theJNA Stadium in Belgrade.[55]
Savićević's great performance against France put him in Osim's good books, for the time being at least, as he got a chance to start the next qualifier at home versus Cyprus in December 1988. Dejan, still officially in his army service, returned the favour, scoring a hat-trick as Yugoslavia won 4–0 at Marakana. The following qualifier in late April 1989 was a crucial one away at France and Osim decided not to play Savićević, choosing instead to continue with his older regulars up front such as Zlatko Vujović, Sušić, and Baždarević as Yugoslavia eked out a hard-fought scoreless draw at theParc des Princes.
Savićević would also not play in the next qualifier away at Norway, returning only as a second-half sub forDragan Jakovljević in September 1989 atMaksimir inZagreb versus Scotland. With the 3–1 win over Scotland, Yugoslavia overtook the Scots at the top of the table. So, with two matches remaining, Yugoslavia were now leading the pack with ten points (four wins and two draws), followed by Scotland with ten, and France and Norway with five. In such circumstances, conservative Osim certainly was not about to tinker with the team, which meant that Savićević only got his chance in friendlies. The match point for Yugoslavia took place atKoševo in Sarajevo versus Norway in October 1989, and not surprisingly Savićević again did not get a single minute of play. The team won 1–0, and combined with the fact that Scotland got beaten by France 0–3 in Paris, Yugoslavia clinched the top spot in the group, qualifying for the World Cup in Italy. The last qualifier was a meaningless affair away at Cyprus (the match was actually played in Athens since Cyprus were penalized for the riots during their match versus Scotland), and Savićević got a chance to start along with a slew of other young and up-and-coming players from the domestic league that Osim normally shied away from using in competitive matches such asDarko Pančev,Robert Prosinečki,Branko Brnović, andSlobodan Marović.
Heading into the World Cup, Savićević's chances of playing a larger national team role looked to have received a bit of a boost as Mehmed Baždarević, one of his competitors for an attacking midfield spot, was suspended by FIFA for spitting at the Turkish refereeYusuf Namoğlu during the crucial qualifier versus Norway. However, Savićević did not get a single minute in the first two friendlies – in March 1990 at Poland and in May 1990 at home versus Spain – leading to conclusions that he would again be looking from the outside in. But then in early June, only seven days before the opening World Cup match, he got to play the full 90 minutes atthe "dress rehearsal" at Maksimir in Zagreb versus Holland where he put in an inspired performance.[56] The game itself, however, took a back seat to the controversy caused by nationalist Croatian fans who booed the Yugoslav national anthem and thoroughly insulted the players.
Savićević chose the number 19 jersey for the tournament "out of admiration for his childhood idolVahid Halilhodžić" who wore the number forYugoslavia at the1982 FIFA World Cup.[57]
At theSan Siro on 10 June 1990, the same starting eleven that faced Holland in the final friendly alsostarted versusWest Germany, including Savićević. Playing in front of almost 75,000 fans (the largest crowd of the entire 1990 FIFA World Cup), the team was picked apart by the speed and strength of the German players asLothar Matthäus andJürgen Klinsmann had the Elf 2–0 up before halftime. Shortly after the breakDavor Jozić pulled one back for Yugoslavia, which was a signal for head coach Osim to make changes in hopes of sparking a comeback. One minute later he took off Savićević who was mostly invisible, having a game to forget much like most of the Yugoslav team, and putDragoljub Brnović on as part of the double midfield substitution that also saw Prosinečki replace Sušić. The move did not do much, though, as Matthäus rampaged through Yugoslav defense before unleashing a powerful shot for another score. The fourth German goal came as the final insult as goalkeeper Ivković made a mess of Brehme's easy shot.
Getting nothing from the West Germany match pretty much meant that the next group contest versus Colombia was a must-win. Osim made three changes in the starting lineup, and one of them was Savićević who got benched in favour of Brnović. Yugoslavia made tough work of the plucky Colombians but got a 1–0 victory in the end with Savićević not getting a single minute of action. More or less the same lineup faced minnows the United Arab Emirates in the final group match, which meant that Savićević was again surplus to Osim's requirements as Yugoslavia won easily 4–1.
In theknockout stages, Savićević was again on the bench for the start of thematch againstSpain in the excruciating late afternoon heat ofVerona, but got his chance early into the second half with the score still tied at 0–0, coming on for largely ineffective club teammateDarko Pančev. Substituting a striker for a midfielder meant that Osim changed his formation from 3–5–2 to a bit more defensive 3–6–1 with onlyZlatko Vujović upfront. The match was soon taken over by Dragan Stojković who scored a beautiful goal in the 78th minute, but the score at the end of 90 minutes was 1–1, with Savićević putting in a confident performance. In the extra time, Stojković scored his second of the match on a masterfully placed free-kick. Incidentally, the free-kick came after a foul on Savićević during one of his surging runs across the midfield from right to left.
Despite his satisfactory showing against the Spaniards, Savićević was benched again for the quarterfinal clash against reigning world championsArgentina four days later. Starting the match in a 4–5–1 formation, Osim hadZoran Vulić back in the lineup as part of the four-man defensive unit, and youngster Prosinečki replacing injured Katanec in midfield while Vujović was now alone in attack from the very start. Riding behind midfield playmaker Stojković,[58] Yugoslavia looked very good throughout the match even when reduced to ten men following the 31st-minute expulsion ofRefik Šabanadžović. Somewhat surprisingly, Osim did not make any substitutions after the sending-off, deciding to wait until 15 minutes into the second half to put on Savićević instead of Sušić. Savićević's fresh legs gave the team a much-needed infusion of energy and another target in the middle for Stojković to pass to after his surging runs, however, Savićević was not able to convert on any of them. The most glaring miss came early on in the extra time as Stojković masterfully got free on the right side before providing a perfect pass to Savićević who was unmarked 5–6 meters from the goal line. Alone in front of keeperSergio Goycochea and with a goal at his mercy, Savićević somehow put the ball over the bar. It was one of the best chances created by either team throughout the entire match.
Savićević was called byYugoslavia national football team toUEFA Euro 1992,[59] but the nation would be suspended due to theYugoslav Wars.
Savićević was picked as a part ofYugoslavia's national squad for the1998 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in two games, the first one being a group-stage game against theUnited States[60] and the second one againstthe Netherlands.[61]
Savićević missed out onEuro 2000 due to straining a thigh muscle in a match againstSturm Graz.[62]
Considered by many in the sport to be the best footballer that Montenegro has ever produced,[63][64][65][66] Savićević was a classicnumber 10 who preferred functioning in a free role as aplaymaker; throughout his career, he was usually deployed in anattacking midfield role, either in a central position behind the striker(s), or out wide on thewings, on either flank, due to his ability to providecrosses to teammates in the area from the left wing, or cut into the centre onto his stronger left foot from the right. He was also often deployed as asupporting forward, and occasionally in acentral midfield role as adeep-lying playmaker inmidfield, or, with even less frequency, along thefront line as a mainstriker. A quick, technically gifted, and agile player, with an athletic physique, he was known in particular for his outstanding pace and acceleration on the ball, as well as his excellentdribbling ability, and close control, which allowed him to beat opposing players with ease; he was also highly regarded for his vision, tactical knowledge, and passing accuracy, which made him a highly effectiveassist provider, although he was also capable of scoring goals himself as well as creating them, due to his powerful and accurate shot on the run with either foot, as well as his precision frompenalties.[63][64][65][67][68][69][70][71][72] His talent, unpredictability and exploits during his time at Milan earned him the nickname "Il Genio" ("the genius", in Italian).[32][63][64][65][73]
In addition to numerous accolades for his skill, technique, flair, class and creativity,[64][65][67] he also received criticism over his poor work rate, limited stamina, lack of consistency, selfishness and his tactical indiscipline on the pitch, as well as his strong character, which led to frequent clashes with his managers and referees; he also frequently struggled with injuries throughout his career.[65][68][69][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81]
Savićević is widely regarded by pundits as the greatest Montenegrin player of all time,[63][64][65][66] as well as one of the best players of his generation,[5] and is considered to be one of the greatest Yugoslav footballers of all time. However, while he often received praise throughout his career from pundits, players, and managers, for his playing ability, technical skill, success, talent and creativity, he also came under criticism over his poor work-rate, lack of discipline and inconsistency.[64][65][67][68][69][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] Sports journalistGabriele Marcotti, for example, once described Savićević as "the languid genius who played the game at his own pace and, for long stretches, appeared to be in his own world".[82]
Fabio Capello, who coached Savićević at Milan for four seasons, during which their relationship featured no shortage of confrontation and antagonism, said: "Without question, Savićević is the player with whom I had the most rows. He hardly trained, he hardly worked. And, when he was on the pitch, everybody else had to work twice as hard to make up for him. But he was an exceptional talent. And we turned him into a superstar".[82] In 2018, Capello commented on the clashes that he and Milan's chairman at the time, Berlusconi, had over Savićević's role in the team during his time as the club's manager, stating: "I have always had an excellent relationship with Berlusconi, the only strong point of discussion was regarding Savićević. He wanted him to play, I told him that I would keep him on the pitch as long as he could run. We also had some problems with Savićević, but then we became great friends, he was one of the best players overall that I have ever coached. He was very important throughout the whole period that I was with Milan. Let us not forget that I had a half-fit Van Basten for a year, then everything that was done was done without Van Basten. He was a great player who lost himself a bit because he wanted to be operated without question."[83]
Ivica Osim coached Savićević from 1986 until 1992 in the Yugoslav national team and butted heads with him regularly over playing time. In 2014, the retired coach said: "Yes, I had issues with him. He was a fiery character who felt he had to play. But what was I supposed to do, get rid ofZlatko Vujović who was every coach's dream and put in Savićević who was perhaps the better player, but with whom you never knew what he's going to give you on the pitch in a given match. Savićević is one of the best players I ever coached, but he also fell victim to some bad advice at that time. Today we've got decent relations, we talked it all out.... Back during the time of those frosty relations with Savićević, for me personally, it got to the point where I lost the will to coach. I got sick of going to training sessions knowing I'll be looking at Savićević, that we'll be staring each other down, and that he'll be unhappy for not playing.... I was unhappy about that too".[84]
Talking in October 2015 about Savićević's playing days, the 1985–2001Red Star Belgrade general-secretaryVladimir Cvetković said: "He really was a genius. When he felt like playing, that is. The problem is he frequently didn't feel like playing. But the things he did and the moves he pulled off [for us], for example inMunich andManchester, are a thing of beauty—truly unbelievable stuff. Kind of like whatMessi is doing today, only with even more flair and style. Yes, Savićević had more flair and style than Messi does today".[85][86][87]
Red Star goalkeeperStevan Stojanović, Savićević's teammate from 1988 until 1991, talked about the midfielder's quality and lack of application in training during a May 2021 interview: "He hated morning training sessions... When he felt like playing, he was virtually unstoppable. He was at his best when he's irritated".[88]
A highly technical and skilful player, Savićević is considered to be one of the greatest dribblers all-time by several pundits, such as Allan Jiang and Sam Tighe ofBleacher Report, who included him in their list of the 50 greatest dribblers of all time in 2012 and 2013 respectively.[89][90]
Savićević's two-year spell as head coach of the national side was a polar opposite of his distinguished playing career.
Immediately after retiring from playing in May 2001, the thirty-four-year-old was named theFR Yugoslavia national team head coach, in succession to the short, tempestuous, and hugely disappointing 3-month tenure ofMilovan Đorić. Despite Savićević's complete lack of any relevant coaching experience and the side's already faint chances ofqualifying for the2002 World Cup, the announcement was generally well received by the Yugoslav public. His appointment came as part of the general changing of the guard in theYugoslav FA (FSJ) with Savićević's close friendDragan Stojković taking over as FSJ president.
At first, Savićević was part of a 3-man coaching commission with the experiencedVujadin Boškov andIvan Ćurković by his side. At the time of their arrival to the bench, Yugoslavia was sitting in fourth place of the qualifying group with only 5 points from 4 matches, behind Russia (13 points), Switzerland (8), and Slovenia (7). However, Yugoslavia had a game in hand and with a win in Moscow had a chance to overtake Slovenia and join the Swiss tied on points in the second spot. On the other hand, a loss to Russia in Moscow would probably mean losing any hope of finishing in the top two.
Savićević thus faced a make-it-or-break-it prospect right on his coaching debut. Despite the fact that the national team was officially headed by the three-man commission, Savićević was the only one of the trio present on the sidelines during matches and was the only one available to the press. The team fielded on 2 June 2001 at Luzhniki Stadium was substantially the same as Đorić's, both in names called up and playing formation. Other than two debutants—goalkeeperRadovan Radaković and defensive midfielderBoban Dmitrović—the gist of the starting squad was still made up of old guard: players likePredrag Mijatović,Siniša Mihajlović, andMiroslav Đukić, all of whom were well over thirty, as well as longtime defensive mainstays such asZoran Mirković andGoran Đorović. With a defensive approach and mostly unimaginative play with very little created through midfield, Yugoslavia never looked capable of winning. Thematch ended 1–1 as Russians went ahead following Radaković's poor reaction and Yugoslavia tied some fifteen minutes later on Mijatović's scrambled goal that he managed to put away afterSavo Milošević's header hit the post.[91] The press reaction was not overly negative as the tied score still had the team on course for a second-place finish.[92]
After the next two qualifiers, home and away against Faroe Islands, in which Yugoslavia recorded easy wins, came the decision time – facing Switzerland in a must-win situation away on Saturday, 1 September 2001. Cheered on by a large expatriate crowd inBasel, Yugoslavia ended upwinning 1–2 in what was easily the team's best showing under Savićević to date, setting up the deciding match at home versus Slovenia four days later.
Playing on a difficult surface as the Partizan Stadium pitch was soaked from the heavy rain that had been pouring throughout the match day, Yugoslavia went behind early and only managed to tie the score by the end, which was not enough for the second place. Despite dominating proceedings through veteran Mijatović who was the offensive focal point, the second goal proved elusive.[93] The chance still existed in theory if the Faroe Islands managed to win or draw at Slovenia in the final match, however, such unlikely scenario did not happen. After the Slovenia game, Savićević bemoaned the bad luck, citing playing in the rain on a soaked surface without injured regulars Mirković andVladimir Jugović as the main reasons why his team failed to beat Slovenia.[94][95]
Savićević was handed the coaching duties all by himself in late December 2001. At the time, he claimed to have taken the solo job on a temporary basis only, sinceDušan Bajević rejected it.[96][97] Savićević also intimated the new permanent coach would take over by the summer of 2002. However, that did not happen and he remained in post until June 2003.
Savićević began theEuro 2004qualifying campaign on 12 October 2002 againstItaly. Savićević used a 3–5–2 formation as the match ended 1–1 withNemanja Vidić making his debut.[98]
Throughout his reign, he failed to achieve a settled team, and his personal disputes withMateja Kežman precipitated the striker to temporarily retire from international football. Savićević finally resigned on 20 June 2003, after a humiliating 1–2 defeat toAzerbaijan in a Euro 2004 qualifier, which was also the team's fifth defeat in a row. His overall managerial record was 4 wins, 11 losses, and 2 draws, in addition to 4 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties as part of the commission.
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Budućnost Titograd | 1982–83 | Yugoslav First League | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1983–84 | Yugoslav First League | 7 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||||
| 1984–85 | Yugoslav First League | 29 | 6 | — | — | 29 | 6 | |||||
| 1985–86 | Yugoslav First League | 32 | 10 | — | — | 32 | 10 | |||||
| 1986–87 | Yugoslav First League | 31 | 9 | — | — | 31 | 9 | |||||
| 1987–88 | Yugoslav First League | 29 | 10 | — | — | 29 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 130 | 36 | — | — | 130 | 36 | ||||||
| Red Star Belgrade | 1988–89 | Yugoslav First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | |
| 1989–90 | Yugoslav First League | 25 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6[b] | 3 | — | 38 | 17 | ||
| 1990–91 | Yugoslav First League | 25 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 7[c] | 3 | — | 39 | 14 | ||
| 1991–92 | Yugoslav First League | 22 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4[c] | 2 | 2[d] | 0 | 35 | 9 | |
| Total | 72 | 23 | 21 | 9 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 115 | 41 | ||
| Milan | 1992–93 | Serie A | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3[e] | 0 | — | 17 | 7 | |
| 1993–94 | Serie A | 20 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7[e] | 3 | 2[f] | 0 | 32 | 4 | |
| 1994–95 | Serie A | 19 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 6[e] | 2 | 3[g] | 0 | 29 | 11 | |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 23 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3[b] | 1 | — | 29 | 9 | ||
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 1[h] | 1 | 22 | 2 | |
| 1997–98 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 97 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 144 | 34 | ||
| Red Star Belgrade | 1998–99 | First League of FR Yugoslavia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Rapid Wien | 1999–2000 | Austrian Bundesliga | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 26 | 12 | |
| 2000–01 | Austrian Bundesliga | 22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 28 | 8 | ||
| Total | 44 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 54 | 20 | |||
| Career total | 346 | 97 | 44 | 16 | 48 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 446 | 131 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFR Yugoslavia | 1986 | 1 | 1 |
| 1987 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 4 | 3 | |
| 1989 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 9 | 5 | |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | |
| FR Yugoslavia | 1993* | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1997 | 10 | 3 | |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 56 | 19 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Serbia and Montenegro | 2001 | 2003 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 023.53 |
| Total | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 023.53 | ||
Red Star Belgrade
AC Milan[101]
Yugoslavia
Individual
Savićević is active in the political life of Montenegro where he has been a member and public supporter of theDemocratic Party of Socialists (DPS),[104] a political organization that ruled Montenegro continually from 1990 until 2020. During the fall of 1996, while an active player withAC Milan, Savićević appeared in the DPS television campaign ads ahead of the1996 parliamentary election inMontenegro.[105] In 1997, during a split in the party leadership betweenMomir Bulatović andMilo Đukanović, Savićević came out in support of Đukanović who eventually ended up prevailing in the inter-party showdown thus cementing his hold on power in Montenegro.[104]
In the summer of 2004, approximately one year after unceremoniously ending hisSerbia and Montenegro national team head coaching stint, thirty-seven-year-old Savićević once again became the president of theFootball Association of Montenegro (FSCG), a local regional football sub-association under the umbrella of theFootball Association of Serbia and Montenegro (FSSCG).
On 10 July 2009, Savićević got re-elected as Montenegrin FA president for another four-year period at the FSCG delegate vote where he was the only candidate.[106] On 11 July 2013, he got re-elected one more time, again as the only candidate.[107] On 5 July 2017, he got re-elected for his fifth term until 2021, again as the only candidate.[108]
With the DPS losing power in Montenegro after thirty years following the2020 parliamentary election, reports appeared about Savićević's DPS-sponsored twenty-year FSCG reign also being challenged for the first time. During spring 2021, ahead of the late June 2021 FSCG presidential vote, it became clear Savićević would have a candidate running against him for the first time since he became the FSCG president.[109][110][111]
As the FSCG president, Savićević has so far presided over eight national team qualifying cycles—2010 World Cup (withZoran Filipović as head coach),Euro 2012 (Zlatko Kranjčar as head coach),2014 World Cup (Branko Brnović as head coach),Euro 2016 (Brnović again as head coach),2018 World Cup (Ljubiša Tumbaković as head coach),Euro 2020 (Tumbaković followed byFaruk Hadžibegić in the head coaching post),2022 World Cup (Miodrag Radulović as head coach), andEuro 2024 (Radulović as head coach again)—with Montenegro failing to qualify each time; the best result coming in Euro 2012 qualifying when they managed to get to thetwo-leg play-offs, losing 0–3 on aggregate toCzech Republic. As of 2022, Montenegro remains among nineteen UEFA national teams—alongside Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Israel, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova and San Marino – never to have qualified for a FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro.[112]
Additionally, the Montenegrin under-21 national team has participated in nineEuropean U-21 Championship qualifying campaigns during Savićević's presidency—2009,2011,2013,2015,2017,2019,2021,2023, and2025—failing to make the final tournament each time.
Furthermore, Savićević's time on the job has been marked by frequent public feuding and controversy.
On 17 November 2004, theSerbia and Montenegro national under-21 team lost 0–4 againstBelgium in a2006 European Under-21 Championshipqualifier played inLokeren.[113] In the wake of the disappointing result, FSCG president Savićević publicly came out against the U-21 head coachMilorad Kosanović, calling on the coach to resign over the loss and specifically taking issue with Kosanović not calling up any players from the Montenegro-based clubs for the Belgium match. In support of his claims, Savićević added that "twenty-one-year-oldMiroslav Vujadinović fromBudućnost Podgorica wasn't even called up for the under-21 squad despite being the best young goalkeeper in Europe" before concluding that such action constitutes "discrimination of Montenegro".[114]
Over the coming months, Savićević exerted continuous pressure within the FSSCG ranks for Kosanović to be fired,[114] even going so far as to semi-officially boycott the under-21 team by refusing to allow Montenegrin players to turn up for Kosanović's callups.[115][116] In late 2004, in an effort to ease the tense internal FSSCG standoff, FSSCG presidentDragan Stojković (Savićević's close personal friend and longtime Red Star and Yugoslavia teammate during their playing days) reportedly asked Kosanović to resign, which the coach vehemently refused.[117] As a result of the episode, all fourSerbia (FSS)-delegated members of the FSSCG expert council –Dušan Savić,Jovica Škoro,Milovan Đorić, andMiroslav Tanjga – resigned in protest, with Savić stating he "wants no part in this dirty political game" while criticizing Savićević and FSCG for interfering in the under-21 head coach's job.[117]
After initially managing to resist,[118] Kosanović eventually gave in, resigning some four months later on 8 March 2005.[119]
Savićević then publicly came out in favour of Montenegrin independence,[120] becoming an important part of the pro-independence campaign organized by the Movement for Independent Montenegro. He attended and spoke at rallies alongside Montenegrin Prime MinisterMilo Đukanović. Savićević's face also appeared on billboards urging the citizens of Montenegro to vote 'Yes' at the referendum.[121]
In the spring of 2006, while interviewed for Montenegrin local stationNTV Montena, Savićević admitted to playing "in a couple of fixed matches" while with Budućnost in the oldYugoslav First League during the 1980s. He also claimed on the same occasion that most of the matches in that season's (2005–06) Serbia-Montenegro Superliga are fixed, but declined to elaborate or provide evidence, saying: "I don't want to be killed because of football likeBranko Bulatović".[122] Such controversial claims caused a lot of reaction. Serbia-Montenegro FA (FSSCG) announced a formal investigation, arranging a hearing for Savićević to provide details and evidence of his claims.[123] Others, like FK Partizan vice-president Ratomir Babić, accused Savićević of "scoring political points for his mentors in the separatist-oriented Montenegrin regime by intentionally spreading explosive false rumours in order to bring the union's league into disrepute".[123]
In parallel, all throughout 2006, Savićević butted heads with his own second-in-command—FSCG vice-president andFK Zeta club presidentRadojica "Rajo" Božović.
Their feud began in mid-March 2006 in the aftermath of the Zeta vs. BudućnostSerbia-Montenegro SuperLiga fixture at Zeta'sTrešnjica ground on 10 March 2006 that saw visitors Budućnost walk off the pitch 11 minutes before full time, an action initiated and carried out from the pitch sidelines by the club's directorŽarko Vukčević in protest over Zeta's 2-2 equalizer that Budućnost felt wasoffside.[124] Following a round of internal FSSCG investigations[125][126] amid continual sniping in the press,[127][128][129][130] the match was registered with a 3-0 administrative scoreline for Zeta and Budućnost was docked 3 points as punishment.
Initially, the row between the two leading FSCG executives culminated on 12 May 2006 during an FSSCG executive board meeting in Belgrade where Savićević and Božović participated as representatives of the provincial Montenegrin FA (FSCG) sub-association. At the said meeting, Savićević reportedly abruptly left the premises following a vicious two-minute shouting match with Božović[131] that started after Božović introduced a motion for an FSSCG investigation of Savićević's media claims about match-fixing as well his mentions of FK Zeta in this regard.[132]
Since Montenegro became independent some ten days later on 21 May 2006, the FSCG became the newly created country's top footballing body, responsible for organizing its football league as well as for assembling its national team. Savićević's FSCG presidential term continued with Božović as his vice president.
Several months later, during late summer 2006, the vicious public rift between the top two FSCG administrators was reignited following the cancellation of the FK Zeta versus BudućnostMontenegrin First League fixture that had been scheduled for 4 September 2006 but ended up not getting played due to threats of fan violence and incidents outside of Zeta'sTrešnjica ground in the Podgorica suburb ofGolubovci. As scuffles broke out between members of the two clubs' respective managements after Božović refused to let the rivals enter the stadium, Božović subsequently publicly accused Savićević of favouring his old club Budućnost, working against Zeta, and tampering with the Montenegrin First League referee selection process.
An element of the public feuding between two men—both with deep ties within Montenegro's ruling political party, theDemocratic Party of Socialists (DPS)—also had a political background over a protracted contentious issue of the redrawing of Podgoricamunicipal borders and status of Golubovci within the potentially new boundaries. As different internal DPS factions pursued their own interests regarding the municipal borders issue, press outlets portrayed Savićević as closely aligned with the DPS' so-called 'Podgorica lobby' (centred around Podgorica mayor, high-ranking DPS member, and FK Budućnost's financial benefactorMiomir Mugoša as well as the city service manager and FK Budućnost club president Vladan Vučelić) while Božović was being mentioned as a protege of the powerful security state operative, presidential security advisor, and former DPS cabinet ministerVukašin Maraš [sr] who had been pushing the so-called 'Zeta lobby' within DPS with the help of the Montenegrin government cabinet ministerMigo Stijepović.[124][133] One day after the incident in Golubovci, Savićević responded by publicly calling on theMontenegrin government and ruling political party, the DPS, to "get involved and solve the issues within the FSCG".[133][134]
In mid-October 2006, FSCG held an assembly meeting, convened by its president Savićević, during which the majority of delegates supported his motion to remove Božović, deciding by a 37–5 vote to relieve Božović of his FSCG vice-presidential duties as well as his seat on the FSCG executive committee.[135][124] For his part, Božović, who was not present at the assembly due to "unforeseen family obligations",[135] mostly accepted the turn of events and began keeping a lower profile, reportedly on instruction from senior DPS members.[124]
Three years later, on 6 May 2009, the FK Zeta versusSutjeskaMontenegrin First League fixture at Zeta'shome ground inGolubovci got abandoned before kickoff due to the match refereeJovan Kaluđerović's claims of receiving verbal death threats from Zeta owner Rajo Božović.[136] As stated in the match delegate Hazbo Mustajbašić's report based on Kaluđerović's claims, Božović verbally threatened Kaluđerović, allegedly saying "we have to win today" and "I'll take your head off" upon entering the referee's dressing room, all of which Božović denied while announcing intention of pressing charges against Kaluđerović for slander.[137][138][139] Within weeks, based on the match delegate report, the Savićević-led FSCG's disciplinary commission punished Božović with a lifetime ban on performing football-related functions in competitions administered by the FSCG in addition to docking one point from FK Zeta.[140]
Over the following decade, save for two prominent instances of Božović's ban being enforced by the Savićević-led FSCG—both occurring during the2016–17 Montenegrin First League season,[141][142] the antagonism between two men seemingly simmered down, with Božović even publicly praising Savićević as "brave, honourable, proud, and dignified" in a 2017 interview[143][144] and later revealing that the two have supposedly settled their differences "in the manner of old Montenegrins" during an encounter at a party inNikšić organized byBrano Mićunović [sr] and attended by Montenegrin presidentMilo Đukanović and other "very important people from the system".[145]
Also in 2006, simultaneous to publicly feuding with his own FSCG vice-president Božović, Savićević began rowing with Podgorica'sDan daily newspaper, a protracted issue that continued off-and-on throughout the following five years.
Irritated by the paper's criticism of his work as FSCG's boss, his pro-independence political engagement during the 2006 referendum campaign, as well as his ties with the regime of Milo Đukanović, Savićević verbally abused, shouted at, and generally menacedDan journalists during FSCG press conferences.[133] He especially went after theDan sports editorVeselin Drljević (former referee and former FSCG member) with whom he has a long-standing personal feud.
In March 2007, as theMontenegro national team was set to begin playing official matches, Savićević raised even more controversy when, in an unprecedented move, he personally bannedDan journalists from attending the national team'sdebut match, a home friendly versusHungary.[146] Savićević's ban onDan journalists continued for the rest of 2007 and into 2008 as the paper's editor-in-chief Mladen Milutinović wrote appeals to various international bodies about the situation, including theInternational Sports Press Association (AIPS).[147] During late April and early May 2009, the issue was discussed at the AIPS congress in Milan.[148] Under pressure from AIPS,[149] two-and-a-half years after initially issuing the ban, Savićević relented, allowing matchday accreditation forDan journalists ahead of Montenegro'shome friendly versusWales in August 2009.[146]
The antagonism reignited two years later during theEuro 2012 qualifying cycle. All throughout 2011, Savićević publicly expressed anger withDan's criticism of the national team head coachZlatko Kranjčar, calling the publication a "Serbian-oriented paper that never has and never will accept Montenegro as an independent state".[150][151] Savićević even returned to his old ways on 7 October 2011, for the Montenegro vs. England Euro 2012qualifier, refusing to issue accreditation forDan.[152] Because of this, a protest against Savićević was published in their pages.[153]
Then, a month later in November 2011, for the deciding2nd leg playoff qualifier at home against Czech Republic, Savićević again did the same thing, which led to more critical coverage by the paper.[154] On 17 November 2011, in the wake of the playoff loss to the Czechs, Savićević appeared onTV Vijesti's talk showNačisto where he was asked by the host Petar Komnenić about his problems withDan. Savićević's response was thatDan is an "unimportant media outlet" and that he prefers giving accreditation to "objective outlets".Dan responded with more pointed criticism of Savićević through sarcasm and ridicule,[155][156] which led to Savićević scheduling a press conference on Saturday, 19 November 2011 where he delivered more verbal vitriol towards the paper including a bizarre offer of subjecting himself to a drug test and paying out €2 million toDan if the test results come in positive while asking for €500,000 from the paper if the test result is negative.[157]Dan responded in the paper's next day issue with more veiled ridicule of Savićević.[158]
In the late 1980s, Savićević married Valentina "Vanja" Brajović.[159][160] The couple had met and began dating a few years earlier in Titograd while Savićević played for FK Budućnost and teenage Vanja attended the local streamlinedtouristic high school.[159] Their first child, son Vladimir, was born in November 1989 in Belgrade while Savićević played for Red Star. While living in Belgrade, Savićević and Brajović reportedly resided in an apartment they leased from Serbian professionalhandballerSvetlana Kitić who had been playing abroad in Italy during that time.[160] Their second child, daughter Tamara, was born in 1992. The couple divorced in 2000.
Their sonVladimir Savićević would go on to pursue professional football as well, starting out withFK Mladost Podgorica youth teams,[161] and being capped for the Montenegrin U19 team.
Since the mid-2010s, FSCG president Savićević has been in a relationship with Jelena Babić from Podgorica.[162][163][164][165]
In November 2019, Savićević's daughter Tamara married professional footballerAleksandar Kapisoda, three months after giving birth to their daughter, Savićević's grandchild.[166][167]
Savićević has someRomani ancestry.[168]
Following a night out inTrebinje on Saturday, 18 September 2004, Savićević was involved in an incident with Podgorica police on his way home, at around 2:30 am Sunday morning. After driving hisAudi TT at a high speed through Podgorica streets and running ared light, he was stopped by a police patrol. According to the police, when stopped, Savićević insulted the policeman with a series of obscenities, including a statement: "I'm God, laws don't apply to me".[169][170]
Amisdemeanor investigation request (prekršajna prijava) was filed against Savićević by the police.[170]
On Thursday, 29 September 2005 at around 5:30pm, Savićević was severely injured in a traffic accident on Stanko Dragojević Boulevard in Podgorica in front of theMontenegrin National Theatre (CNP) building.[171] The thirty-nine-year-old FSCG president fractured both arms and apelvic bone after crashing hisYamaha motorcycle into the rear end of a movingVolkswagen Golf Mk4 vehicle (driven by thirty-four-year-old Podgorica resident Ljubiša Golubović), becoming airborne, and landing hard on the pavement.[172]
The same night, Savićević underwent a two-and-a-half-hour surgery at Podgorica's Kliničko-bolnički centar to contain the effects of his three fractures before being placed in intensive care.[172] Some ten days later, the retired footballer arranged to be transported to a specializedorthopedic medical facility inHanover, Germany where he had three more surgeries within a span of a week—one on each arm and one on his pelvic bone.[173][174] His subsequent rehabilitation took about six months.
On Saturday night, 5 July 2025, Savićević was stopped by a police patrol inHerceg Novi for speeding and illegal overtaking.[175] The 58-year-old FSCG president andFIFA Council member Savićević reportedly refused thebreathalyzer test[175] at which point he was apprehended by the police and handed over to the misdemeanour judge who promptly issued a€1,000 fine for refusing the breathalyzer along with a four-month ban on operating motor vehicles and threedemerit points.[176][177][178][179][180]
In 1998, Serbiancomedy rock bandThe Kuguars recorded the song "Dejo" (a cover ofHarry Belafonte song "Day-O"), dedicating it to Savićević.[181][182]
Someone off to the side had been insulting me incessantly by swearing at me before I could no longer take it, so I turned – only to see this short guy with no more than two teeth in his mouth wearing a Croatianšahovnica jersey and track pants. And, I gave it right back to him. Then I told the filmmaker to edit that out and he assured me he would. A couple of months later, he called me in Vienna telling me the movie is done and asking my address to send me a tape. My stomach turned when I saw that he hadn't edited that out. You can imagine what I told him next time we talked.
Savićević is the protagonist of a widely circulatedviral video from the 2000 Dutch documentaryHet laatste Joegoslavische elftal (The Last Yugoslav Football Team) byVuk Janić about the1987FIFA World Youth Championship winningSFR Yugoslavia under-20 team.[185][186][187]
Conceptualized as a "what might've been" sentimental homage of sorts, ostensibly to SFR Yugoslavia's up-and-coming late 1980s football generation that never got a chance to play together on the sport's biggest stage but also to thedisintegratedcountry, the documentary interviews different members of the1987 youth side—such asRobert Prosinečki,Predrag Mijatović, andZvonimir Boban—who were by 1999 split between the senior national teams of FR Yugoslavia and Croatia. Other individuals—including Savićević, who was winding down his playing career atRapid Vienna and thirty-year-oldSS Lazio starSiniša Mihajlović as well as fifty-eight-year-old coachIvica Osim coachingSturm Graz at the time—are featured prominently in the documentary film despite not being members of the 1987 youth team. In Savićević's case, the filmmaking crew had behind-the-scenes access to him at his home inVienna as well as his club side'sAustrian Bundesliga matches and FR Yugoslavia national team qualifying fixtures.
Some of the film's footage was shot in October 1999 against the backdrop of theFR Yugoslavia andCroatia national teamsplaying the decidingEuro 2000qualifier inZagreb. The particular part of the film that went viral shows thirty-three-year-old Savićević being interviewed the day before Croatia versus Yugoslavia match in front of the hotel where the Yugoslav team was staying. He is wearing Yugoslavia training gear and as such is easily spotted and recognized by people strolling by. As Dejan is answering a question, a man on the street, presumably a Croatian fan, is heard shouting off-camera: "You're a piece of shit!".
Savićević looks to the side and responds to theheckler by berating him with an obscenity-laced tirade of his own. After insulting him sufficiently, Savićević returns his attention to the interview and continues answering the question right where he left off without missing a beat.[188]
In subsequent interviews after the video went viral, Savićević has claimed that the film's director Janić broke their verbal agreement that the swearing part would not be included in the final version of the film.
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