.jpg) Božović coachingEsteghlal in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1968-06-22)22 June 1968 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | Mojkovac,SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1992 | Budućnost Titograd | 107 | (6) |
| 1992–1994 | Red Star Belgrade | 52 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Pelita Jaya | 30 | (1) |
| 1996–1997 | APOP Paphos | 20 | (1) |
| 1997–1998 | RKC Waalwijk | 19 | (1) |
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 8 | (0) |
| 2000 | RBC Roosendaal | 5 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1990 | Yugoslavia U21 | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Beograd | ||
| 2002 | Consadole Sapporo (assistant) | ||
| 2003–2004 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2004 | Obilić | ||
| 2004 | Hajduk Beograd | ||
| 2005 | AEP Paphos | ||
| 2005–2006 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2006–2007 | Budućnost Podgorica | ||
| 2007 | Grbalj | ||
| 2007 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2008 | Amkar Perm | ||
| 2009 | FC Moscow | ||
| 2010–2011 | Dynamo Moscow | ||
| 2011–2012 | Amkar Perm | ||
| 2012–2014 | Rostov | ||
| 2014–2015 | Lokomotiv Moscow | ||
| 2015–2017 | Red Star Belgrade | ||
| 2017–2018 | Arsenal Tula | ||
| 2018–2020 | Krylia Sovetov | ||
| 2021–2022 | Arsenal Tula | ||
| 2023–2024 | Neftçi | ||
| 2024–2025 | Esteghlal Khuzestan | ||
| 2025 | Esteghlal | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Miodrag "Grof" Božović (Montenegrin:Миодраг "Гроф" Божовић,pronounced[mîodraɡbôːʒoʋitɕ]; born 22 June 1968) is aMontenegrinfootballmanager and formerplayer.
A tall central defender, Božović played alongside Yugoslav and Montenegrin legendsPredrag Mijatović andDejan Savićević atBudućnost Titograd and for fellowYugoslav teamRed Star Belgrade, whom he left in 1994 during the civil war to play in Indonesia.[1] He also played forDutch clubsRKC Waalwijk[2] andRBC Roosendaal, as well as inCyprus andJapan.
During his playing career Božović wonYugoslav Cup withRed Star Belgrade.
He represented his U-21 national side once.
As a coach, he had a successful spell in Budućnost in the2006–07 season, when his team was leading inMontenegrin First League, but he resigned and joinedGrbalj in February 2007, due to the disagreement with the board.[3] Božović also was successful inBorac Čačak, as he made a competitive team out of a humble club.
Russian sideFC Amkar Perm qualified for theUEFA Europa League for the first time in club's history under his management. Next season, his new clubFC Moscow was among the leaders in theRussian Premier League for long stretches, before fading in the end of the season and falling out of European qualification. In early 2010, FC Moscow dropped out of the Premier League due to financial considerations, and Božović became a free agent.
On 27 April 2010, Božović signed a three-year contract withFC Dynamo Moscow.[4]
After the game against his former club, Amkar, he was questioned in the flash interview, did he feel that he was playing against the team he had built himself. His answer was: "I feel I was playing against players who made me a coach."[5]
He resigned from Dynamo on 21 April 2011 after losing in a Russian Cup quarterfinal againstFC Rostov (winning the Cup was the last hope for Dynamo to qualify for UEFA Europa League).[6]
InSerbia Božović was nicknamedGrof (theCount orEarl), because of his orderly and elegant appearance.[7]
In June 2012 he became the manager ofFC Rostov.[8] The next season Rostov won the2013–14 Russian Cup.[9]
On 29 May 2015 it was announced that Božović would manage his former clubRed Star Belgrade.[10] His start as Red Star manager was turbulent. Red Star was eliminated byKairat in thefirst qualifying round for theEuropa League and started off the regular season with a comeback win againstOFK Beograd and a draw againstMetalac inGornji Milanovac in the first two rounds of theSerbian Superliga. Serbian media and journalist were not on his side and criticized him and his team's play. After a draw againstRadnički Niš in front of 22.000 fans who started to chant against the club board, Božović offered his resignation. Fans were explicit in their desire that board members must leave the club right away, not him, and gave clear support to Božović. Several board members including the vice president and the general director left the club and Božović started a "little war" with the media.[11] After the series of bad performances, Red Star dominated throughout the match and won after a comeback againstČukarički, considered the best match of the season.
Following these incidents, Božović masterminded Red Star to 24 straight wins in the regular season, a new club record, and dominated theSerbian Superliga with 32 points ahead of their rivals. With Božović at the helmRed Star made the best start in club history. Božović lead Red Star to the 27th club league title in history, and the first in his career. Božović stated that he is very happy like never before in his life.
After clear and unambiguous support from Red Star fans, who were chanted his name and ask to stay, Grof Božović signed new two-year contract with Red Star to lead the club to theChampions League. Božović said that chants from the fans and whole stands of Marakana are the biggest thing which happened to him in his life, after birth of his sons. He record his first European victory, which is also Red Star first in three years and five matches in a row, againstValletta in first match ofsecond qualifying round for theChampions League inValletta.[12]
He signed with theRussian Premier League clubFC Arsenal Tula before the 2017–18 season.[13] He led the club to the 7th place in the2017–18 Russian Premier League, the best position in club's history. He did not renew his Arsenal contract at the end of the season.[14]
On 5 October 2018, he signed a 2-year contract withFC Krylia Sovetov Samara.[15] He left Krylia Sovetov by mutual consent on 28 June 2020, with the team in the last position in the table.[16]
On 3 September 2021, he returned toArsenal Tula.[17] Arsenal was relegated at the end of the2021–22 Russian Premier League after taking last place.[18]
On 24 December 2023, Božović was announced as the new Head Coach ofAzerbaijan Premier League clubNeftçi following the departure ofAdrian Mutu.[19]
On 26 May 2024, a day after their season finished, Neftçi announced that they would not be extending their contract with Božović.[20]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Amkar Perm | 8 January 2008 | 31 December 2008 | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 046.88 |
| FC Moscow | 1 January 2009 | 1 March 2010 | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 047.06 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 27 April 2010 | 21 April 2011 | 31 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 035.48 |
| Amkar Perm | 29 September 2011 | 11 June 2012 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 047.37 |
| Rostov | 11 June 2012 | 25 September 2014 | 83 | 28 | 19 | 36 | 033.73 |
| Lokomotiv Moscow | 4 October 2014 | 11 May 2015 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 047.62 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 2 June 2015 | 7 May 2017 | 84 | 63 | 11 | 10 | 075.00 |
| Arsenal Tula | 18 June 2017 | 25 May 2018 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 038.71 |
| Krylia Sovetov | 5 October 2018 | 28 June 2020 | 49 | 13 | 7 | 29 | 026.53 |
| Arsenal Tula | 3 September 2021 | 21 June 2022 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 021.43 |
| Neftçi | 24 December 2023 | 26 May 2024 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 041.67 |
| Esteghlal Khuzestan | 5 July 2024 | 25 February 2025 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 023.81 |
| Esteghlal | 26 February 2025 | 23 April 2025 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 000.00 |
| Total | 462 | 198 | 107 | 157 | 042.86 | ||
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | J1 League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
