.jpg) Kovačević lining up for Partizan at the1966 European Cup Final | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vladimir Kovačević | ||
| Date of birth | (1940-01-07)7 January 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Ivanjica,Kingdom of Yugoslavia | ||
| Date of death | 28 July 2016(2016-07-28) (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Belgrade,Serbia | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1955–1958 | Partizan | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1958–1966 | Partizan | 151 | (73) |
| 1966–1967 | Nantes | 29 | (8) |
| 1967–1969 | Partizan | 32 | (6) |
| 1969–1972 | Angers | 68 | (28) |
| Total | 280 | (115) | |
| International career | |||
| 1960–1965 | Yugoslavia | 13 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1972–1973 | Partizan (assistant) | ||
| 1981–1983 | Lyon | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Vladimir "Vladica" Kovačević (Serbian Cyrillic:Владимир "Владица" Ковачевић,pronounced[ʋlǎdimiːrkoʋǎːtʃeʋitɕ]; 7 January 1940 – 28 July 2016) was aYugoslav andSerbianfootballer who played as aforward.[1]
Born inIvanjica, Kovačević moved toBelgrade in 1955 and joined the youth system ofPartizan.[2] He was promoted to the first team in 1958, making his official debut in a 2–1 home league win overRijeka. During the next eight seasons, Kovačević helped Partizan win theYugoslav First League on four occasions (1960–61,1961–62,1962–63, and1964–65). He was also a member of the team that lost the1966 European Cup Final toReal Madrid.[3]Two years earlier, Kovačević was the competition's joint top scorer with seven goals, along withSandro Mazzola andFerenc Puskás.[4]
In 1966, Kovačević moved abroad to France and signed withNantes, spending there just one season. He subsequently returned to Yugoslavia to perform his compulsorymilitary service and rejoined Partizan.[5] In late 1969, Kovačević moved back to France and joinedAngers.
At international level, Kovačević earned 13 caps forYugoslavia between 1960 and 1965, scoring two goals.[6] He was a member of the team at the1962 FIFA World Cup, as Yugoslavia lost toChile in the third-place match.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 September 1964 | Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Luxembourg | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 May 1965 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  England | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
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