Dragoslav Šekularac
Dragoslav Šekularac (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгослав Шекуларац, pronounced [drǎgoslaʋ ʃekulârats]; 8 November 1937 – 5 January 2019) was a Serbian professional footballer and coach.
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Šekularac in November 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Dragoslav Šekularac | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 November 1937 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Štip, Kingdom of Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 January 2019 (aged 81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Belgrade, Serbia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1951–1955 | Red Star Belgrade | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1966 | Red Star Belgrade | 153 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1967 | Karlsruher SC | 17 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967 | St. Louis Stars | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1969 | OFK Belgrade | 38 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1971 | Santa Fe | 42 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972 | Atlético Bucaramanga | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973 | Millonarios | 23 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | América de Cali | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | Paris | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | Serbian White Eagles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–1956 | Yugoslavia U20 | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1956 | Yugoslavia U21 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1966 | Yugoslavia | 41 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | Serbian White Eagles (player-coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | New York Eagles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Guatemala | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | Footscray JUST | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Red Star Belgrade | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | América | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Al Nassr | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Heidelberg United | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Marbella | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Busan Daewoo Royals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Napredak Kruševac | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Obilić | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Serbian White Eagles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicknamed Šeki, he was quick and crafty with the ball, displaying creative skills which turned many heads. Possessing supreme self-confidence along with impeccable technical ability, he was one of the biggest showmen and crowd draws in the history of Yugoslav football. His enormous popularity throughout FPR Yugoslavia during the early 1960s transcended sports as he easily became one of the most recognizable individuals in the country. As a coach, he led several clubs in Canada, Colombia, Australia, Serbia, Mexico, and Spain, as well as the Guatemala national team in the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Šekularac is considered one of the most important players in the history of Red Star Belgrade: he is the second (and one of only five players) to have been awarded the Zvezdina zvezda status.