Wikipedia

Yugoslavia national football team

This article is about the 1920–92 team representing the SFR Yugoslavia and its predecessor states. For the team representing the union of Serbia and Montenegro after the breakup of Yugoslavia, seeFederal Republic of Yugoslavia national football team.

TheYugoslavia national football team[b]representedYugoslaviain international association football.

Yugoslavia
1920–1992

(1920–1941)and(1945–1992)
Nickname(s)Plavi(The Blues)
Brazilians of Europe[1]
AssociationFootball Association
of Yugoslavia
MostcapsDragan Džajić(85)
Top scorerStjepan Bobek(38)
Home stadiumStadium Rajko Mitić,Belgrade
FIFA codeYUG
Firstcolours
Secondcolours
First international
Czechoslovakia7–0Kingdom of SCS
(Antwerp,Belgium;28 August 1920)
Last international
Netherlands2–0Yugoslavia
(Amsterdam,Netherlands;25 March 1992)[a]
Biggest win
Yugoslavia10–0Venezuela
(Curitiba,Brazil;14 June 1972)[2][3]
Biggest defeat
Czechoslovakia7–0Kingdom of SCS
(Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
Uruguay7–0Kingdom of SCS
(Paris,France;26 May 1924)
Czechoslovakia7–0Kingdom of SCS
(Prague,Czechoslovakia;28 October 1925)
World Cup
Appearances8[a](first in1930)
Best resultFourth place (1930,1962)
European Championship
Appearances4[a](first in1960)
Best result2nd place, silver medalist(s)Runners-up (1960,1968)
Medal record
Men'sFootball
UEFA European Championship
Silver medal – second place 1960 France Team
Silver medal – second place 1968 Italy Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome Team
Silver medal – second place 1948 London Team
Silver medal – second place 1952 Helsinki Team
Silver medal – second place 1956 Melbourne Team
Bronze medal – third place 1984 Los Angeles Team
Balkan Cup
Gold medal – first place 1934–35 Greece Team
Gold medal – first place 1935 Bulgaria Team
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1971 İzmir Team
Gold medal – first place 1979 Split Team

Although the team mainly represented the pre-warKingdom of Yugoslaviaand the post-warSFR Yugoslavia,various iterations of the state were formally constituted in football, including the:

It enjoyed success in international competition, reaching the semi-finals[c]at the1930and1962 FIFA World Cups.In 1992, during theYugoslav wars,the team was suspended from international competition as part of the United Nationssanctions on Yugoslavia.[4][5]

History

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The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes at theSummer Olympicsin1924(left) and1928(right)

The first national team was in the kingdom that existed between the two world wars. The Football Federation of what was then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was founded inZagrebin 1919 under the nameJugoslavenski nogometni savez(and admitted intoFIFA), and the national team played its first international game at the Summer Olympics inAntwerpin 1920. The opponent was Czechoslovakia, and the historic starting eleven that represented Kingdom of SCS on its debut were:Dragutin Vrđuka,Vjekoslav Župančić,Jaroslav Šifer,Stanko Tavčar,Slavin Cindrić,Rudolf Rupec,Dragutin Vragović,Artur Dubravčić,Emil Perška,Ivan Granec,andJovan Ružić.They lost by a huge margin 0–7, but nonetheless got their names in the history books.

1930 World Cup

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A Yugoslavia line-up at the1930 FIFA World Cup

In 1929, the country was renamed to Yugoslavia and the football association becameFudbalski savez Jugoslavijeand ordered to move its headquarters fromZagrebtoBelgrade.The national team participated at the1930 FIFA World Cup,finishing in fourth place. In its first ever World Cup match inMontevideo'sParque Central,Yugoslavia managed a famous 2–1 win versus mighty Brazil, with the following starting eleven representing the country:Milovan Jakšić,Branislav Sekulić,Aleksandar Tirnanić,Milutin Ivković,Ivica Bek,Momčilo Đokić,Blagoje Marjanović,Milorad Arsenijević,Đorđe Vujadinović,Dragoslav Mihajlović,andLjubiša Stefanović.The team was the youngest squad at the inaugural World Cup at an average age of just under 22 years old, and became quite popular among the Uruguayan public, who dubbed them "Los Ichachos". The national team consisted of players based in Serbian football clubs, while the Zagreb Subassociation forbid players from Croatian clubs, some of whom were regulars in the national team until then, to play in the World Cup due to the relocation of football association's headquarters from Zagreb to Belgrade.[6]

Post-World War II period

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The federation and football overall was disrupted byWorld War II.After the war, a socialist federation was formed and the football federation reconstituted. It was one of the founding members of theUEFAin 1954.

Silver Medal at 1948 Summer Olympics

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Yugoslavia began theirfootballcampaign by defeatingLuxembourg6–1, with five different players scoring the goals. In the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, they would take outTurkeyand Great Britain by the same score of 3–1. In the final though, they would lose toSweden.

Silver Medal at 1952 Summer Olympics

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Having a team with many players from the 1948 generation, Yugoslavia was a formidable side at the1952 Summer Olympicsand finished as runners-up behind the famous "Golden Team"representingHungary.Against the USSR, Yugoslavia was 5–1 up with 15 minutes of their first round match to go. The Yugoslavs, understandably, put their feet up.Arthur Ellis,the match referee, recorded what happened next in his book,The Final Whistle(London, 1963): "The USSR forced the most honourable draw ever recorded! [Vsevolod]Bobrov,their captain, scored a magnificent hat-trick. After the USSR had reduced the lead to 5–2, he, almost single-handed, took the score to 5–5, scoring his third in the last minute. For once, use of the word sensational was justified. "Although Bobrov's early goal in their replay presaged a miraculous recovery, Yugoslavia recovered sufficiently to put out their opponents easily in the second half.

Later decades

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In 1976, Yugoslavia organized theEuropean Championshipplayed inBelgradeandZagreb.The national team participated in eightWorld Cupsand fourEuros,won the Olympic football tournament in 1960 at theSummer Games(they also finished second three times and third once), and developed a reputation for skillful and attacking football, leading them to be dubbed "the Brazilians of Europe".[7]

Dragan Džajićholds the record for the most national team caps at 85, between 1964 and 1979. The best scorer isStjepan Bobekwith 38 goals, between 1946 and 1956.

Dissolution and UN embargo

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With the end of the Cold War, democratic principles were introduced to the country which brought about the end of Titoist rule. In the subsequent atmosphere, national tensions were heightened. At theYugoslavia-Netherlandsfriendly in preparation for the 1990 World Cup, the Croatian crowd in Zagreb jeered the Yugoslav team and anthem and waved Dutch flags (owing to its resemblance to the Croatian tricolour). With thedissolution of Yugoslavia,the team split up and the remaining team of theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia(FRY) was banned from competing atEuro 92.The decision was made on 31 May 1992, just 10 days before the competition commenced.[8]They had finished top of their qualifying group, but were unable to play in the competition due toUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 757.Their place was taken byDenmark,who went on to win the competition.[9][10]

After thebreakup of Yugoslavia,the FRY consisted of Montenegro and Serbia.[11][12]

In 1992, Yugoslavia had also been drawn as the second seed inGroup 5 of the European Zonein the qualifying tournament for the1994 World Cup.FRY was barred from competing, rendering the group unusually weak.[13][14]

In 1994, when the boycott was lifted, the union of Serbia and Montenegro competed under the name "Yugoslavia", as theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia national football team.The Serbia and Montenegro national team continued under Yugoslavia's naming until 2003 when the country and team were renamedSerbia and Montenegro.

TheSerbia national football teaminherited Yugoslavia's spot withinFIFAandUEFAand is considered by both organizations as the only successor of Yugoslavia (and ofSerbia and Montenegro).[15][16][17]

Youth teams

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Theunder-21 teamwonthe inauguralUEFA U-21 Championshipin 1978.

The Yugoslav under-20 team won theFIFA World Youth Championship 1987.

Kits

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1930
1950–1968
1974
1976
1982
1984
1990
1992

Competitive record

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FIFA World Cup record

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ChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth place

FIFA World Cup record QualificationRecord
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squads Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Semi-finals[18][d] 4th 3 2 0 1 7 7 Squad Invited
1934 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 4
1938 2 1 0 1 1 4
1950 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 7 3 Squad 5 3 2 0 16 6
1954 Quarter-final 7th 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 4 4 0 0 4 0
1958 Quarter-final 5th 4 1 2 1 7 7 Squad 4 2 2 0 7 2
1962 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 10 7 Squad 4 3 1 0 11 4
1966 Did not qualify 6 3 1 2 10 8
1970 6 3 1 2 19 7
1974 Second group stage 7th 6 1 2 3 12 7 Squad 5 3 2 0 8 4
1978 Did not qualify 4 1 0 3 6 8
1982 Group stage 16th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 8 6 1 1 22 7
1986 Did not qualify 8 3 2 3 7 8
1990 Quarter-final 5th 5 3 1 1 8 6 Squad 8 6 2 0 16 6
Total Fourth place 8/14 33 14 7 12 55 42 – 66 38 15 13 130 68

UEFA European Championship record

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ChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth place

UEFA European Championship record QualificationRecord
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squads Pld W D L GF GA
1960 Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 6 6 Squad 4 2 1 1 9 4
1964 Did not qualify 4 2 1 1 6 5
1968 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 6 4 1 1 14 5
1972 1/4 playoffs 8 3 4 1 7 5
1976 Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 4 7 Squad 8 6 1 1 15 5
1980 Did not qualify 6 4 0 2 14 6
1984 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 2 10 Squad 6 3 2 1 12 11
1988 Did not qualify 6 4 0 2 13 9
1992 Banned after qualification[e] 8 7 0 1 24 4
Total Runners-up 4/9 10 2 1 7 14 26 – 56 35 10 11 114 54
*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided onpenalty kicks.

Mediterranean Games

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Yugoslavia Olympic football team

Player statistics

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Most capped players

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Dragan Džajićis the most capped player in the history of Yugoslavia with 85 caps.
Rank Name Caps Goals Position Career
1 Dragan Džajić 85 23 MF 1964–1979
2 Zlatko Vujović 70 25 FW 1979–1990
3 Branko Zebec 65 17 DF 1951–1961
4 Stjepan Bobek 63 38 FW 1946–1956
5 Faruk Hadžibegić 61 6 DF 1982–1992
Branko Stanković 3 DF 1946–1956
7 Ivica Horvat 60 0 DF 1946–1956
8 Vladimir Beara 59 0 GK 1950–1959
Rajko Mitić 32 FW 1946–1957
Bernard Vukas 22 MF 1948–1957

Top goalscorers

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Stjepan Bobekis the top scorer in the history of Yugoslavia with 38 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Stjepan Bobek 38 63 0.60 1946–1956
2 Milan Galić 37 51 0.73 1959–1965
Blagoje Marjanović 58 0.64 1926–1938
4 Rajko Mitić 32 59 0.54 1946–1957
5 Dušan Bajević 29 37 0.78 1970–1977
6 Todor Veselinović 28 37 0.76 1953–1961
7 Borivoje Kostić 26 33 0.79 1956–1964
8 Zlatko Vujović 25 70 0.36 1970–1977
9 Dragan Džajić 23 84 0.27 1964–1979
10 Bernard Vukas 22 59 0.37 1948–1958

Notable players

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Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards

Head-to-head record

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Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record

Head coaches

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Honours

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Major competitions

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Regional

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Friendly

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Summary

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Competition Total
FIFA World Cup 0 0 0 0
Olympic Games 1 3 1 5
UEFA European Championship 0 2 0 2
Total 1 5 1 7

See also

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Teams from successor states

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Notes

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  1. ^abcAs of 1992 before thesplitofSFR Yugoslavia;for later data seeFR Yugoslavia national football team.
  2. ^Serbian:Фудбалска репрезентација Југославије,Fudbalska reprezentacija Jugoslavije;Croatian:Jugoslavenska nogometna reprezentacija;Slovene:Jugoslovanska nogometna reprezentanca;Macedonian:Фудбалска репрезентација на Југославија,romanized:Fudbalska reprezentacija na Jugoslavija
  3. ^1930 World Cup didn't feature a match for the third place. Retroactively, FIFA established rankings based on overall tournament record, placing Yugoslavia at the fourth place
  4. ^Yugoslavia earned 4th place below the loser of the other semi-final, the United States, because of a lower goal difference (0 to the United States' +1). No third place match was played.
  5. ^Suspended because ofUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 757duringYugoslav Wars.Yugoslavia was replaced byDenmark,who went on to win the tournament.

References

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  1. ^A farewell to YugoslaviaArchived7 July 2017 at theWayback MachineopenDemocracy.net.Dejan Djokic; 10 April 2002
  2. ^"Jugoslavija – Venecuela 10–0".Reprezentacija.rs(in Serbo-Croatian). 14 October 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2019.Retrieved25 February2019.
  3. ^"1974 FIFA World Cup Germany ™ – Matches – Yugoslavia-Zaire".FIFA.Archived fromthe originalon 14 April 2015.Retrieved25 February2019.
  4. ^"SOCCER; Yugoslav Athletes Banned".The New York Times.Associated Press. 1 June 1992.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved17 June2024.
  5. ^"Yugoslavia Banned From 1994 World Cup Soccer Play | The Seattle Times".archive.seattletimes.Retrieved17 June2024.
  6. ^HistoryArchived4 September 2009 at theWayback MachineatFootball Association of Serbiaofficial website, Retrieved 17 May 2913(in Serbian)
  7. ^"90: 'The team was far better than the country' – The lost brilliance of Yugoslavia".4 June 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 1 December 2017.Retrieved22 November2017.
  8. ^"S/RES/757(1992) – e – S/RES/757(1992) -Desktop".Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2021.Retrieved24 November2021.
  9. ^"Yugoslavia barred from European Championships".UPI.Archivedfrom the original on 25 January 2018.Retrieved31 March2022.
  10. ^"Sports ban hits Yugoslavia - UPI Archives".UPI.Archivedfrom the original on 28 February 2022.Retrieved7 January2024.
  11. ^"Yugoslavia and the breakup of its soccer team".Archivedfrom the original on 27 February 2021.Retrieved22 November2017.
  12. ^Merrill, Austin (2 June 2010)."The Splintering of Yugoslavia and Its Soccer Team".The Hive.Archivedfrom the original on 14 July 2016.Retrieved22 November2017.
  13. ^"Yugoslavia banned for 1994 World - UPI Archives".UPI.Archivedfrom the original on 13 November 2022.Retrieved7 January2024.
  14. ^Lowe, Sid; @sidlowe (29 May 2020)."Slavisa Jokanovic: 'Euro 92 was taken away from us. We were better than Denmark'".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2024.Retrieved7 January2024.
  15. ^HistoryArchived4 September 2009 at theWayback Machineat FSS official website, Retrieved 4 October 2012(in Serbian)
  16. ^SerbiaatFIFAofficial website
  17. ^News: SerbiaArchived25 September 2017 at theWayback MachineatUEFAofficial website, published 1 January 2011, Retrieved 4 October 2012
  18. ^"1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay 1930".FIFA. Archived fromthe originalon 5 February 2015.Retrieved17 July2018.

Bibliography

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