Ratomir Dujkovic
Encyclopedia
Ratomir Dujković is a Serbia
n football
manager and a former player.
in Croatia
to an ethnic Serb family, Dujković went to Ivan Goran Kovačić
primary school where he was initially active as a handball
goalkeeper. He was spotted there by Josip Kezdi, at that point an ex-goalkeeper for NK Borovo, who suggested he try football. Dujković took his advice and soon became a goalkeeper in NK Borovo, before earning a move to NK Osijek
.
On November 29, 1962, NK Osijek juniors took part in the Yugoslav Republic Day tournament in Belgrade
where 16-year-old Dujković impressed so much that powerhouse Red Star Belgrade
immediately offered a move to their youth system. He accepted right away and only went home to pick up personal belongings.
At Red Star he became part of a new batch of up-and-coming players along with Jovan Aćimović
, Stanislav Karasi
, Dragan Džajić
, Trifke Mihajlović, etc. - the so called Miljan's babies (after their coach Miljan Miljanić
). Dujković made his first team debut on June 4, 1964 in a last week tie of the 1963/64 season versus OFK Beograd
. While at Red Star he played in the 1971
European Champions Cup
semi-final and earned four appearances in Yugoslavia national football team
.
In 1974, Dujković moved to Real Oviedo
, spending three seasons with the Spanish outfit. He returned to Yugoslav First League
in 1977, joining newly promoted NK Osijek
and staying with the club for three seasons.
Following the conclusion to 1979/80 campaign, at the end of which NK Osijek got relegated, 34-year-old Dujković made the switch to Galenika Zemun, another second league side, and helped it gain promotion in 1981/82 season. He would not play top flight football again, though, as he promptly retired in the summer of 1982.
In 1987, he accepted an offer from Red Star Belgrade
to become the goalkeepers' coach on their staff. For the next 5 years Dujković worked under various head coaches, with the exception of one season that he spent assisting Gojko Zec
in United Arab Emirates
. Dujković was on the Red Star coaching staff when the team won the European Cup
in 1991.
and Dušan Marović both of whom had playing stints in the country. That, coupled with his knowledge of Spanish
made Dujković the head coach of Venezuela national football team
where he spent three years. Taking over the team of modest expectations, his biggest claims to success might be that under his guidance Venezuela
avoided last place in Copa America
for the first time in a very long period or that they jumped 29 places on the FIFA list
.
national football team. Dujković qualified them for Asian Games
, but eventually quit due to Myanmar's turbulent relationship with FIFA
.
He returned to Venezuela to Atlético Zulia
club side and got the coach of the year honours. Afterwards he also coached Estudiantes and Universidad de Los Andes
.
In 2000, Dujković was included on the FR Yugoslavia
's coaching staff for Euro 2000 under head coach Vujadin Boškov
.
in late 2001. Rwandan Football Federation sought assistance in their search for a coach from Serbia-Montenegro FA, which in turn recommended Dujković. He admits that at the time he had to look the country up on the map.
Emerging from the horrors of genocide, football provided a welcome distraction for the people of Rwanda
. The team won 7 of its first 18 matches under Dujković's guidance. He soon gained international acclaim when he led Rwanda into the African Cup of Nations
for the first time. Ironically, Rwanda qualified at the expense of Ghana - nation whose national team he would soon take over and lead to 2006 World Cup
- in a memorable qualifier in Kigali
on July 6, 2003.
At the final tournament
in Tunisia
in January 2004, Rwanda
, among the smallest ever to qualify, came within minutes of progressing from the group and entering quarterfinals.
Dujković's contract with Rwanda expired in mid-2004 and he left after failure to agree a new one with Rwandan FA.
-born Mariano Barreto
quit the Ghana national football team
to manage CS Marítimo
in his native country. A long 3-month search for his replacement followed and it included various candidates (Philippe Troussier
among many others). Finally by late November, the job was offered to Dujković who accepted it in mid-December.
He thus took over the helm of the squad featuring a much greater depth of talent than Rwanda - not to mention the few established stars playing in top European clubs like Sammy Kuffour, Stephen Appiah
and Michael Essien
. Naturally, the expectations were also sizable and he was entrusted with the task of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
in Germany. He successfully achieved it, leading the side
to their first ever FIFA World Cup
appearance. The same qualifying tournament was also the qualification for the 2006 African Cup of Nations
in Egypt
.
Despite his undeniable success, Dujković faced a lot of opposition all throughout his tenure in Ghana. Many in the country wanted to see a domestic coach lead the national team. Calls for his sacking particularly intensified in January 2006 after an indifferent display at the 2006 African Cup of Nations
where Ghana got drawn in a fairly difficult group with Nigeria
, Senegal
and Zimbabwe
. After losing to Nigeria and defeating Senegal, Ghana faced a deciding match against the seeming minnows of the group Zimbabwe who up to that point failed to collect a single point from first two matches. A win would assure progression for Ghana, but they lost 1-2 and failed to move to the second round.
On June 12, 2006 at AWD-Arena
in Hanover
, Dujković led Ghana in its first ever World Cup match. Unfortunately, it ended unhappily for his team as Italy
beat them easily 2-0.
The Black Stars went into their next match versus Czech Republic
knowing a loss would probably mean elimination. In a very entertaining match, Ghana managed a famous 2-0 win despite missing several clear-cut scoring chances as well as failing to convert a penalty shot.
Third game pitted Dujković's team against the United States
and they delivered once more, beating the Americans 2-1 and qualifying for the Round of 16 where mighty Brazilians were awaiting.
And even though powerhouse Brazil
seemingly dispatched of them easily (3-0), Ghana put in a feisty display. The match contained some controversy too, as crucial second Brazilian goal right before halftime came from an offside that was not given. Dujković took his protest to the referee Ľuboš Micheľ
and reportedly told him sarcastically that he should put on a Brazilian jersey. Micheľ responded by issuing a red card, meaning that Dujković was not on the sideline for the remainder of the game.
Though his contract with Ghana had him committed until December 2006, Dujković resigned his post on July 16, 2006 citing health problems.
Dujković was heavily criticised by the Ghanaian media
, who believed that he had ulterior motives for resigning before the expiration of his contract. Dujković in turn, blamed the media for putting unmerited stress and pressure on him, a move that didn't go down well with the Ghanaian public.
Not long after he left the Ghanaian team, it was reported that he had signed up with China to coach the Chinese Olympic Soccer Team.
also known as China's Olympic team. His main task was preparing the team for the 2008 Olympic Games
on home soil for which the Chinese FA set the ambitious goal of reaching the semifinals.
During late 2006, Dujković led the team in 2006 Asian Games
where they progressed out of the group on top before losing a quarterfinal thriller to Iran u-23
on penalties.
In June 2007, following a string of bad results for China's senior national team led by Zhu Guanghu
, Chinese media started calling for Dujković to take over the coaching duties of the top national side. For his part, Dujković expressed interest, but not before 2008 Olympics. He also ruled out coaching two sides at the same time. Still, he did get involved with the senior team in lesser capacity as the 'general coach' after his countryman Vladimir Petrović took over as head coach in September 2007.
After reiterating that Olympic medal is the goal in early July 2008, Dujković got sacked a week later (and only three weeks before the start of the Olympics) by the Chinese FA. The shocking development came as the culmination of the behind the scenes clashes between two parties. Dujković's assistant Yin Tiesheng
took over on short notice and led the team in the Olympics. The team drew its first group match of the competition
, and lost the remaining two, failing to progress out of the group.
. He thus took over the team that has had plenty of success in the years prior to his arrival and was now looking to continue down the same path. His immediate goal was qualifying
for the 2011 European Under-21 Championship
in Denmark.
His competitive debut took place on September 5, 2009 at home versus Slovakia, and it ended with Serbia losing 1-2 on a goal in injury time. Though two wins followed (away at Norway
and home versus minnows Cyprus
), many criticized the overall play of Dujković's team. After the away 3-1 loss to traditional rivals Croatia
many criticized his player selection as well. As the long qualifying break commenced in November 2009, Dujković's team was in third spot with 9 points, behind Croatia (12) and Slovakia (10).
In early February 2010, Nigeria Football Association
reportedly made preliminary contact with Dujković about taking over the head coaching duties at their national team
. According to what Dujković told Serbian press, the potential deal included coaching Nigeria for four months conclusive with the 2010 World Cup. Furthermore, he publicly expressed interest in the job despite being under contract with Serbian FA (FSS), hoping to be allowed to perform two jobs simultaneously since Serbia u-21 didn't resume playing competitive matches again until August 2010. FSS president Tomislav Karadžić
said Dujković would be released from his contract without penalties should he request so, but ruled out allowing him to perform two jobs at the same time. The Nigerian job eventually went to Lars Lagerbäck
.
On August 11, 2010, qualifying resumed for Serbia with a match away at Slovakia, the first of three must-wins if qualification was to be secured. Playing without Ivan Obradović and Raća Petrović
who were made available to Radomir Antić
's full squad that played a friendly match versus Greece the same day, and also without Adem Ljajić
and Danijel Aleksić
both of whom Dujković didn't even call up reasoning that he needed players who "had more playing time in the recent period and had more experience", Dujković's team had a very poor outing losing 1-2 and thus relinquishing any chance of qualifying for the 2011 European u-21 Championship.
One day after losing to Slovakia, Dujković handed in his resignation, meaning that he didn't lead the team in the remaining two matches of the qualifying. The job went to Tomislav Sivić who finished out the two meaningless qualifiers.
, thus becoming the fourth Serb after Dragoslav Popović, Dragoslav Srijović, and Miloslav Radivojević to lead the Arab nation's football squad. After 14 year absence, Syria was about to take part in the 2011 Asian Cup from January 2011, which was Dujković's first order of business.
However, on 19 December 2010, only two months after getting hired, Dujković got fired by the Syrian FA due to "not returning from vacation on the agreed upon date". For his part, Dujković claimed in the Serbian press that he was not fired, but rather that he quit over Syrian FA's decision not to allow him to bring his own assistant coaches.
In his short stint, Dujković led Syria in only one match - a 2-0 friendly win versus Bahrain.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manager and a former player.
Playing career
Born and raised in Borovo NaseljeBorovo Naselje
Borovo Naselje is a Vukovar borough located on the right bank of the Danube river in the Croatian region of Slavonia, 4 kilometers northwest of Vukovar town centre; elevation 90 m. The economy is based on rubber and shoe industries...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
to an ethnic Serb family, Dujković went to Ivan Goran Kovačić
Ivan Goran Kovacic
Ivan Goran Kovačić was a prominent Croatian poet and writer of the 20th century.-Early life and background:He was born in Lukovdol , a town in Gorski Kotar, to Croatian father Ivan and Jewish mother Ruža . His middle name Goran stems from that...
primary school where he was initially active as a handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
goalkeeper. He was spotted there by Josip Kezdi, at that point an ex-goalkeeper for NK Borovo, who suggested he try football. Dujković took his advice and soon became a goalkeeper in NK Borovo, before earning a move to NK Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
.
On November 29, 1962, NK Osijek juniors took part in the Yugoslav Republic Day tournament in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
where 16-year-old Dujković impressed so much that powerhouse Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
immediately offered a move to their youth system. He accepted right away and only went home to pick up personal belongings.
At Red Star he became part of a new batch of up-and-coming players along with Jovan Aćimović
Jovan Acimovic
Jovan “Kule” Aćimović is a former Serbian football player.On the national level he played for Yugoslavia national team , and was a participant at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and at Euro 1968 and Euro 1976.- References : at Reprezentacija.rs....
, Stanislav Karasi
Stanislav Karasi
Stanislav Karasi is a Serbian striker who played at FIFA World Cup 1974 for SFR Yugoslavia....
, Dragan Džajić
Dragan Džajic
Dragan Džajić is widely considered to have been one of the best Serbian football players to emerge from former Yugoslavia. Regarded as a preeminent and very proficient left winger, he is strongly reputed to have been one of the finest European players of his generation...
, Trifke Mihajlović, etc. - the so called Miljan's babies (after their coach Miljan Miljanić
Miljan Miljanic
Miljan Miljanić is a retired Yugoslav football player, coach and administrator....
). Dujković made his first team debut on June 4, 1964 in a last week tie of the 1963/64 season versus OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
. While at Red Star he played in the 1971
European Cup 1970-71
The 1970–71 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Ajax in the final against Panathinaikos. It was the first time the cup went to Ajax, beginning a three-year period of domination, and the second consecutive championship for the Netherlands...
European Champions Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
semi-final and earned four appearances in Yugoslavia national football team
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
.
In 1974, Dujković moved to Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....
, spending three seasons with the Spanish outfit. He returned to Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
in 1977, joining newly promoted NK Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
and staying with the club for three seasons.
Following the conclusion to 1979/80 campaign, at the end of which NK Osijek got relegated, 34-year-old Dujković made the switch to Galenika Zemun, another second league side, and helped it gain promotion in 1981/82 season. He would not play top flight football again, though, as he promptly retired in the summer of 1982.
Managing career
Dujković's foray into coaching started with the same club he ended his playing days in - Galenika. He was part of their coaching staff during 1982/83 season, which the team finished dead last and got relegated again.Galenika
Dujković's very first head coaching job came in 1983 at Galenika. He led the team to some respectable results in Yugoslav Second League for a couple of seasons, but never gained promotion.In 1987, he accepted an offer from Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
to become the goalkeepers' coach on their staff. For the next 5 years Dujković worked under various head coaches, with the exception of one season that he spent assisting Gojko Zec
Gojko Zec
Gojko Zec was a famous Serbian football manager. He coached OFK Beograd, FK Partizan, FK Borac Banja Luka, NK Rijeka, Red Star Belgrade, Aris, Yugoslavia FK Borac Čačak....
in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Dujković was on the Red Star coaching staff when the team won the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 1991.
Venezuela
Dujković would wait until 1992 for his next head coaching job. He was recommended to the Venezuelan Football Federation by Vladica PopovićVladica Popovic
Vladimir "Vladica" Popović is a former Serbian footballer and manager. The biggest success in his coaching career was winning the Intercontinental Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991....
and Dušan Marović both of whom had playing stints in the country. That, coupled with his knowledge of Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
made Dujković the head coach of Venezuela national football team
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
where he spent three years. Taking over the team of modest expectations, his biggest claims to success might be that under his guidance Venezuela
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
avoided last place in Copa America
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
for the first time in a very long period or that they jumped 29 places on the FIFA list
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
.
Myanmar and a return to Venezuela
Next came the head coaching role at Myanmar'sMyanmar national football team
The Myanmar national football team is the national team of Myanmar and is controlled by the Myanmar Football Federation. It was known as the Burma national football team until 1989, when Burma was renamed Myanmar. It finished second in the 1968 Asian Cup. They have participated in the Summer...
national football team. Dujković qualified them for Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, but eventually quit due to Myanmar's turbulent relationship with FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
.
He returned to Venezuela to Atlético Zulia
Atlético Zulia
Atlético Zulia Fútbol Club was a professional club and the club has won one First Division title in the professional era. The club is based in Maracaibo.-History:...
club side and got the coach of the year honours. Afterwards he also coached Estudiantes and Universidad de Los Andes
Universidad de Los Andes Fútbol Club
Universidad de Los Andes Fútbol Club, usually known as Universidad de Los Andes, or by the acronym ULA, was a Venezuelan football club based in Mérida.-History:...
.
In 2000, Dujković was included on the FR Yugoslavia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
's coaching staff for Euro 2000 under head coach Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov is a retired Serbian football player and coach.Boškov was born in the village of Begeč near Novi Sad, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia). He played with FK Vojvodina for most of his career...
.
Rwanda
Dujković became the coach of the Rwandan football teamRwanda national football team
The Rwanda national football team, nicknamed Amavubi , is the national team of Rwanda and is controlled by the Fédération Rwandaise de Football Amateur...
in late 2001. Rwandan Football Federation sought assistance in their search for a coach from Serbia-Montenegro FA, which in turn recommended Dujković. He admits that at the time he had to look the country up on the map.
Emerging from the horrors of genocide, football provided a welcome distraction for the people of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. The team won 7 of its first 18 matches under Dujković's guidance. He soon gained international acclaim when he led Rwanda into the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
for the first time. Ironically, Rwanda qualified at the expense of Ghana - nation whose national team he would soon take over and lead to 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
- in a memorable qualifier in Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
on July 6, 2003.
At the final tournament
2004 African Cup of Nations
The 2004 African Cup of Nations was the 24th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa . It was hosted by Tunisia. Just like in 2002, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in January 2004, Rwanda
Rwanda national football team
The Rwanda national football team, nicknamed Amavubi , is the national team of Rwanda and is controlled by the Fédération Rwandaise de Football Amateur...
, among the smallest ever to qualify, came within minutes of progressing from the group and entering quarterfinals.
Dujković's contract with Rwanda expired in mid-2004 and he left after failure to agree a new one with Rwandan FA.
Ghana
In September 2004, the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
-born Mariano Barreto
Mariano Barreto
Mariano Barreto is a Portuguese football manager. His last job was an assistant coach in the Russian Premier League with FC Kuban Krasnodar. Barreto was officially registered as head coach of Kuban because Sergei Ovchinnikov, who really managed the team, did not own a UEFA Pro Licence.-External...
quit the Ghana national football team
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
to manage CS Marítimo
CS Marítimo
Club Sport Marítimo MH M, commonly known as just Marítimo , is a Portuguese sports club, founded in Funchal, Madeira, in 1910. The club is regarded as an important club in Portugal, and are widely known throughout the Portuguese speaking world, in countries such as Brazil, Angola, and Cape...
in his native country. A long 3-month search for his replacement followed and it included various candidates (Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
among many others). Finally by late November, the job was offered to Dujković who accepted it in mid-December.
He thus took over the helm of the squad featuring a much greater depth of talent than Rwanda - not to mention the few established stars playing in top European clubs like Sammy Kuffour, Stephen Appiah
Stephen Appiah
Stephen Leroy Appiah is a former Ghana International football midfielder and captain. He is currently a free agent. He has played for several European clubs since 1997 and is currently without a club. Appiah was a member of the Ghana national team, which he has represented at the youth, Olympic,...
and Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
. Naturally, the expectations were also sizable and he was entrusted with the task of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany. He successfully achieved it, leading the side
Side (disambiguation)
Side is a town in the Antalya province of Turkey.Side or Sides may also refer to:* Side * Side * Side , the A-side or B-side of a record* "Side" , by Travis...
to their first ever FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
appearance. The same qualifying tournament was also the qualification for the 2006 African Cup of Nations
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Despite his undeniable success, Dujković faced a lot of opposition all throughout his tenure in Ghana. Many in the country wanted to see a domestic coach lead the national team. Calls for his sacking particularly intensified in January 2006 after an indifferent display at the 2006 African Cup of Nations
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
where Ghana got drawn in a fairly difficult group with Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association. They were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980, when Rhodesia...
. After losing to Nigeria and defeating Senegal, Ghana faced a deciding match against the seeming minnows of the group Zimbabwe who up to that point failed to collect a single point from first two matches. A win would assure progression for Ghana, but they lost 1-2 and failed to move to the second round.
On June 12, 2006 at AWD-Arena
AWD-Arena
The AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96....
in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Dujković led Ghana in its first ever World Cup match. Unfortunately, it ended unhappily for his team as Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
beat them easily 2-0.
The Black Stars went into their next match versus Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
knowing a loss would probably mean elimination. In a very entertaining match, Ghana managed a famous 2-0 win despite missing several clear-cut scoring chances as well as failing to convert a penalty shot.
Third game pitted Dujković's team against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and they delivered once more, beating the Americans 2-1 and qualifying for the Round of 16 where mighty Brazilians were awaiting.
And even though powerhouse Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
seemingly dispatched of them easily (3-0), Ghana put in a feisty display. The match contained some controversy too, as crucial second Brazilian goal right before halftime came from an offside that was not given. Dujković took his protest to the referee Ľuboš Micheľ
Luboš Michel
Ľuboš Micheľ is a former top-level Slovak football referee.Micheľ became a FIFA referee at the age of 25. One big milestone in his career was refereeing the 2003 UEFA Cup Final between Porto and Celtic...
and reportedly told him sarcastically that he should put on a Brazilian jersey. Micheľ responded by issuing a red card, meaning that Dujković was not on the sideline for the remainder of the game.
Though his contract with Ghana had him committed until December 2006, Dujković resigned his post on July 16, 2006 citing health problems.
Dujković was heavily criticised by the Ghanaian media
Media of Ghana
The media of Ghana, now one of the most free in Africa, has previously undergone a series of government overthrows by military leaders and periods of severe restriction. Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees freedom of the press and independence of the media, while Chapter 2...
, who believed that he had ulterior motives for resigning before the expiration of his contract. Dujković in turn, blamed the media for putting unmerited stress and pressure on him, a move that didn't go down well with the Ghanaian public.
Not long after he left the Ghanaian team, it was reported that he had signed up with China to coach the Chinese Olympic Soccer Team.
China Olympic team
On October 10, 2006, Dujković was appointed coach of China national under-23 football teamChina national under-23 football team
The China national under-23 football team, also known as the China Olympic team , represents the People's Republic of China in international football competitions in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments...
also known as China's Olympic team. His main task was preparing the team for the 2008 Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
on home soil for which the Chinese FA set the ambitious goal of reaching the semifinals.
During late 2006, Dujković led the team in 2006 Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games was held in Doha, Qatar from November 18 to December 15, 2006. The opening match was played 14 days prior to the opening ceremony. In this tournament, some 30 teams played in the men's competition, and 8 teams participated in women's competition.Turkmenistan, and...
where they progressed out of the group on top before losing a quarterfinal thriller to Iran u-23
Iran national under-23 football team
Iran national under-23 football team represents Iran in international football competitions in Olympic Games and Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments...
on penalties.
In June 2007, following a string of bad results for China's senior national team led by Zhu Guanghu
Zhu Guanghu
Zhu Guanghu is a Chinese football coach currently under contract with Shaanxi Chanba, and was previously the head coach of the China national football team to 22 August 2007.-Managerial career:...
, Chinese media started calling for Dujković to take over the coaching duties of the top national side. For his part, Dujković expressed interest, but not before 2008 Olympics. He also ruled out coaching two sides at the same time. Still, he did get involved with the senior team in lesser capacity as the 'general coach' after his countryman Vladimir Petrović took over as head coach in September 2007.
After reiterating that Olympic medal is the goal in early July 2008, Dujković got sacked a week later (and only three weeks before the start of the Olympics) by the Chinese FA. The shocking development came as the culmination of the behind the scenes clashes between two parties. Dujković's assistant Yin Tiesheng
Yin Tiesheng
Yin Tiesheng is a Chinese football coach. Yin is the most successful Chinese coach currently in China.-Footballer:As a player, Yin was named Shandong youth team and China national under-20 football team. But he have got hepatitis later and he was retired in 1988.-Shandong:Yin became a successfully...
took over on short notice and led the team in the Olympics. The team drew its first group match of the competition
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
The men's association football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and four other cities in the People's Republic of China from 7 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to enter their men's U-23 teams in regional qualifying competitions, from...
, and lost the remaining two, failing to progress out of the group.
Serbia under-21 team
On July 15, 2009, Dujković was named as the head coach of Serbia national under-21 football teamSerbia national under-21 football team
The Serbia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Serbia and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia....
. He thus took over the team that has had plenty of success in the years prior to his arrival and was now looking to continue down the same path. His immediate goal was qualifying
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 7
The teams competing in Group 7 of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships qualifying competition were Croatia, Cyprus, Norway, Serbia and Slovakia.-Standings:Qualification* Croatia secured a qualification to the UEFA Play-Offs....
for the 2011 European Under-21 Championship
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011....
in Denmark.
His competitive debut took place on September 5, 2009 at home versus Slovakia, and it ended with Serbia losing 1-2 on a goal in injury time. Though two wins followed (away at Norway
Norway national under-21 football team
The Norwegian national under-21 football team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, is the national football team of Norway for players of 21 years of age or under at the start of a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign...
and home versus minnows Cyprus
Cyprus national under-21 football team
The Cyprus national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team for Cyprus and like the senior team, is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association....
), many criticized the overall play of Dujković's team. After the away 3-1 loss to traditional rivals Croatia
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
many criticized his player selection as well. As the long qualifying break commenced in November 2009, Dujković's team was in third spot with 9 points, behind Croatia (12) and Slovakia (10).
In early February 2010, Nigeria Football Association
Nigeria Football Association
The Nigeria Football Federation organises domestic and international football in Nigeria. It was formally launched in 1945 and formed the first Nigerian national football team in 1949. It joined FIFA and the CAF in 1959...
reportedly made preliminary contact with Dujković about taking over the head coaching duties at their national team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
. According to what Dujković told Serbian press, the potential deal included coaching Nigeria for four months conclusive with the 2010 World Cup. Furthermore, he publicly expressed interest in the job despite being under contract with Serbian FA (FSS), hoping to be allowed to perform two jobs simultaneously since Serbia u-21 didn't resume playing competitive matches again until August 2010. FSS president Tomislav Karadžić
Tomislav Karadžić
TOLE LOPOVE JEBEMO TI SVE TOLE LOPOVEEE TOLE LOPOVEEE JEBEMO TI SVEEE is a Serbian businessman and football administrator of Montenegrin origin. Since 2008 he is in his second stint as the president of Serbian Football Association...
said Dujković would be released from his contract without penalties should he request so, but ruled out allowing him to perform two jobs at the same time. The Nigerian job eventually went to Lars Lagerbäck
Lars Lagerbäck
Lars Edvin "Lasse" Lagerbäck is a Swedish football manager and former player, currently managing Iceland....
.
On August 11, 2010, qualifying resumed for Serbia with a match away at Slovakia, the first of three must-wins if qualification was to be secured. Playing without Ivan Obradović and Raća Petrović
Radosav Petrovic
Radosav "Raća" Petrović is a Serbian footballer who plays for English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers as a midfielder.-Early career:...
who were made available to Radomir Antić
Radomir Antic
Radomir Antić is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching....
's full squad that played a friendly match versus Greece the same day, and also without Adem Ljajić
Adem Ljajic
Adem Ljajić is a Serbian footballer who plays as an attacking or right-sided midfielder for Serie A club Fiorentina. He was set to join England's Manchester United from Partizan in January 2010, but they withdrew their option to sign him in December 2009...
and Danijel Aleksić
Danijel Aleksic
Danijel Aleksić is a Serbian footballer who plays for the Greek club AO Kavala on loan from Italian club Genoa C.F.C.-Biography:...
both of whom Dujković didn't even call up reasoning that he needed players who "had more playing time in the recent period and had more experience", Dujković's team had a very poor outing losing 1-2 and thus relinquishing any chance of qualifying for the 2011 European u-21 Championship.
One day after losing to Slovakia, Dujković handed in his resignation, meaning that he didn't lead the team in the remaining two matches of the qualifying. The job went to Tomislav Sivić who finished out the two meaningless qualifiers.
Syria
In mid October 2010, Dujković was announced as the new head coach of Syrian national teamSyria national football team
The Syria national football team represents Syria in association football and is controlled by the Syrian Football Association, the governing body for football in Syria. Syria's home grounds are Abbasiyyin Stadium and Aleppo International Stadium...
, thus becoming the fourth Serb after Dragoslav Popović, Dragoslav Srijović, and Miloslav Radivojević to lead the Arab nation's football squad. After 14 year absence, Syria was about to take part in the 2011 Asian Cup from January 2011, which was Dujković's first order of business.
However, on 19 December 2010, only two months after getting hired, Dujković got fired by the Syrian FA due to "not returning from vacation on the agreed upon date". For his part, Dujković claimed in the Serbian press that he was not fired, but rather that he quit over Syrian FA's decision not to allow him to bring his own assistant coaches.
In his short stint, Dujković led Syria in only one match - a 2-0 friendly win versus Bahrain.