Saša Curcic
Encyclopedia
Saša Ćurčić (born 14 February 1972 in Belgrade
, Serbia
, SFR Yugoslavia
) is a Serbian former football
midfielder
.
Known for his eccentricity
, Ćurčić played for OFK Beograd
(1991–93), Partizan Belgrade
(1993–95), Bolton Wanderers
(1995–96), Aston Villa
(1996–98), Crystal Palace
(1998–99), MetroStars
(1999), and Motherwell
(2000). In Serbia, he goes by the nickname Đani (Gianni).
He also turned out 14 times for the national team of Yugoslavia, and scored one of the most memorable goals in the history of the Premier League
whilst with Bolton.
in the Belgrade suburb of Besni Fok
, Ćurčić was a lively kid who took to football very early. His involvement with the sport came at the expense of everything else, including school as he only completed primary education
.
After playing youth football with several local area clubs, he caught the attention of OFK Beograd
, a more established club that included Ćurčić in their youth system.
. Ćurčić featured in 3 matches that season.
Despite failing to gain promotion on the pitch OFK still got to play in the Yugoslav First League
for the following 1991/92 season due to the withdrawal of Slovenian and Croatian teams (a season that would turn out to be the last in SFR Yugoslavia). Against the backdrop of a country falling apart, Ćurčić became first team regular, playing 24 league matches and scoring 2 goals. His talent and exuberance turned some heads, including the national team head coach Ivica Osim
who gave Ćurčić his international debut on 30 October 1991 in an away friendly versus Brazil.
He continued improving during the 1992/93 season
(first one in FR Yugoslavia) with 3 goals from 32 league appearances, earning himself a big time summer 1993 move to Yugoslav champions FK Partizan
.
, Partizan was in a transitional phase despite coming off the title winning campaign. With team leader Predrag Mijatović
leaving for Valencia CF
and other important players like Vujadin Stanojković
and Zlatko Zahovič
departing as well, it was up to the new arrivals to carry the torch. For his part, Ćurčić responded with a fine overall season (7 goals from 33 league matches), contributing greatly to another Partizan league title with key assists and buildup play.
Next season 1994/95 brought more steady play from Ćurčić (5 goals from 31 league matches) as the offers from abroad started coming in for his services.
He began the 1995/96 season at Partizan (his third with the club), but in October 1995 after 10 league matches (2 goals), Bolton Wanderers put in a £1.5 million transfer bid (Bolton's record fee at the time) and he was on his way to England
signed by the managerial team of Colin Todd
and Roy McFarland
.
stadium on 31 October 1995 versus Arsenal in the Premiership
, Ćurčić quickly settled into the new surroundings. Only nine days later he scored his first goal in English football during a 3rd round League Cup
replay away at Leicester City. The same month he opened his account in the Premier League with a great individual goal versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
.
Entering the 1995/96 campaign Bolton was a club of modest expectations simply trying to survive its first ever season in Premiership
. At the time of Ćurčić's arrival, they were in the middle of a bad losing streak firmly tied to the bottom of the table, and unfortunately, his distinguished season-long form didn't help much. Bolton were easily relegated at the end, despite some results improvement following a mid-season managerial change (dropping of McFarland from the co-managerial team). Still, the season was a success for Ćurčić individually, scoring 7 goals from 33 appearances in all competitions with assists, surging runs, technical ability, and selfless teamwork as the staples of his game. Following the 0-3 FA Cup
third round win away at Bradford City
on January 6, 1996 where Ćurčić scored two goals, opposing team's manager Chris Kamara
called Ćurčić - "a Serbian George Best
".
In addition to playing at a high level, Ćurčić also established himself as a fan favourite, all of which made his departure from the club all the more emotional. Not too keen on playing football in second-tier First Division
, in August 1996 he joined Aston Villa for £4 million.
, but Ćurčić struggled to settle in. Playing on £12,000 weekly wages, he made his Villa debut in the Premier League against Derby County
on 24 August 1996, going on to appear in 22 league matches for the club during the 1996/97 season
mostly deployed in central midfield alongside Mark Draper
and Ian Taylor
. Still, Ćurčić experienced hard time holding a regular first team place as his form from Bolton days was nowhere to be found. Frustrated with the way things were going, in early January 1997, he labeled his move from Bolton to Villa "the biggest mistake I've made in my life" and publicly demanded that he be placed on the transfer list. Although he soon withdrew the request and made up with manager Brian Little
followed by a fine performance in the 3-0 FA Cup
third round replay win versus Notts County during late January (and scoring his first and what turned out to be only Villa goal in the next round against Derby County), Ćurčić was placed on transfer list in late February.
His second season at the club turned out to be even worse. Villa manager Brian Little and Ćurčić never saw eye to eye, but by the time 1997/98 season
started their tense relations turned into a full blown feud. In late August 1997 Ćurčić relaunched his attack on Villa manager in the press, saying he's fed up with the way Little and the directors have treated him by not allowing him an opportunity to show what he can do. Little didn't take such public action kindly and although they made up again after meeting in private with Ćurčić even publicly admitting that he at last settled down at the club, it was obvious that their relationship deteriorated to a point of no repair. As a result Ćurčić would go on to make only 7 league appearances, mostly as a sub, in addition to a few UEFA Cup outings where he had some decent performances. Little resigned in February 1998, but Ćurčić's fate at Villa had already been sealed for a while and there was no reprieve for him under new manager John Gregory. On 26 March 1998 he was sold to Crystal Palace for £1 million. On leaving Villa, Ćurčić still had some words for his former manager:
In the end, Ćurčić's time at Villa is more remembered for his wild lifestyle and eccentric behaviour than anything football related. The trappings of sudden prominence and fortune didn't pass him by and in later interviews he admitted to drug use and out of control partying during his Birmingham days.http://www.dnevnik.rs/arhiva/23-01-2003/Strane/sport.htm One of the bigger oddities of his Villa period was his purchase of a double-decker bus
, which he used to throw parties.
In July 1997, The Times
came out with its list of 50 worst Premier League transfers of all time (period covering 1992-2007): Ćurčić's move from Bolton to Villa made the 16th spot.
all season prior to his arrival. Ćurčić made an immediate impact, notably with a fine performance against Derby County
in which Palace finally recorded a home win. His charisma and quality made him a favourite with the fans, but his application to Palace's fight against relegation at times was questionable. The club were relegated to the Football League amidst a doomed takeover by Mark Goldberg
that eventually led to administration, but Saša remained at the club.
During spring 1999 he famously paraded the Yugoslav flag around the pitch to protest the ongoing NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia
. By that time he appeared to have lost interest in football, being reduced to a handful of substitute appearances for Palace, before leaving as part of cost cutting measures induced by Goldberg's ill-fated tenure as Chairman coming to an un-salubrious end.
He joined MLS side New York Metrostars during summer 1999.
beard sans mustache. Upon his arrival to Major League Soccer
in summer 1999 with the season already in progress, he declared his intention to become the "Dennis Rodman
of MLS". Ćurčić's stint in the league, however, lasted only until the end of the season (nine matches in total). The team had a disastrous season, at one point losing seven matches in a row, and 13 out of 14. Coached by compatriot Bora Milutinović, 27-year-old Ćurčić had some decent outings creating from midfield and even scoring two goals, but nothing could save the season that turned out to be the worst recorded by any club in MLS history.
By January 2000, it was clear that Ćurčić, who already went back to Europe looking for a club, won't be back for the second MLS season. The MetroStars team officially cited a desire to get a goalscorer and not keep a midfield playmaker like Ćurčić, while unofficially reasons for his premature departure ranged from lack of performance to unspecified personal problems.
On 16 March 2000, Ćurčić joined Motherwell
. He only made five appearances for the club, before joining Obilić Belgrade
in his native Serbia
.
In an interview on Sky Sports
in April 2001, Ćurčić who just turned 29 years of age stated that he had retired from football.
Known to enjoy his night-life and his appreciation of the opposite sex, he remarked: 'I would not sign for another club, not even if I was offered 15 million dollars. However, it would be different if they were to instead offer me 15 different women from all around the world. I would tell the club chairman: 'Please let me make these women happy - I will satisfy them like they have never been satisfied before'.
.
Ivica Osim gave the 19-year-old his debut in late October 1991 in Varginha
vs Brazil when the country was still called SFR Yugoslavia. He came on as the 46th minute sub for Siniša Mihajlović
.
as well as on various talk and singing shows such as Oralno doba
, Zvezde Granda
, etc.
On 2 August 2008, more than 7 years after he stopped playing, Ćurčić played the first of his two testimonial matches. This, the first part of his official farewell to football, pitted Partizan 1994 team consisting of former FK Partizan players from the late 1980s and early 1990s such as Zoran Mirković
, Predrag Spasić
, Dragan Ćirić
, Saša Čurović, etc. against FK Pionir from Besni Fok
, one of the teams where Ćurčić played youth football and also a team where he currently coaches the youth squad. Ćurčić played one half for each of the teams. Partizan 1994 won 2:0. The match was played at a ground in Besni Fok.
On 20 September 2009, Ćurčić started appearing on another reality contest - this time it was Farma, locally franchised version of the Swedish series The Farm
. He left the programme on his own initiative within weeks.
It has been rumoured that Ćurčić has been approached by the UK's Channel 4
to participate in the final series of British Celebrity Big Brother
in 2010, after having appeared and won the Serbian equivalent two years earlier, however nothing came of that.
In February 2011 Ćurčić went on yet another reality show in Serbia. This time it was Parovi - the programme featuring couples that live in a big house for a few months while competing for a money prize - which he entered with his girlfriend. His time on the show was marked by drunken outbursts and insult-laced tirades directed at a wide variety of public figures in Serbia, culminating in an on-air physical altercation with Serbian rapper Gru
. As a result Ćurčić was kicked off the show.
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...
, Serbia
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...
, SFR Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
) is a Serbian former 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...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Known for his eccentricity
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
, Ćurčić played for 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...
(1991–93), Partizan Belgrade
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
(1993–95), Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
(1995–96), Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
(1996–98), Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
(1998–99), MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
(1999), and Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
(2000). In Serbia, he goes by the nickname Đani (Gianni).
He also turned out 14 times for the national team of Yugoslavia, and scored one of the most memorable goals in the history of the Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
whilst with Bolton.
Early life
Growing up on the banks of DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in the Belgrade suburb of Besni Fok
Besni Fok
Besni Fok is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade's municipality of Palilula.- Name :...
, Ćurčić was a lively kid who took to football very early. His involvement with the sport came at the expense of everything else, including school as he only completed primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
.
After playing youth football with several local area clubs, he caught the attention of 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...
, a more established club that included Ćurčić in their youth system.
OFK Beograd
Nineteen year old Ćurčić cracked OFK Beograd's first team towards the end of 1990/91 season while the club played in the Yugoslav Second League under head coach Ilija PetkovićIlija Petkovic
Ilija Petković is a retired Serbian footballer. Since the early 1990s he's been a football manager, his most notable appointment being with the Serbia and Montenegro national football team.-Playing career:He started playing football for Dinara Knin...
. Ćurčić featured in 3 matches that season.
Despite failing to gain promotion on the pitch OFK still got to play in the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
for the following 1991/92 season due to the withdrawal of Slovenian and Croatian teams (a season that would turn out to be the last in SFR Yugoslavia). Against the backdrop of a country falling apart, Ćurčić became first team regular, playing 24 league matches and scoring 2 goals. His talent and exuberance turned some heads, including the national team head coach Ivica Osim
Ivica Osim
Ivan "Ivica" Osim is a Bosnian former football player and manager. He was most recently head coach of Japan, before he suffered a stroke in November 2007 and left the post...
who gave Ćurčić his international debut on 30 October 1991 in an away friendly versus Brazil.
He continued improving during the 1992/93 season
First League of FR Yugoslavia 1992-93
The First League of FR Yugoslavia 1992–93 was the first football season in FR Yugoslavia which was composed of the republics of Serbia and Montenegro....
(first one in FR Yugoslavia) with 3 goals from 32 league appearances, earning himself a big time summer 1993 move to Yugoslav champions FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
.
FK Partizan
Coached by Ljubiša TumbakovićLjubiša Tumbakovic
Ljubiša Tumbaković is a Serbian soccer manager. Tumbaković is the most successful coach in the history of Partizan Belgrade where he won six national championships and three national cups...
, Partizan was in a transitional phase despite coming off the title winning campaign. With team leader Predrag Mijatović
Predrag Mijatovic
Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović is a Montenegrin football player and former sports director of Real Madrid. He is considered one of Yugoslavia's best players of the 1990s. He was acclaimed as the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1997...
leaving for Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
and other important players like Vujadin Stanojković
Vujadin Stanojkovic
Vujadin Stanojković is a former Yugoslav/Macedonian football coach and former player. He is of Serbian ethnic origin....
and Zlatko Zahovič
Zlatko Zahovic
Zlatko Zahovič is a retired Slovenian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica, he went on to have unassuming spells in Spain and Greece...
departing as well, it was up to the new arrivals to carry the torch. For his part, Ćurčić responded with a fine overall season (7 goals from 33 league matches), contributing greatly to another Partizan league title with key assists and buildup play.
Next season 1994/95 brought more steady play from Ćurčić (5 goals from 31 league matches) as the offers from abroad started coming in for his services.
He began the 1995/96 season at Partizan (his third with the club), but in October 1995 after 10 league matches (2 goals), Bolton Wanderers put in a £1.5 million transfer bid (Bolton's record fee at the time) and he was on his way to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
signed by the managerial team of Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...
and Roy McFarland
Roy McFarland
Roy Leslie McFarland is an English football manager who was also a player, notably at Derby County where he played 434 league games helping him to earn 28 caps for England.-Playing career:...
.
Bolton Wanderers
Making his Bolton debut at the club's Burnden ParkBurnden Park
Burnden Park was the home of English FA Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers who played home games here between 1895 and 1997. As well as hosting an FA Cup Final replay it was the scene of one of the greatest disasters in English football and the subject of an L. S...
stadium on 31 October 1995 versus Arsenal in the Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, Ćurčić quickly settled into the new surroundings. Only nine days later he scored his first goal in English football during a 3rd round League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
replay away at Leicester City. The same month he opened his account in the Premier League with a great individual goal versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
.
Entering the 1995/96 campaign Bolton was a club of modest expectations simply trying to survive its first ever season in Premiership
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
. At the time of Ćurčić's arrival, they were in the middle of a bad losing streak firmly tied to the bottom of the table, and unfortunately, his distinguished season-long form didn't help much. Bolton were easily relegated at the end, despite some results improvement following a mid-season managerial change (dropping of McFarland from the co-managerial team). Still, the season was a success for Ćurčić individually, scoring 7 goals from 33 appearances in all competitions with assists, surging runs, technical ability, and selfless teamwork as the staples of his game. Following the 0-3 FA Cup
FA Cup 1995-96
The FA Cup 1995-96 was the 115th staging of the world's oldest cup competition, the Football Association Cup or FA Cup. The competition was won outright by Manchester United, who won the final through an Eric Cantona goal five minutes from the end of the game. It gave Manchester United a league and...
third round win away at Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
on January 6, 1996 where Ćurčić scored two goals, opposing team's manager Chris Kamara
Chris Kamara
Chris Kamara is a retired English footballer. He ended his playing career in 1995 and last managed a club in 1998. He is now a presenter and football analyst on Sky Sports.-Playing career:...
called Ćurčić - "a Serbian George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
".
In addition to playing at a high level, Ćurčić also established himself as a fan favourite, all of which made his departure from the club all the more emotional. Not too keen on playing football in second-tier First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, in August 1996 he joined Aston Villa for £4 million.
Aston Villa
The move to Villa Park was ultimately unsuccessful. He joined former Partizan team-mate Savo MiloševićSavo Miloševic
Savo Milošević is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a striker.After making a name for himself at Partizan, he signed for Aston Villa, and went on to spend the vast majority of the following decade playing in Spain, where he represented four clubs, amassing La Liga totals of 241 games and...
, but Ćurčić struggled to settle in. Playing on £12,000 weekly wages, he made his Villa debut in the Premier League against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on 24 August 1996, going on to appear in 22 league matches for the club during the 1996/97 season
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
mostly deployed in central midfield alongside Mark Draper
Mark Draper
Mark Draper is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder and represented England at under-21 level. He currently works as the Kit Man at Notts County.-Career:...
and Ian Taylor
Ian Taylor (footballer)
Ian Kenneth Taylor is an English former footballer, best known for his time at Aston Villa. A midfielder, he had a fifteen year career in the Football League and Premier League, making 478 league appearances....
. Still, Ćurčić experienced hard time holding a regular first team place as his form from Bolton days was nowhere to be found. Frustrated with the way things were going, in early January 1997, he labeled his move from Bolton to Villa "the biggest mistake I've made in my life" and publicly demanded that he be placed on the transfer list. Although he soon withdrew the request and made up with manager Brian Little
Brian Little (footballer)
Brian Little is an English former football player and manager who is currently without a job after being relieved of his duties as manager of Gainsborough Trinity on 22 August 2011. Little has previously managed Darlington, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City,...
followed by a fine performance in the 3-0 FA Cup
FA Cup 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Cup was the 116th season of the world's oldest knockout cup competition, the Football Association cup or FA Cup. The tournament started in August 1996 for clubs from non-league football and the competition proper started in October 1996 for teams from the Premier League and the...
third round replay win versus Notts County during late January (and scoring his first and what turned out to be only Villa goal in the next round against Derby County), Ćurčić was placed on transfer list in late February.
His second season at the club turned out to be even worse. Villa manager Brian Little and Ćurčić never saw eye to eye, but by the time 1997/98 season
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
started their tense relations turned into a full blown feud. In late August 1997 Ćurčić relaunched his attack on Villa manager in the press, saying he's fed up with the way Little and the directors have treated him by not allowing him an opportunity to show what he can do. Little didn't take such public action kindly and although they made up again after meeting in private with Ćurčić even publicly admitting that he at last settled down at the club, it was obvious that their relationship deteriorated to a point of no repair. As a result Ćurčić would go on to make only 7 league appearances, mostly as a sub, in addition to a few UEFA Cup outings where he had some decent performances. Little resigned in February 1998, but Ćurčić's fate at Villa had already been sealed for a while and there was no reprieve for him under new manager John Gregory. On 26 March 1998 he was sold to Crystal Palace for £1 million. On leaving Villa, Ćurčić still had some words for his former manager:
In the end, Ćurčić's time at Villa is more remembered for his wild lifestyle and eccentric behaviour than anything football related. The trappings of sudden prominence and fortune didn't pass him by and in later interviews he admitted to drug use and out of control partying during his Birmingham days.http://www.dnevnik.rs/arhiva/23-01-2003/Strane/sport.htm One of the bigger oddities of his Villa period was his purchase of a double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
, which he used to throw parties.
In July 1997, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
came out with its list of 50 worst Premier League transfers of all time (period covering 1992-2007): Ćurčić's move from Bolton to Villa made the 16th spot.
Crystal Palace
Saša's arrival at Crystal Palace came toward the end of the 1997-98 Premiership season. Palace were struggling near the bottom of the table, without a win at Selhurst ParkSelhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
all season prior to his arrival. Ćurčić made an immediate impact, notably with a fine performance against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in which Palace finally recorded a home win. His charisma and quality made him a favourite with the fans, but his application to Palace's fight against relegation at times was questionable. The club were relegated to the Football League amidst a doomed takeover by Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg is an English football club chairman and manager, who is currently in his third spell with Bromley F.C.-Business:Goldberg originally made his fortune in the IT recruitment industry, becoming a multi millionaire...
that eventually led to administration, but Saša remained at the club.
During spring 1999 he famously paraded the Yugoslav flag around the pitch to protest the ongoing NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
. By that time he appeared to have lost interest in football, being reduced to a handful of substitute appearances for Palace, before leaving as part of cost cutting measures induced by Goldberg's ill-fated tenure as Chairman coming to an un-salubrious end.
He joined MLS side New York Metrostars during summer 1999.
Career ending
Ćurčić has been known to sport a shaved head and a fu manchuFu Manchu moustache
A Fu Manchu moustache is a full, straight moustache that grows downward past the lips and on either side of the chin; and often, the tapered, pointed ends of the moustache hang past the jawline...
beard sans mustache. Upon his arrival to Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in summer 1999 with the season already in progress, he declared his intention to become the "Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
of MLS". Ćurčić's stint in the league, however, lasted only until the end of the season (nine matches in total). The team had a disastrous season, at one point losing seven matches in a row, and 13 out of 14. Coached by compatriot Bora Milutinović, 27-year-old Ćurčić had some decent outings creating from midfield and even scoring two goals, but nothing could save the season that turned out to be the worst recorded by any club in MLS history.
By January 2000, it was clear that Ćurčić, who already went back to Europe looking for a club, won't be back for the second MLS season. The MetroStars team officially cited a desire to get a goalscorer and not keep a midfield playmaker like Ćurčić, while unofficially reasons for his premature departure ranged from lack of performance to unspecified personal problems.
On 16 March 2000, Ćurčić joined Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. He only made five appearances for the club, before joining Obilić Belgrade
FK Obilic
Fudbalski klub Obilić is a football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Named after legendary Serbian medieval hero Miloš Obilić, the club currently competes in the Druga beogradska liga - grupa Dunav .The club's stadium is also named accordingly; to venerate the Serbian knight it is called the...
in his native Serbia
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...
.
In an interview on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
in April 2001, Ćurčić who just turned 29 years of age stated that he had retired from football.
Known to enjoy his night-life and his appreciation of the opposite sex, he remarked: 'I would not sign for another club, not even if I was offered 15 million dollars. However, it would be different if they were to instead offer me 15 different women from all around the world. I would tell the club chairman: 'Please let me make these women happy - I will satisfy them like they have never been satisfied before'.
International
Ćurčić's international football career that spanned 7 years during the 1990s started and ended with away friendlies versus BrazilBrazil 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...
.
Ivica Osim gave the 19-year-old his debut in late October 1991 in Varginha
Varginha
Varginha is a city and municipality in southwest Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The estimated population is approximately 120,000 inhabitants and the area of the municipality is 396.39 km²...
vs Brazil when the country was still called SFR Yugoslavia. He came on as the 46th minute sub for Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlovic
Siniša Mihajlović is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina since June 2010 to November 2011....
.
Post football
On 5 May 2007, Ćurčić entered the Serbian Celebrity Big Brother house and won the contest on 3 June 2007 winning €50,000. The reality show win led to resurgence of popularity for him in Serbia, and he appeared in a series of TV commercials for Mobile Telephony of SerbiaMobile Telephony of Serbia
mt:s or Mobile Telephony of Serbia is the mobile telephone subdivision of Telekom Srbija, which was founded in June 1997 and started operating in August 1998. The company offers a wide range of services to business and private clients, the latest being the 3G technology, introduced in late 2006...
as well as on various talk and singing shows such as Oralno doba
Oralno doba
Oralno doba was a Serbian talk/cabaret show airing nightly on Fox televizija from mid November 2007 until early June 2008. It was hosted by Lane Gutović....
, Zvezde Granda
Zvezde Granda
Zvezde Granda is a televised singing contest in Serbia organized by the Grand Production record label...
, etc.
On 2 August 2008, more than 7 years after he stopped playing, Ćurčić played the first of his two testimonial matches. This, the first part of his official farewell to football, pitted Partizan 1994 team consisting of former FK Partizan players from the late 1980s and early 1990s such as Zoran Mirković
Zoran Mirkovic
Zoran "Bata" Mirković is a former Serbian footballer.-Club career:Mirković made his first appearance for FK Rad during the 1990–91 season. But even before that he and his teammates won the Yugoslav title in the under-21 category, the biggest success this club ever had...
, Predrag Spasić
Predrag Spasic
Predrag Spasić is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a central defender.Over the course of his career Spasić played for FK Radnicki Kragujevac , FK Partizan, Real Madrid, CA Osasuna, Atlético Marbella and FK Radnički Novi Beograd, retiring at only 31.He was capped 31 times for the...
, Dragan Ćirić
Dragan Ciric
Dragan Ćirić is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a midfielder.-Football career:...
, Saša Čurović, etc. against FK Pionir from Besni Fok
Besni Fok
Besni Fok is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the Belgrade's municipality of Palilula.- Name :...
, one of the teams where Ćurčić played youth football and also a team where he currently coaches the youth squad. Ćurčić played one half for each of the teams. Partizan 1994 won 2:0. The match was played at a ground in Besni Fok.
On 20 September 2009, Ćurčić started appearing on another reality contest - this time it was Farma, locally franchised version of the Swedish series The Farm
The Farm (TV series)
The Farm is a reality TV show created by Swedish producer Strix. Sold to more than 40 countries, The Farm is one of their most popular formats, including Survivor, The Bar or Fame Factory. In some countries the series is produced by Endemol, in association with Strix.Like Big Brother format, The...
. He left the programme on his own initiative within weeks.
It has been rumoured that Ćurčić has been approached by the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
to participate in the final series of British Celebrity Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
in 2010, after having appeared and won the Serbian equivalent two years earlier, however nothing came of that.
In February 2011 Ćurčić went on yet another reality show in Serbia. This time it was Parovi - the programme featuring couples that live in a big house for a few months while competing for a money prize - which he entered with his girlfriend. His time on the show was marked by drunken outbursts and insult-laced tirades directed at a wide variety of public figures in Serbia, culminating in an on-air physical altercation with Serbian rapper Gru
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
. As a result Ćurčić was kicked off the show.