Zvezdan Terzic
Encyclopedia
Zvezdan Terzić (born May 21, 1966 in Titov Vrbas, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbia
n retired football player and current administrator of Montenegrin
origin. After being on the run from law since March 2008 following an arrest warrant issued for him in Serbia where he's charged for embezzlement and fraud in regards to transfers of OFK Beograd players, Terzić turned himself in to Serbian authorities on November 11, 2010. He was widely believed to be hiding in Montenegro where he has many personal ties and connections.
Immediately after ending his playing career in 1997, he became involved with OFK Beograd
in administrative role as the club's director.
In January 2005, he became the president of Serbian Football Association
(FSS), an organization that has in July 2006, after Montenegrin secession, become the country's top football governing body. He resigned the post in March 2008 amid controversy.
(1987–1996) before transferring to Kastoria F.C.
during the 1996–97
Greek Alpha Ethniki season where he finished out his playing career.
in 1995. Later, he got a masters degree from Braća Karić University. After retiring from playing football, Terzić joined his old club OFK Beograd in the role of general director. The club was in rough shape, financially strapped and competing in the second-tier level. However, not long after he joined, the club bounced back up to the top league and started producing young talent that was sold directly to foreign teams, thus bypassing the usual route of first joining one of the two big Serbian clubs (Red Star
or FK Partizan
) before going abroad.
By mid 2000s, Terzić was an important factor in Serbian football. With his club a stable member of the top league and a slew of young OFK players that got their exposure through under-21 national team sold abroad, Terzić set his sights on the Serbian FA (FSS), which at the time had regional character only, under the umbrella of national Serbia-Montenegro FA (FSSCG).
On May 21, 2006, the state union of Serbia and Montenegro
dissolved, thus suddenly turning FSS into the nation-wide football association. Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, Terzić assumed his job with newly expanded jurisdctions. As one of his first orders of business, he decided to show the door to national team head coach Ilija Petković
and hire Spaniard Javier Clemente
who thus became the first foreigner behind the national team's bench. Terzic also, the media pressure led by the journalist Mihajlo Todić, decided to change the colors of the national team from the traditional blue to red and insisted that the new national team jersey contain the state coat-of-arms instead of the FA logo.
's Insajder programme aired a six-part investigative series on corruption in Serbian football. Among the variety of individuals and events mentioned, Terzić was accused of fixing matches while at the helm of OFK Beograd during early 2000s, often with his close friend Brano Mićunović, Montenegrin gangster and at the time FK Sutjeska president. Terzić was also accused of strong-arming talented, young, and up-and-coming Serbian players from various domestic clubs into joining OFK Beograd by supposedly using his position at Serbian FA in order to block their access to the Serbian national under-21 football team
unless they signed with OFK Beograd. Once they've joined OFK, he would make sure they get enough exposure through the u-21 team and sell them for sizable amounts to richer European clubs.
In late January 2008, at the height of the controversy and public scandal that erupted as a result of the TV programme, Terzić left Serbia claiming he's in the United States to attend the "professional development course" at Northcentral University
in Prescott Valley, Arizona
, promising to be back in the country by February 27. After not coming back by the said date, he gave a phone interview in early March 2008 to Večernje novosti
newspaper saying he'll first stop off in London to take care of a "skiing injury he picked up in early February" while once again reiterating that he'll be back in the country.
Once again, he never showed up, and his whereabouts from this point until November 2010 are unknown, although he's widely believed to have spent that entire time in Montenegro where he has many personal ties and connections.
to Hamburger SV
in 1998.
Terzić resigned his post as the Serbian FA president from an unknown location on March 12, 2008.
On April 14, 2008, the District Persecutor's Office in Belgrade opened an investigation into to case against Terzic as it relates to the Grubač transfer. On July 10, 2008, the Serbian arrest warrant got Interpol
-wide character.
On December 18, 2008, the Serbian police investigation against Terzić got expanded to look into charges brought in by the Serbian state persecutor's office that Terzić (along with Vladimir Bulatović and Dražen Podunavac) also illegally profited on transfer of Branislav Ivanović
from OFK to Lokomotiv Moskva and Stevan Stošić
from OFK to Málaga CF
in 2006.
On December 20, fugitive Terzić's letter to Sportski žurnal
daily sports paper got published. In it he defends his position by claiming he did things in line with what everyone else was doing at the time.
and OFK Beograd
at Jaz Beach
sports complex. Shortly, Montenegrin police issued a press release saying that their action was a case of mistaken identity and that the man arrested was not Zvezdan Terzić. The police didn't release the full identity of their "wrongfuly arrested man", only his initials V.J. and his town of residence - Nikšić
. However, many witnesses who saw the arrest during the match confirmed to various press outlets that the arrested man was in fact Terzić and that the Montenegrin police simply let him go shortly after taking him in.
The entire fiasco led to speculation that Terzić enjoys protection from highest echelons of Montenegrin regime.
(also a politician and former Serbian Minister of Justice in the government of Zoran Đinđić
) held a press conference during which he called on the Serbian persecutor's office to stop proceedings against his client due to "there not being any evidence that he made any illegal financial gains". He also called the case against his client "political", referring to the December 6, 2007 article in Politika
daily as "planted by the paper's political mentors at the time". He also made several veiled references about former Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica
and former Minister of the Interior Dragan Jočić
being behind the "media witch hunt against Terzić".
In anticipation of the indictment against his client being unveiled, during June 2009, Batić offered to put up Terzić's house in Bačka Topola
as a garantuee his client would not run from law in return for being able to face the charges as a free man. The authorities did not respond to the offer.
On November 12, 2010, Terzić turned himself in to the Serbian authorities. He got placed in detention at Belgrade's Central Prison. In June 2011 he was released from detention after posting a €1 million bail.
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 retired football player and current administrator of Montenegrin
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
origin. After being on the run from law since March 2008 following an arrest warrant issued for him in Serbia where he's charged for embezzlement and fraud in regards to transfers of OFK Beograd players, Terzić turned himself in to Serbian authorities on November 11, 2010. He was widely believed to be hiding in Montenegro where he has many personal ties and connections.
Immediately after ending his playing career in 1997, he became involved with 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...
in administrative role as the club's director.
In January 2005, he became the president of Serbian Football Association
Football Association of Serbia
The Football Association of Serbia is the governing body of football in Serbia, based in Belgrade. It organizes Serbian football leagues, namely the Serbian Superliga, the Serbia national football team, as well as the Second Leagues....
(FSS), an organization that has in July 2006, after Montenegrin secession, become the country's top football governing body. He resigned the post in March 2008 amid controversy.
Playing career
Terzić played for AIK Bačka Topola and OFK BeogradOFK 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...
(1987–1996) before transferring to Kastoria F.C.
Kastoria F.C.
Kastoria FC, or AGS Kastoria , the Athletic and Gymnastic Association of Kastoria, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Kastoria, Macedonia, Greece.-History:...
during the 1996–97
Alpha Ethniki 1996-97
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1996-97' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;*NotesAris had -3 points-Match table:Match changes:-External links:* * * *...
Greek Alpha Ethniki season where he finished out his playing career.
OFK Beograd
Simultaneously with playing Terzić also pursued his education, earning a degree in economics from the University of BelgradeUniversity of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
in 1995. Later, he got a masters degree from Braća Karić University. After retiring from playing football, Terzić joined his old club OFK Beograd in the role of general director. The club was in rough shape, financially strapped and competing in the second-tier level. However, not long after he joined, the club bounced back up to the top league and started producing young talent that was sold directly to foreign teams, thus bypassing the usual route of first joining one of the two big Serbian clubs (Red Star
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...
or 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...
) before going abroad.
By mid 2000s, Terzić was an important factor in Serbian football. With his club a stable member of the top league and a slew of young OFK players that got their exposure through under-21 national team sold abroad, Terzić set his sights on the Serbian FA (FSS), which at the time had regional character only, under the umbrella of national Serbia-Montenegro FA (FSSCG).
Serbian FA
Ahead of the FSS presidential race, Terzić got endorsed for the job by both Red Star and Partizan representatives. At the elections held on January 22, 2005, Terzić got unanimous delegate support after his only opponent Nebojša Leković dropped out of the race. Not even 39 years of age at the time, Terzić fostered an image of a young, dynamic, modern, and reform-oriented football administrator.On May 21, 2006, the state union of Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
dissolved, thus suddenly turning FSS into the nation-wide football association. Following the 2006 FIFA 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...
, Terzić assumed his job with newly expanded jurisdctions. As one of his first orders of business, he decided to show the door to national team head coach Ilija Petković
Ilija 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...
and hire Spaniard Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente Lázaro, is a Spanish football manager. The veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. He was also the the first foreign manager of Serbia. His most recent...
who thus became the first foreigner behind the national team's bench. Terzic also, the media pressure led by the journalist Mihajlo Todić, decided to change the colors of the national team from the traditional blue to red and insisted that the new national team jersey contain the state coat-of-arms instead of the FA logo.
Controversy
Terzić's position at Serbian FA, as well as his past administrative posts in Serbian football, came under severe public scrutiny in early 2008 after B92 televisionB92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
's Insajder programme aired a six-part investigative series on corruption in Serbian football. Among the variety of individuals and events mentioned, Terzić was accused of fixing matches while at the helm of OFK Beograd during early 2000s, often with his close friend Brano Mićunović, Montenegrin gangster and at the time FK Sutjeska president. Terzić was also accused of strong-arming talented, young, and up-and-coming Serbian players from various domestic clubs into joining OFK Beograd by supposedly using his position at Serbian FA in order to block their access to the Serbian national under-21 football team
Serbia 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....
unless they signed with OFK Beograd. Once they've joined OFK, he would make sure they get enough exposure through the u-21 team and sell them for sizable amounts to richer European clubs.
In late January 2008, at the height of the controversy and public scandal that erupted as a result of the TV programme, Terzić left Serbia claiming he's in the United States to attend the "professional development course" at Northcentral University
Northcentral University
Northcentral University is a private, for-profit, accredited university based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, that offers distance education. It was established in 1996 and is currently owned by Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC, Falcon Investments, LLC, and the school's founder, Donald Hecht...
in Prescott Valley, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, promising to be back in the country by February 27. After not coming back by the said date, he gave a phone interview in early March 2008 to Večernje novosti
Vecernje novosti
Večernje novosti is a Belgrade-based daily newspaper. Founded in 1953, it quickly grew into a high-circulation daily.It first appeared on stands on October 16, 1953 edited by Slobodan Glumac who set the newspaper's tone for years to come...
newspaper saying he'll first stop off in London to take care of a "skiing injury he picked up in early February" while once again reiterating that he'll be back in the country.
Once again, he never showed up, and his whereabouts from this point until November 2010 are unknown, although he's widely believed to have spent that entire time in Montenegro where he has many personal ties and connections.
Terzić on the run: Arrest warrant and court case in absentia
On March 4, 2008 Serbian police have issued an arrest warrant for Terzić on embezzlement charges. Police accused him of illegally receiving about $840,000 when he was the director of OFK Belgrade by selling Vanja GrubačVanja Grubac
Vanja Grubač is a Montenegrin former football player.He began his career with FK Sutjeska and played for OFK Beograd, Le Havre AC, S.C...
to Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
in 1998.
Terzić resigned his post as the Serbian FA president from an unknown location on March 12, 2008.
On April 14, 2008, the District Persecutor's Office in Belgrade opened an investigation into to case against Terzic as it relates to the Grubač transfer. On July 10, 2008, the Serbian arrest warrant got Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
-wide character.
On December 18, 2008, the Serbian police investigation against Terzić got expanded to look into charges brought in by the Serbian state persecutor's office that Terzić (along with Vladimir Bulatović and Dražen Podunavac) also illegally profited on transfer of Branislav Ivanović
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and the Serbia national team....
from OFK to Lokomotiv Moskva and Stevan Stošić
Stevan Stošic
Stevan Stošić is a Serbian footballer who currently plays for FK Napredak Kruševac, as a midfielder.-Football career:...
from OFK to Málaga CF
Málaga CF
Málaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
in 2006.
On December 20, fugitive Terzić's letter to Sportski žurnal
Sportski žurnal
Sportski žurnal is a Belgrade-based sports daily. Each day, about half of its pages are devoted to football, whereas the rest deal with, in order of importance, basketball, volleyball, waterpolo, handball, tennis, auto racing, skiing, boxing, cycling etc...
daily sports paper got published. In it he defends his position by claiming he did things in line with what everyone else was doing at the time.
Arrest and release in Montenegro
On Saturday, February 21, 2009, Montenegrin police arrested a man believed to be Zvezdan Terzić at the friendly match between FK MogrenFK Mogren
FK Mogren is a football club based in Budva, Montenegro, currently competing in the Montenegrin First League.-History:The club was founded in 1920.The Mogren at its inception called Budva FK, and from 1991 was called FK Mogren....
and 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...
at Jaz Beach
Jaz Beach
Jaz is a beach in the Budva Municipality in Montenegro. It is located 2.5 km west of Budva city. It consists of two parts, one 850 m long and the other, formerly a nudist beach, 450 m long...
sports complex. Shortly, Montenegrin police issued a press release saying that their action was a case of mistaken identity and that the man arrested was not Zvezdan Terzić. The police didn't release the full identity of their "wrongfuly arrested man", only his initials V.J. and his town of residence - Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
. However, many witnesses who saw the arrest during the match confirmed to various press outlets that the arrested man was in fact Terzić and that the Montenegrin police simply let him go shortly after taking him in.
The entire fiasco led to speculation that Terzić enjoys protection from highest echelons of Montenegrin regime.
Batić joins the defense team
On April 5, 2009, Terzić's lawyer Vladan BatićVladan Batic
Vladan Batić was a Serbian politician. He graduated from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law. He was the Minister of Justice in the Serbian Government from 2000 to 2003. It 2001, Batić announced that warrants would be made for the arrests of former persons in power before the 5 October...
(also a politician and former Serbian Minister of Justice in the government of Zoran Đinđić
Government of Serbia (2001-2004)
In the first post-Milošević Serbian parliamentary elections held on December 20, 2000, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition won 64.7% of the popular vote translating into 176 seats in the Serbian National Assembly ....
) held a press conference during which he called on the Serbian persecutor's office to stop proceedings against his client due to "there not being any evidence that he made any illegal financial gains". He also called the case against his client "political", referring to the December 6, 2007 article in Politika
Politika
Politika is a Serbian newspaper. It is considered the newspaper of record and is the oldest daily in the Balkans, having been founded on January 25, 1904 by Vladislav Ribnikar. It is currently being published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines , a joint venture between Politika AD and...
daily as "planted by the paper's political mentors at the time". He also made several veiled references about former Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica
Vojislav Koštunica is a Serbian politician, statesman and the president of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was the last President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, succeeding Slobodan Milošević and serving from 2000 to 2003...
and former Minister of the Interior Dragan Jočić
Dragan Jocic
Dragan Jočić is the former Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica. He was born in Belgrade in 1960....
being behind the "media witch hunt against Terzić".
In anticipation of the indictment against his client being unveiled, during June 2009, Batić offered to put up Terzić's house in Bačka Topola
Backa Topola
Bačka Topola is a town and municipality in the North Bačka District of Vojvodina, Serbia...
as a garantuee his client would not run from law in return for being able to face the charges as a free man. The authorities did not respond to the offer.
Indictment unveiled and Terzić turns himself in
After more than two years of information gathering, on July 7, 2010, the Higher Public Persecutor's Office in Belgrade submitted an indictment against Terzic and three other individuals (OFK Beograd officials Milovan Ikodinović and Vladimir Bulatović as well as player-agent Dražen Podunavac) over the misaroproation of funds during transfers of Vanja Grubač, Stefan Stošić, Branislav Ivanović, and Srđan Stanić.On November 12, 2010, Terzić turned himself in to the Serbian authorities. He got placed in detention at Belgrade's Central Prison. In June 2011 he was released from detention after posting a €1 million bail.