The President of the Football Association of Montenegro, Dejan Savićević, was awarded the Order of the Montenegrin Flag, First Class, on the occasion of May 21st, the Independence Day of our country.
At today's ceremony at the Residence in Cetinje, Savićević was honored by President Jakov Milatović with the Order, which is awarded for special merits for Montenegro.
Savicevic expressed his gratitude and emphasized the importance of this recognition for him.
"This award, a recognition for my modest contribution to the recognition of Montenegro internationally, surpasses all the achievements and recognitions I have won during my playing career. Montenegro is not just a territory defined by borders or a place on a geographical map, Montenegro is the heart of every one of our inhabitants, a house of rich history and culture, the birthplace of greats of Serbian art, science and sports, a land of incredible landscapes and beauty, from the shores of the Adriatic Sea to the peaks of Durmitor," said Savićević.
He adds that Montenegro is more than that...
"An ideal worth fighting for and living for, following in the footsteps of the greats who spread the glory of our country around the world. In every appearance on the football field, in the jerseys of all the teams I played for, but also the national team of the former state, it was an honor for me to represent Montenegro and to be its best ambassador to the best of my abilities. The dream that I did not achieve, to play in the jersey of the Montenegrin national team, I am trying to fulfill by fighting for the progress of Montenegrin football from the role of the president of the Federation in the hope that, together with a great generation of our national team players, I will have the opportunity to stand still, overwhelmed with emotions, while our anthem is played at the World or European Championship matches. I have been and will be maximally dedicated to the mission of prosperity of our football and our country," said, among other things, Savićević.
Explaining the award of the Order, Milatović emphasized Savićević's contribution to the recognition of Montenegrin sports.
"To the celebrated athlete, long-time president of the Football Association of Montenegro and a symbol of Montenegrin and Yugoslav football, for his contribution to the recognition of Montenegrin sport. Football fans in our country remember him from the time when he wore the jersey of Podgorica's Buducnost, while he reached the heights of football glory in the jerseys of Crvena Zvezda and Milan, with whom he was the European club champion in 1991 and 1994. After the restoration of independence, he was elected the first president of the Football Association of Montenegro, under whose leadership the Association was admitted to FIFA and UEFA in 2007, while in 2017 he became a member of the FIFA Council, the highest executive body of the world football organization."
In addition to Savićević, at today's ceremony, state decorations were also received by Prof. Zoran Rašović, Dr. Tatjana Motrenko Simić, Vanja Ćalović Marković, Snežana Dragićević, Goran Radević, Mirsad Serhatlić and Božidar Ivanović.
Bonus video:
