They called him Vojo Britva.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, he dominated defense, but he also crossed the line and was dangerous in attack, wearing the jersey of the then second-league Buducnost, which played in the first final of the Marshal Tito Cup in 1965. He played for two seasons for the first-league Sutjeska, and he (and the oldest audience) remembers that the end of Bistrica and To Dragan Džajić pushed the ball through his legs. In the Dutch Zvole he played together with Ivica Osim, and when he moved to the Middle East to develop his coaching career, working in Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan, he was given the nickname - "the sun king".
He is Vojo Gardašević, 85 years old, one of the oldest living legends of Buducnost, the club whose jersey he proudly wore for almost a decade.
It is with Gradašević that we begin a series of interviews with the legends of the Podgorica club as part of the survey "We choose the ideal team of the future", dedicated to the centenary of the largest Montenegrin football brand.
Titograd in the 50s and 60s: a small town, a big club, and a full stadium. What was it like to wear the Buducnost jersey?
- Pride, honor, popularity... And all of that was accompanied by my great love for football and the club, so I easily completed the tasks set. Playing for Buducnost was a dream come true, my love, my life. I have remained in the world of football to this day. Titograd was a small town at the time, and the most beautiful and popular place was the Buducnost stadium. There was always a need for more space, and Gorica was one of them. Those who did not manage to get a place at the stadium managed to do so in various ways, even climbing trees to watch their pets - says Gardašević.
What did Budućnost represent to Titograd, Montenegro, and all of Yugoslavia at that time?
- Buducnost was the other name of Titograd and Montenegro. Since I went abroad early, to the Netherlands, when asked where I was from, I would answer: from Titograd, I played for Buducnost. Yugoslavia was recognizable as a football power and for its big clubs, and Buducnost was there.
You played with the "blues" in the first final of the Marshal Tito Cup, in 1965. What are your memories of the match and, unfortunately, the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb?
- It was May 26, 1965, a large number of fans from Montenegro came to Belgrade. The stadium was packed, and Dinamo was very strong, having previously eliminated Partizan and Red Star without conceding a goal. I started the game and left the game in the 15th minute, due to a muscle injury. Soon after that, we conceded the first goal (Cheat), and through Zambata and the second. Franović scored a goal from a nice move, but the score remained 2:1 from the first half until the end. We were one step away from a great success - Gardašević remembers.
Any matches that you particularly remember?
- At the age of 18, I played for the youth team of Yugoslavia, I played as a national team player in Bucharest. That match recommended me for the first team of Buducnost. The away game in Dubrovnik came quickly, where I was a first-team player, and then came the match against Željezničar where I played the entire match against Ivica Osim and was one of the best on the field. Those are my memories of the first games in the Buducnost jersey, and of course I remember the Cup final when I made a sharp foul at the beginning of the game. The referee came running up to me and when I was expecting a red card, he approached me and so that no one could hear, he said: 'just keep going and don't be afraid.' He gave me a yellow card and called a foul.
I also remember a game against Vojvidina, but also a match in the Sutjeska jersey against Red Star.
- Taking penalties was my job. In the game against Vojvodina, I took a penalty that was cancelled. The goalkeeper saved it, but he was moving on the goal line, and the rule was that he was not allowed to move. My teammate Milić asked me to take a second penalty, but I didn't let him. I took another shot and scored. I have never missed a penalty! My favorite trick was a fake that was rarely used by players, but is still used today. I also remember a detail from the Sutjeska jersey when I slipped the ball through Džajić's legs. After that, I left the field as if I had been injured. I received a big round of applause, because it was a great duel - one to remember. The result was 2:3, I scored the second goal, over a living wall.
Thus, with a distance of six decades, Vojo Gardašević speaks. And - "I would do it all again." That is the title of his autobiography, which will soon be promoted.
A coach who puts together the ideal team would never be a loser.
When asked to put together the ideal Buducnost team for the club's 100th anniversary, Vojo Gardašević answered sarcastically:
- It's difficult to put together the ideal 11. A coach who could do that would never be a loser.
Instead of the ideal 11, he gives advice to younger coaches - what is important for success:
- The importance of good scouting, developing young talents, creating good teamwork, strategic planning. The coach has the best vision to adapt the team and create the ideal team - that's my answer to the question.
Bonus video:
