The first memory of football and football passion seemed to determine his career. Branislav DjukanovicHe remembers, as he says - as if it were yesterday - the events of 1969.
- It was exactly March 2nd, I was 10 years old, Partizan was playing away in the SFRY Cup. The stadium was full. We were leading 1:0, Rade Sakovic scored a goal, and Partizan won 3:2, with a goal Ilija Katic in the 105th minute. I remember that Partizan fans from what was then Titograd occupied the Crna Gora hotel - they literally didn't let the players in, so they could see them, touch them... As a boy, it was interesting to me, I also found myself in the crowd in front of the entrance. We called the man who welcomed the hotel guests De Gaulle, because of his uniform and cap, but he couldn't stop the crowd either. Not even the "real" De Gaulle could. Security came out, the pushing started, I got hit, by accident...", says, more than five decades later, the long-time goalkeeper of Buducnost.
And why did boyish curiosity and that particular match, in a way, determine Đukanović's sporting path? Because he was fascinated by football and everything about football, but also because Buducnost and Partizan are the clubs where he spent the longest and most beautiful part of his career. Buducnost, however, is above all - both then and now...
- My club from my city. It is much more than sport. For me, Buducnost is both a love of football and a football institution. Bigger than all the players and coaches, all the officials. It was and remains - and must remain.
He made his debut for the first team of Buducnost in 1980 against OFK Belgrade (0:0). For seven years, including the mandatory 12 months in the army, he was the goalkeeper of the “blues”. Interestingly, he also celebrated his wedding in goal.
- Đorđe Gerum was the coach that year, 1982, there was no way I wouldn't defend against Sloboda from Tuzla, even though I had a wedding scheduled that Sunday. At noon Anka and I signed at the municipality, straight from the signing to the hotel, then to the game - and the wedding party in the stands. Me in goal, and tired from the obligations in the morning and the day before, I fell asleep at half-time. I remember that I was Ljubo Radunovic washed during the break to wake me up. At least we won 1:0 - Đukanović recounts with a laugh and adds:
- It all paid off a day later. I injured my shoulder during a light workout and ended up in a cast.
Such a thing would not be possible nowadays.
- The romance of life and sports has been lost. Other times - much more beautiful for me and my generation. We remember matches, victories and defeats, but we also remember adventures and unusual situations that do not exist today. I would say - unfortunately. Today, it seems to me, everything comes down to interest. We enjoyed football, the environment. I am not saying that we were not interested in the material side - football was our calling and job. There were periods when there was money in the club, but also days when there was not a single dinar - without a salary for three, four, five months, but our relationship towards the club and the fans was no different. Even in difficult moments, we found the beautiful sides of football and Buducnost.
From the field, Đukanović has a lot to tell. He was part of the great generation of the mid-80s, a team that "set fire" to the then Titograd and the greater Yugoslavia, with attractive football and extremely talented players. And which could have done much more...
- My biggest regret is that we didn't reach the final of the SFRY Cup in the 1986/87 season. We played in the semi-finals, were eliminated by Rijeka, although we were close to elimination in the round of 16. We lost to Velež in Titograd 3:2, and in the second leg in Mostar we played without five first-team players. Velež crushed us from the start, and I was catching everything - and I defended and the ball hit me. We took the lead, and at 1:0 I saved a penalty Semir Tuceu. Later we score another goal and we go through. Unfortunately, not to the final, but it's one of my best games in goal for Buducnost.
What was missing for Buducnost, even when it was at its strongest, to not stop one step away from great success?
- It's hard to explain. It's like we didn't know how to position ourselves when we got close, like we weren't used to being the best as a team when it mattered most.
Penalties in Belgrade
In addition to the duel against Velež pod Bijeli brijeg in the Cup, the match that marked Branislav Đukanović's career was played at the JNA Stadium, in August 1986.
While Dejan Savićević was building his reputation as the best football player in Yugoslavia at the time, and in that match against Partizan in Belgrade, "when he wanted - he did what he wanted", as described in the Sport report, Đukanović grew into a superhero - he saved two penalties and brought a big point to Buducnost against the favorites (1:1).
- First I stopped Miloš Đelmaš in the middle of the second half, and then Milko Đurovski about ten minutes before the end. With that second penalty, Đurovski turned away from the ball just as Pešterac signaled to me to shoot to the left. I think Đurovski saw that - I decided to go to the right and hit the side. The score remained 1:1.
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The following season, Đukanović played for Partizan.
- They've been following me for a long time, and that game was crucial for me to come.
He stayed at Partizan for one season, then returned to Montenegro - but to Sutjeska - to close the circle in 1989: Buducnost was Đukanović's first and last club.
- I suffered a serious injury - a broken leg - and decided enough was enough.
Tonko - the greatest legend, Dejo - the essence of football
As someone who played with many great aces of Montenegrin and Yugoslav football, and who remembers numerous aces of the older generation, Đukanović, as he says, had a difficult task of choosing the ideal 11 of Buducnost.
- I had to make a selection, I regret not putting great players like Miš and Rajko Folić, Milan Stanić, Drago Kovačević, Mac Rogošić in the team... I watched them, but I don't remember the details, so I decided that the best team would include players I know better from the field.
Momčilo Vujačić is in goal.
- He was one of the best goalkeepers in Yugoslavia while he defended in Celik Zenica. Why he was so good - he showed it in Buducnost. An exceptional goalkeeper, an exceptional personality as well.
As right back - Slavko Vlahović.
- An example of a professional. A model of how a football player should train, run and play.
Left side - Dragoljub Brnović.
- Huge potential, I don't think he showed it to the fullest. A talent that is rarely born, if he had invested a little more in himself I think the sky would be the limit. Željko Janović still has a headache from his crosses, he hit them by a millimeter.
In the central part of the defense, the tandem Janko Miročević - Vojislav Vukčević.
- Janko Miročević - everything I said about Slavko Vlahović applies to him as well. An example of a professional on and off the field. Vojo Vukčević - a brave defender, exceptional in the air and with a natural sense of jumping. He could have done much more in his career if he had gone to Red Star, and he should have - says Đukanović.
There was no dilemma in the middle of the field.
- Ante Miročević - the club's greatest legend, because he is a top footballer, who spent almost his entire career in Buducnost, playing at the highest level. Everything he did - he did on the move, at a time when football was going in that direction. A forerunner of the modern player, with fantastic solutions at every moment.
With Tonko, Petar Ljumović.
- A connoisseur. Perfect technique. He also played libero a few times. I remember against the Austrian Wacker in the Rapan Cup, how he dribbled the Austrian players with his "fake" moves as the last player in defense. He was so strong with the ball and so confident in himself.
For Dejan Savićević, Đukanović says that from the first time he touched the ball, he was destined to "touch the stars".
- A master, on the right, on the left, through the middle... His first game in the first team - the ball through Zvezda Banković's legs, then a goal. It was immediately clear that a star was born. So much individual and attacking class, it was a sin to burden him with defensive work. His game is the essence of football.
There is also Dragan Vujović.
- A great dribbler, sometimes it seemed like he was having fun, playing for his own good, and he did that so well. And it's because of players like that that people love football.
In attack, the first choice is Žarko Vukčević.
- It's a shame he didn't do more, given the qualities he had, he could have done more. But he himself said that football wasn't his first choice, but that he wanted to get an education. And he graduated while playing football at a high level, with two, sometimes three training sessions a day, preparations, and travel. That's something to be very respectful of.
And finally, Predrag Mijatović.
- He wasn't at Buducnost for long, he was a miracle player. If it weren't for a miracle, he wouldn't have come to Real Madrid, entered the history of the greatest club, and he showed how intelligent and capable he is, how complete a football personality he is, even after his career - not everyone can be a Real Madrid director.
Branislav Đukanović's two best teams
Branislav Đukanović's ideal team looks like this:
Momcilo Vujacic - Slavko Vlahovic, Vojislav Vukcevic, Janko Mirocevic, Dragoljub Brnovic - Petar Ljumovic, Ante Mirocevic, Dragan Vujovic, Dejan Savicevic - Zarko Vukcevic, Predrag Mijatovic.
The second team consists of:
Dragoje Leković - Miodrag Božović, Nisa Saveljić, Branislav Drobnjak - Dušan Vlaisavljević, Zoran Vorotović, Momir Bakrac, Branko Brnović, Mirko Radinović - Zeljko Janović, Anto Drobnjak.
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