"Abeceda" by Željko Petrović: This is the best team of Buducnost and that's it!

He grew up on the streets of Titograd, transferred his football "flavour" from the concrete to the big field in the Buducnost jersey, and also played with Savićević and with Mijatović, in a strong Dinamo, he shared the dressing room with Boban i With Sukerand was a teammate at Sevilla Diego Maradona.

And even further, although it is difficult to do more, and better, than the above: with PSV he was the champion of the Netherlands, played in the Champions League, was one of the best players of the FR Yugoslavia at the World Cup in France in 1998, he also wore the blue jersey with six flares, making his debut in 1990 for the SFR Yugoslavia against Ivice Osim.

Zeljko Petrovic is one of the rare legends of Buducnost who had no problem "from the start" dictating the strongest team in the 100-year history of the Podgorica club.

He stuck to the criteria and had no dilemmas - these 11 are "concrete" for him:

"Dragoje Lekovic - Miso Folic, Brako Rasovic, Cveto Savkovic, Zoja Vorotovic - Lazar Radovic, Dragoljub Brnovic, Branko Brnovic, Ante Mirocevic - Dejan Savicevic, Predrag Mijatovic!

"It's the alphabet, the alphabet, whatever you want," he adds.

He also explains why he had no dilemma:

"If we want to look at who has made what kind of career while wearing the Buducnost jersey, then there really shouldn't be a chorus. And if we want to choose along friendship lines, who likes whom more, who hangs out with whom, then that team would probably look different."

Petrović had a much bigger dilemma when it came to putting together the second strongest team, so he blurted out:

“The rest of us are the B team!”

Explains:

"So many great footballers, such a history, no matter what. We can widen the circle, branch out, and we would come to not dozens, but hundreds of players who played for Buducnost, who marked eras."

Petrović gives them credit:

"Slavko Vlahovic, p Janko Miročević, who was the 'Branko Zebec of the Future', Vojo Vukcevic... Together they have played thousands of games in the Buducnost jersey and that is worthy of all respect and admiration. Caco Ljumovic, also, well I looked at him like I was watching TV, I wanted to be like him. They are all legends, but I chose a team of the best players who wore the Buducnost jersey.

Petrović pays special recognition and homage to the old, pre-war and post-war players of Buducnost.

“Generations and generations have fought to bring Buducnost from amateurism to professional waters. They paved the way for all of us, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't exist, they laid the foundations of Buducnost. And a big thank you to them for that.”

"Vojo Gardašević, Gano Ceric, Danilo Karadzic, Vuk Darmanovic, Rajko Folic... Well Drago Vucekovic", he was the captain for ten years, a friend told me about him that he kept the entire team in his house, because the club was poor. When he was about to take his salary, he said: 'what a salary, I play for love'. These are the people who created Buducnost, there are many more, we can expand indefinitely," says Petrović, who made his debut for the first team of Buducnost in 1986.

Then it goes further...

"Brush Kovacevic, Mojas Radonjic, Guzo Vujovic, Bajica Martinovic, Zoran Batrović, Mirko Radinovic, so those who played with me: Željko Janović, Rough, Niche... The tea Anto Drobnjak"Many, many great players."

Petrović then returns to his team. In order, from goalkeeper: Dragoje Leković.

“Chilean. Being a representative of the great Yugoslavia, going to the World Cup as a goalkeeper for Buducnost, that was a feat. A lot of goalkeepers from outside came to Buducnost, but when he stepped in goal - no one else came. Buducnost had a lot of great 'homegrown' goalkeepers, from Moma Vujacic, Branislav Djukanovic, from Sasa Petrovic, but 'eel' is number one for me.”

Right back Miso Folic:

"Great as a player, great as a coach. They told me about him, and they didn't even have to - knowing how difficult, almost impossible, it was at the time to move from Buducnost to one of the biggest clubs in Yugoslavia. He moved to Hajduk, won the Cup, and became a legend there."

First stopper, Brano Rašović:

"He is 'concrete'. A man who played in the European Champions Cup final against Real Madrid in 1966 with Partizan, who wore the Borussia Dortmund jersey for five years, who was a member of the Yugoslav national team at the time... It makes you shudder when you see that he played for Buducnost before that. There were many excellent defenders who made careers, played for the national team, like Niša Saveljić, they deserve great respect, but Branko Rašović is without competition for me."

Besides Rašović - Cveto Savković:

"Another 'concrete'. A man who wore the Buducnost jersey for a decade, and then went to Bastia... At that time, when there were no agents, when there was nothing, when only one or two foreigners could play in such clubs. He played in the same one he played in Dragan Dzajic", the best ex-Yu footballer. I guess that says something."

Left back Zoja Vorotović:

"The type of player from that era who could still play today. Strength, passing, speed, height, physique... he had it all," Petrović points out.

And then, in midfield, his predecessor in the PSV Eindhoven jersey, Lazar Radović.

"You should have played for PSV, worn that jersey, talked to older fans, and seen who Lazo Radović was. From Buducnost, through Partizan, to PSV, for a club like that, that was a feat. With all due respect and consideration."

The Brnović brothers, Dragoljub and Branko, complete Željko's midfield:

"Modern, versatile, great players, with great careers. You could put Dragoljub anywhere on the field - left foot, right foot, it didn't matter to him. Branko too - golden Chilean, World and European Championship, Partizan, then Espanyol where he became a legend."

Next comes the fantastic trio: Ante Miročević, Dejan Savićević, Predrag Mijatović.

Petrović didn't want to talk much about Tonk, Deja and Peđa:

"It's pointless to waste four words and it's hard to say something smart. World-class aces. Maybe these younger guys can joke around, but if they knew how difficult it was in the 70s to go to England from Buducnost, to wear the jersey of the national team of the great Yugoslavia from Buducnost. I grew up with Deja and Peđa, played indoor football, played in the meadow... They are the A team, the rest of us are the B team," Petrović concludes, with style.

Playing the 1977 Cup final is like the Europa League final today.

So many great football players, and so few trophies, except for the "seal" in the 1981 Rapan Cup. Petrović, however, has an excuse:

- The league was strong, among the five strongest in Europe. I can also make a comparison, which I believe is adequate: Playing in the Marshal Tito Cup final when Buducnost played in it, in 1977, is like playing in the Europa League final today. I'm sure I'm not exaggerating.

Željko Petrović also pays tribute to the great coaches who led Budućnost.

- From Valok, through Gerum, Duvančić, Špac Poklepović to Milan Živadinović. They all came from the sidelines and left a huge mark, enabling and helping Buducnost reach the level it has reached. And Mojaš Radonjić, the only one who played for Buducnost and was the coach of our club in the great Yugoslavia, not counting Folić - says Petrović.

He also remembers the managers:

- The club was run by people with knowledge and authority, and there was a system. Boško Jabučanin, Vojo Raičević, Bato Bulatović, Mikan Zec... they provided everything we needed and therefore earned great respect.

Two of Petrović's best teams from Buducnost

TIM: Dragoje Lekovic - Miso Folic, Branko Rasovic, Cvetko Savkovic, Zoran Vorotovic - Lazar Radovic, Dragoljub Brnovic, Branko Brnovic, Ante Mirocevic - Dejan Savicevic, Predrag Mijatovic.

B TEAM: Everyone else.