I would do it all again - says the man who gave everything to football, Vojo Gardašević: This is what you live for

I would do it all again - was the title of a recent, first in a series of interviews with "Vijesti" legends - with Vojo Gardašević.

The title, of course, was not "coincidental".

He's been in football for eight decades and says - I'd do it all again!

He has placed eight decades, bound, into nearly 200 pages, and at the promotion of the book, his life's work, the hall of the "Radosav Ljumović" National Library was too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to, and who simply had the right to be there.

And the greatest legends of Montenegrin football were there: Dejan Savićević, Ante Miročević, and not only them...

Above them, at the podium, a man who has been through everything - from the cobblestones of Titograd, growing up in the horrors of war, to being part of the first great generation of Buducnost, which played in the Marshal Tito Cup final in 1965, the episode in Sutjeska, playing days in the Netherlands, but also the intense, inevitable coaching trials - in Asia, Africa, the Middle East: in Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Kenya, Seychelles...

"I gave my heart to football, football gave me life. And my lifelong dream has come true. And if I could choose - I would do it all over again," said Gardašević, to applause.

"I would do it all again - says the man who gave everything," said journalist and publicist Branko Krivokapić, who helped Vojo write the vivid work, at the opening of the evening.

""There are people who play football, those for whom it is a calling, profession or craft, but there are also those who live it. We have gathered to pay homage to a man who is living football in his ninth decade. Let's talk about the dreams of a boy from the Titograd macadam, who set out on a great journey. Often with empty pockets, but full of soul," said Krivokapić, describing the work as "the history of a passion."

The editor of the sports editorial office of Television Vijesti, Aleksandar Radović, said that this is not just a story about the connection between Vojo Gardašević and the most beautiful game.

"It's a story about a time, about Podgorica as it once was, about growing up, about family, and then also a story about, I would say, the courage to embark on a journey into the unknown in search of new challenges, which makes Vojo Gardašević, I think, unique."

"At the beginning of the book, we meet a boy growing up in difficult times, during the war, and in a city that was just recovering from the war, with a touching and sad story about his family and the war tragedies that befell it. Although short, this part is important, because it shows how much his life circumstances shaped his character," said Radović, stating that Vojo, more than anything, is described by his nicknames.

"Razor, because of the way he played football - sharp, precise, without calculations. And Peca - so authentically Podgorica, there's no word to describe it. And it's hard to describe."

"World Soccer, the most famous and best football magazine in the world, wrote about him, his successes and footballing attitudes - in which he received a new, third nickname - King of the Sun. And between Britva, Peča and King of the Sun, Vojo Gardašević tells a story of successes, but also disappointments, of the moments when he had to leave, in order to maintain his attitude and his image," Radović pointed out.

Vojo's daughter, Aleksandra-Saša, spoke emotionally on behalf of the family.

"I spent a fairytale childhood with my dad, and I still live all of my dad's triumphs - I hear full stadiums, voices chanting his name."

A magnificent evening, full of emotions, football passions and memories.

Also speaking at the promotion was football analyst and publicist from Iraq, Dr. Kadim Alibad, who traveled to Podgorica especially for this occasion.

"I followed his work very closely, especially during his time in Iraq and Jordan. The coach in question emphasized discipline, had a clear vision and a recognizable style of play, a strict and structured methodology. And it is indescribable how popular he remains among fans and citizens, people still speak of him in the most beautiful way and with great respect," said Alabadi.

"This is what you live for," said Vojo Gardašević at the end, with special gratitude to his life partner, his wife Kaća.

"With her love and support, everything was possible."

In front of the Budućnost Football Club, Vojo Gradašević was presented with a framed jersey with the number three by his namesake, Vojo Pejović.