Dejan Petković
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Dejan Petković ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан Петковић, ; born 10 September 1972) is a Serbian football
pundit A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport). Origins The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...
and retired
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
. In his native country he is widely known under the nickname Rambo while in Brazil he is known as Pet. He played six times for the
FR Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup A relationship breakup, breakup, or ...
, scoring one goal. Petković played for seven Brazilian clubs in his career, and was made an honorary consul of Serbia in Brazil.


Early life

Born to father Dobrivoje (traffic technician from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
) and mother Milena (construction technician from
Petrovac na Mlavi Petrovac ( sr-cyr, Петровац), also known as Petrovac na Mlavi ( sr-cyr, Петровац на Млави, "Petrovac upon(on the) Mlava"; ro, Piatra Mlave) is a town and municipality located in the Braničevo District of the eastern Serbi ...
) who met in the small mining town of
Majdanpek Majdanpek ( sr-cyr, Мајданпек; ro, Maidan) is a town and municipality located in the Bor District of the Southern and Eastern Serbia, eastern Serbia, and is not far from the border of Romania. According to 2011 census, the municipality ...
where they both arrived in search of work, young Dejan immediately took to football.


Club career


Radnički Niš

Petković's playing career started in 1988 at Radnički Niš. In the same year, he met his future wife Violeta. He became the youngest player ever to play an official match in the history of old
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
, debuting on 25 September 1988 when he was 16 years and 15 days old, against Željezničar Sarajevo"A boa vida dos gringos", ''Placar'' nº. 1239, September 2002, Editora Abril, pp. 48–49. thus beating
Mitar Mrkela Mitar Mrkela (Serbian Cyrillic: Mитap Mpкeлa; born 10 July 1965 in Belgrade) is a retired Serbian football player, who was a member of the Yugoslavian team that won the bronze medal at the Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 Summer Olym ...
's record by 1 day. Radnički ended up winning 4–0 in that match. Petković's age record has since been broken by
Slavko Perović Slavko Perović (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Славко Перовић; born 2 August 1954) is a Montenegrin politician. He is best known as a co-founder and former leader of Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG), former party that was fighting for in ...
and
Danijel Aleksić Danijel Aleksić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дaниjeл Aлeкcић; born 30 April 1991) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. Early life Born in Pula, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia, Aleksić was several month ...
. Petković still helps his first club,"Petkovício", Rafael Maranhão, ''Placar'' nº. 1289, December 2005, Editora Abril, pp. 62–67. which has since then declined.


Red Star Belgrade

In July 1992, Petković was bought by
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
. Though not even 20 years of age, he arrived with a reputation as a skilled technical playmaker. As established Yugoslav internationals such as
Dejan Savićević Dejan Savićević ( cyrl, Дејан Савићевић, ; born 15 September 1966) is a Montenegrin former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Since 2004, he has been the president of the Montenegrin Football Association (FSCG), cu ...
,
Darko Pančev Darko Pančev ( mk, Дарко Панчев, ; born 7 September 1965) is a Macedonian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He most notably played for FK Vardar and Red Star Belgrade. He was part of the Red Star Belgrade sq ...
,
Vladimir Jugović Vladimir Jugović ( sr-cyr, Владимир Југовић, ; born 30 August 1969) is a Serbian former professional footballer. A versatile player, he was usually employed as a left or attacking midfielder, but could play anywhere in midfield. ...
, and
Siniša Mihajlović Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian professional Footballer, football player and Football coach (association football), manager. During his career as a football ...
left the club during the same summer, Petković was given a first-team run straight away by new head coach
Milan Živadinović Milan Živadinović ( sr-cyr, Милан Живадиновић, ; 15 December 1944 – 17 July 2021) was a Serbian football player and coach. He was also the scout for Ghanaian footballers for Southeast Europe. In his homeland he was nicknamed ...
, appearing in 30 league matches and scoring 5 goals in his first season in Belgrade. He ended up staying with Red Star until December 1995 (three and a half seasons), winning two
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
titles. His transfer to Real Madrid was principally agreed during summer 1995, but Red Star decided to hang on to him for the 1995–96 UEFA Cup where the club expected to do well after finally being allowed back on the European scene following years of sporting sanctions due to regional conflicts. However, Red Star was eliminated by Swiss club
Neuchâtel Xamax , neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier , twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France ...
in the preliminary round.


Real Madrid

In December 1995, 23-year-old Petković joined the Spanish giants
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
. At the time of his arrival, the club was not where it wanted to be in the league, hovering just outside the European spots in 6th and 7th place. Playing under head coach
Jorge Valdano Jorge Alberto Francisco Valdano Castellanos (born 4 October 1955) is an Argentine former football player, coach, and the former general manager of Real Madrid. He is currently working as a commentator for beIN Sports. Nicknamed "The Philosophe ...
, Rambo made his league debut on 17 December versus
Celta de Vigo Real Club Celta de Vigo (; ), commonly known as Celta de Vigo or simply Celta, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football. Nicknamed ''Os Celestes'' (The Sky Blues ...
as a 65th-minute sub for the legendary club veteran Míchel as Madrid won 1–0 at home. Petković would see action again on 3 January at home versus
Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid () or Valladolid, is a professional football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish league system. The club colo ...
— Madrid was comfortably 4–1 ahead when Valdano threw Petković on for
Iván Zamorano Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora (; born 18 January 1967) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is regarded as one of Chile's most recognized footballers, along with Marcelo Salas, Leonel Sánchez and Elias Figuer ...
in the 61st minute. What would turn out to be Petković's last appearance of the season for the club came the following week away at lowly
CP Mérida Club Polideportivo Mérida was a Spanish football team based in Mérida, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Having played twice in La Liga ( 1995–96 and 1997–98), the club was dissolved in 2000, due to serious economic debts. Its ...
— Real let the 0–2 lead slip by conceding two goals and in the 81st minute Valdano sent Petković in for
Freddy Rincón Freddy Eusebio Rincón Valencia (; 14 August 1966 – 13 April 2022) was a Colombian professional footballer who played 84 games for the Colombia national team between 1990 and 2001. A versatile midfielder, he was capable of playing on the lef ...
in search of a goal, but the score stayed 2–2. Within a fortnight Petković was loaned out to
Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
without getting a chance to have a starting eleven appearance during his one month at the Bernabeu.


Loan to Sevilla

Arriving to Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán in mid-January 1996, Petković was once again parachuted into a club battling turmoil. Sevilla was barely above the relegation zone with head coach Juan Carlos Álvarez (already their second head coach of the season) on thin ice. Juan Carlos gave his new Serbian acquisition his debut at home on 24 January vs
Albacete Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete. Lying in the south-ea ...
as a starter. Playing upfront with
Davor Šuker Davor Šuker (; born 1 January 1968) is a Croatian football administrator and former Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He served as president of the Croatian Football Federation from 2012 t ...
as strike partner, Petković had an average outing as Sevilla drew 1–1 with Castillan visitors, which cost head coach Juan Carlos his job. Four days later away at
Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad (; ''Royal Society''), La Real in Spanish, Erreala in Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 Septem ...
, new head coach
Víctor Espárrago Víctor Rodolfo Espárrago Videla (born 6 October 1944 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan football coach and former midfielder. International career He was capped 67 times for the national team between 1966 and 1974. His playing career highlight ...
gave Petković the starting assignment again alongside Šuker, but subbed him off for
Monchu Ramón Rodríguez Jiménez (born 13 September 1999), commonly known as Monchu, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Segunda División club Valladolid. Career Barcelona Born in Palma, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Monc ...
early into the second half in the 53rd minute. The next week versus
Racing de Santander Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system ...
, Petković was moved back into attacking midfielder role just behind Šuker and Monchu, however Sevilla again lost 0–1 while Petković got subbed off in the 59th minute. The following week Petković got relegated to the bench, only getting a bit part as an 89th-minute sub as Sevilla improbably triumphed away at league-leaders Atletico Madrid, however, the week after that he was back in the starting assignment. Petković finished out the 1995–1996 La Liga season in Sevilla, appearing in 8 league matches (7 as a starter) and scoring 1 goal.


Return to Madrid

During summer 1996, Petković returned from the loan spell in Sevilla. The Real
squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
that he returned to was radically different from the one he had left six months earlier: from the new head coach
Fabio Capello Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional football manager and player. As a player, Capello represented SPAL 1907, Roma, Milan and Juventus. He played as a midfielder and won several trophies during his career which ...
over to attack-minded left back
Roberto Carlos Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973), commonly known as Roberto Carlos, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who now works as a football ambassador. He started his career in Brazil as a forward but spent most of his care ...
from Inter Milan, right back Christian Panucci from AC Milan, attacking midfielder
Clarence Seedorf Clarence Clyde Seedorf (; born 1 April 1976) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He is regarded by many to be one of the best midfielders of his generation. Seedorf is considered one of the most successful players in UE ...
from Sampdoria right down to the all new forward line with Petković's former Sevilla teammate Šuker, and fellow Yugoslav
Predrag Mijatović Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Мијатовић, ; born 19 January 1969) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level, Mijatović played for six clubs: Budućnost, Partizan, Val ...
from Valencia. The competition for spots up front thus got even tougher. Despite having a reputation for cautious and defensive football, Capello played a three-man attack of
Raúl Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
, Mijatović, and Šuker, with Seedorf just behind them. It became clear that Capello was not counting on Petković, as he did not play a match until coming on as late substitute in the fourth match of the season. A week later Petković came on as a late substitute at
Real Oviedo Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926 as a result of the merger of two clubs who had maintained a large sporting rivalry for years in the city: ''Real Stadium Club Ovetense'' and ''Real Club De ...
for his last Madrid appearance.


Loan to Santander

Petković got loaned out to
Racing de Santander Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system ...
in January 1997. He then briefly returned to Real before being discovered by Vitória in a friendly tournament in which both clubs were involved. along with
Real Mallorca Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, S.A.D. (, ca, Reial Club Deportiu Mallorca , ''Royal Sporting Club Mallorca''), commonly known as Real Mallorca or just Mallorca is a Spanish professional football club based in Palma on the island of Majorca in ...
and Flamengo.


Vitória

He joined Vitória along with
Bebeto José Roberto Gama de Oliveira (born 16 February 1964), known as Bebeto (), is a Brazilian former professional football player who played as a forward. He entered politics in the 2010 Brazilian General Elections and was elected to the Legi ...
and
Túlio Costa Tullio is a common Italian male given name of Latin origin, derived from Tullius (meaning "the one who leads"). Other forms of the name are Tulio (Spanish) and Túlio (Portuguese). It has a second meaning that is ''hill'' or ''valley of the hills'' ...
, the three signed for the club thanks to the sponsorship of Banco Excel."500 Times do Brasil", ''Placar'' nº. 1263-A, October 2003, Editora Abril, pp. 20 In the ''rubro-negro baiano'' he started his successful Brazilian career, winning two Bahia State Championships and a
Copa do Nordeste Copa do Nordeste (''Cup of the North-East''), also known as Campeonato do Nordeste (''Championship of the North-East'') or Copa Nordeste (''Northeastern Cup''), and sometimes informally referred as Lampions League – in reference to the UEFA Ch ...
. He stayed until 1999 at Vitória, when he joined
Venezia Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islan ...
of Italy, after an 8 billion lire transfer.


Flamengo

Petkovic did not succeed at Venezia, and quickly returned to Brazil, where he joined
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
of Rio de Janeiro. In Flamengo his skills were fundamental in helping the team win the last two titles of the historic three in a row series against arch-rivals Vasco, from 1999 to 2001. One month later, another free kick goal by Petkovic, against
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, allowed Flamengo to win the
Copa dos Campeões Copa dos Campeões (Portuguese for Brazilian Champions Cup) was a Brazilian football competition, organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), contested by the best teams from each one of the regional cups. The Copa dos Campeões wi ...
and return to
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
next year. Hugely popular at the time, he was known as "Pet" by the supporters. However, at 2001 Campeonato Brasileiro, Flamengo finished only one position above the relegated teams. The club also lost, in January 2002, the
Copa Mercosul The Copa Mercosur (, pt, Copa Mercosul , "Mercosur Cup") was a football competition played from 1998 to 2001 by the traditional top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. The competition was created by CONMEBOL to generate TV m ...
final against the
Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
side
San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...
, in a match in which Petkovic was sent off.


Vasco da Gama

In 2002, he moved to
Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
, where he stayed until 2004. He played for a short time at the Chinese club
Shanghai Shenhua Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...
during this period where they won the 2003 league title. Unfortunately, in 2013 the
Chinese Football Association The Chinese Football Association (CFA) is the governing body for association football, beach soccer and futsal in People's Republic of China (Mainland China). The CFA organizes the men's and women's national teams and administers the country's ...
would revoke the league title after it was discovered the Shenhua General manager Lou Shifang had bribed officials to be biased to Shenhua in games that season. During his second spell at Vasco he helped his team avoid relegation at Campeonato Brasileiro, being the club's top scorer and top assistant."Salvo pelo gringo", ''Placar'' nº. 1278-A, January 2005, Editora Abril, pp. 53 Vasco failed to record a win the 10 matches without Petkovic, acquiring only 10% of available points; with him the ''cruzmaltinos'' obtained 45.7% of these points. After helping them stay up, Petković was awarded Bola de Prata from the ''
Placar ''Placar'' ( en, Score) is a monthly Brazilian sports magazine. Its first edition was issued by Editora Abril. on March 20, 1970, and since then it has become the most successful sports publication in Brazil, even though it focuses fully on foot ...
'' magazine as one of the two best midfielders in the league. During that year he often played with an ex-teammate from Radnički, Montenegrin
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
Željko Tadić, who was scouted by him."Vai dar suco?", Lédio Carmona, ''Placar'' nº. 1292, March 2006, Editora Abril, pp. 73.


Fourth team in Brazil: Fluminense

After a half-year in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, where he played for
Al-Ittihad Al-Ittihad (Arabic: الاتحاد "The Union"), sometimes transliterated as Al-Etihad or Al-Ettihad may refer to: Sports Football Libya *Al-Ittihad Club (Tripoli), a football club based in Bab Ben Gashier * Al Ittihad Gheryan, a football club bas ...
, he returned to
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
in August 2005, now to play for
Fluminense Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
. Already 33 years old, Petković had to face a certain mistrust from the club's fans due to his association with Flamengo. However, his amazing performance in his third match against
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (), known simply as Cruzeiro, is a Brazilian sports club based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Although they compete in a number of different sports, Cruzeiro is mostly known for its association football team. It plays ...
, put an end to fan's misgivings, as he scored twice in a 6–2 away win. His first was the 1000th goal score by the Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship, earning Petković a commemorative plate in his honour at the club's headquarters. In this goal, Petkovic passed through three opponents in a short space, shooting just in time to avoid the oncoming goalkeeper. In the second one, he placed a powerful left-foot shot from outside the penalty box."Petkovic – O gringo mais brasileiro", Sérgio Xavier Filho, ''Placar'' nº. 1287, October 2005, Editora Abril, pp. 16. After other great exhibitions, he received his second consecutive Silver Ball in the Brazilian federation annual award ceremony. After a bad season in 2006, when Fluminense had to fight relegation, he left the club.


Other clubs

In 2007, he played at Santos after signing a short term deal from
Goiás Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...
until the end of the 2007 season. In 2008, Petkovic played for
Atlético Mineiro Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico *Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy *Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...
, signed in late March 2008 as the great star of the club's centennial celebrations. Nevertheless, his contract was not renewed at the end of the season on orders from the newly arrived coach,
Emerson Leão Emerson may refer to: People * Emerson (surname), a surname (and list of people with that name) * Emerson (given name), a given name (and list of people with that name) Places Australia *Emerson Crossing, a place in Adelaide Canada * Emerson, Ma ...
who previously also released Petković from Santos when he arrived there in December 2007.


Return to Flamengo

On 20 May 2009
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
announced the free transfer signing of Petkovic, despite previously having taken the club to court over unpaid wages in the amount of US$9 million. Though the two parties managed to settle the outstanding financial issues out of court prior to his signing, Petković's return was still met with a lot of scepticism, even outright opposition, from many people within the club as well as outside observers all of whom had doubts about his ability to perform at such an age. Some also expressed concern over the fact that he missed the
Rio de Janeiro state championship The Campeonato Carioca (Carioca Championship), officially known as Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (Port., Rio de Janeiro State Championship), was started in 1906 and is the annual football championship in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Br ...
part of the season, meaning that he hadn't played any competitive football in the 6 months since his dismissal from Mineiro. However, much to the surprise of many people, 37-year-old Petkovic played a pivotal role for Flamengo, scoring 8 goals (including 2 direct from corners) and leading the club's challenge to eventually win its sixth Brazilian Championship title, the first of his career. He overcame being left out of the team by manager Cuca when his replacement in July,
Andrade Andrade is a surname of Galician origin, which emerged in the 12th century as the family name of the knights and lords of the small parish of ''San Martiño de Andrade'' ( St. Martin of Andrade), in the municipality of Pontedeume. The first ment ...
, included him in the team and allowed him to help the club rise from 14th place. Petkovic was praised by the Brazilian press for a number of outstanding performances, including a brace he scored in round 30 for a 2–0 win away at league leaders
Palmeiras Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
on 18 October 2009, as well as his round 34 contribution on 8 November away at Atlético Mineiro where the team recorded important 1–3 win. On 20 November 2009 he was inducted into the Brazilian Hall of Fame in the Maracana, thus becoming only the fifth non-Brazilian and third European to receive such an honour in Brazil. Then on 7 December, as the season finished and Flamengo celebrated their title, Petković won the traditional Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) organized by the sports magazine ''Placar'' and
ESPN Brasil ESPN is the Brazilian division of ESPN Inc. Launched in March 1989 as Canal+, it was the first country-specific version of ESPN outside the United States, launched in June 1995. The channel has covered major sporting events, like the 1996, 2000, ...
for best midfielder of the 2009 Brazilian Championship. It was the third time that he was awarded the prize. Starting the new season from the very beginning, Petkovic entered his first match of the 2010 Rio state championship as a late substitute and scored a goal on what was virtually his first touch of the contest at
Volta Redonda Volta Redonda () is the name of a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil with an area of 182.81 km2, located from 350m to 707m above the sea level (22°31'23" S, 44°06'15" W) an ...
on 20 January 2010. On 5 June 2011, Petković retired as a professional player after playing the first half of the league match against
Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
. To commemorate his retirement, all Flamengo players had Petkovic's name on the back of their jerseys in the match.


International career

Petković started playing by
SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
youth teams when he was 15 years old. In that age, he even scored one of the fastest goals in football, after just three seconds in a match against
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. He was later called to 1992 Toulon Tournament, alongside players like
Savo Milošević Savo Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Саво Милошевић, ; born 2 September 1973) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player. A former forward, he signed for English club Aston Villa after making a name for himself at Partizan. ...
,
Zoran Mirković Zoran "Bata" Mirković ( sr-cyrl, Зоран Бата Мирковић, ; born 21 September 1971) is a retired Serbian footballer and current manager. Playing career Club career Mirković made his first appearance for FK Rad during the 1990– ...
, Željko Cicović,
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Sretko Vuksanović Sretko Vuksanović ( sr-Cyrl, Сретко Вуксановић, born 15 February 1973) is a Bosnian retired professional footballer and manager. Playing career Club He started his playing career with FK Sarajevo, before transferring to city ri ...
and Željko Tadić. His team made a runner-up campaign, in which Petković scored two goals in a 3–0 triumph over
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
(against players such as Brad Friedel, Claudio Reyna, Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones). While still playing in that youth tournament, he received his first call up to the senior national team, being included for the UEFA Euro 1992 squad. Yugoslav coaches had already called eighteen from the twenty allowed players, without Croats, keeping some Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonians, two Slovenes and just one Bosniak alongside the Serbs and Montenegrins. It was expected that the later two players would be Miroslav Đukić and Dragiša Binić, but Petković and Slobodan Krčmarević were included instead. Just one day after that 3–0 winning game against USA at the Toulon Tournament, played in May 27, Petković made his first appearance for the main Yugoslav team, an unofficial friendly against ACF Fiorentina in May 28. He was even a starting player in the match - Fahrudin Omerović, Omerović (Dragoje Leković, Leković), Duško Radinović, Radinović (Džoni Novak, Novak), Gordan Petrić, Petrić (Darko Milanič, Milanič), Slobodan Dubajić, Dubajić; Siniša Mihajlović, Mihajlović, Vladimir Jugović, Jugović, Branko Brnović, Brnović, Slaviša Jokanović, Jokanović; Predrag Mijatović, Mijatović, Dragan Stojković, Stojković and him (replaced by Dragan Jakovljević, Jakovljević). Jokanović scored first in Stadio Artemio Franchi, but the Italian club did won by 2-1. It would be the last match of the old Yugoslavia national team before its name being reduced to the Serbia and Montenegro national football team, Serbia and Montenegro federation. The Yugoslavia team, already settled ind Sweden for the tournament, would be suspended at 31 May due to Yugoslav wars, its civil wars, just ten days before the opening match. After that, Petković was called to
FR Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup A relationship breakup, breakup, or ...
first matches after its banning, in December 1994, although staying in the bench – curiously, the first match of Yugoslav return was against Brazil national football team, Brazil. In a South American tour, the second match would be against Argentina national football team, Argentina. In that day, Petković started disagreements with the then coach Slobodan Santrač. The player was praised in the training sessions and, under Santrač's orders, warmed up from the 30th minute to the 80th one and then decided to seat, as thinking he would not play anymore. Santrač was disgusted and called another reserve to enter;Dejan Petković – um carioca raro (December 2009). Revista ESPN n. 2. Ed Spring, pp. 20–21 it was Darko Kovačević, who made his senior debut as replacing
Predrag Mijatović Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović ( sr-Cyrl, Предраг Мијатовић, ; born 19 January 1969) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level, Mijatović played for six clubs: Budućnost, Partizan, Val ...
. After two another matches without being used, Petković then earned his first cap on 31 March 1995, against Uruguay national football team, Uruguay, in Belgrade. He was included in the starting players as of the next Yugoslav match, against Russia national football team, Russia. In his second cap, he scored a goal just one minute after a Valery Karpin one, but Yugoslavia still lost by 2–1. Petković also played the three later matches of Yugoslavia in 1995. All of them were winnings in away fields. In the last 1995 match, however, he again had disagreements with Santrač, even after giving three assists and scoring an incorrectly invalid goal. After such a performance, the player did not like criticism from the coach, who appointed two wrong passes of Petković, who did objections to Santrač qualities. Petković still received a Santrač call up for a match against Romania national football team, Romania in March 1996, after some good initial performances for Real Madrid and Sevilla Fútbol Club, Sevilla. It was the first 1996 game of Yugoslav team. However, two weeks before it, in a Sevilla training, Petković suffered a serious injury which would withdraw him for the rest of the season. Santrač would not call him anymore and the player did not take part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was only after
Milan Živadinović Milan Živadinović ( sr-cyr, Милан Живадиновић, ; 15 December 1944 – 17 July 2021) was a Serbian football player and coach. He was also the scout for Ghanaian footballers for Southeast Europe. In his homeland he was nicknamed ...
took the helm of the Yugoslavia national team that Petković earned another chance with his national side – curiously, in another friendly against Brazil national football team, Brazil, in September 1998. Playing for EC Vitória, Vitória at the time, Petković traveled to São Luís, Maranhão, São Luís in the same flight as the Brazilian team. He was even a starting player in a 1–1 draw, being later replaced by Saša Ćurčić. It would be his last official match for the national team. Because of that, Petković later expressed his belief in being called up for that game just because he would be a good Portuguese language translator to Yugoslav crew. He still later played another two unofficial matches for Yugoslavia, in December 1999, under Vujadin Boškov rule. Petković was a starting player and even captain against Canary Islands autonomous football team, Canary Islands (scoring a goal in a 2–2 draw against Luis Molowny coached players) and Catalonia national football team, Catalonia (a 1–0 defeat). He was meanwhile a Venezia F.C., Venezia player, but some days later he left Italy to play again in Brazil, for CR Flamengo, Flamengo. Some also blame Petković's few and far in between call-ups on the fact he played for Brazilian sides most of his career, and thus was not always readily available for Yugoslavian coaches to watch him perform, evidenced by the fact he was omitted by Boškov from the Euro 2000 roster after coming to Flamengo. Furthermore, Petković declared in an interview to ''Placar'' magazine that he was more likely to get a call-up had he stayed at Venezia, a club he regarded as "ten times weaker club than Flamengo". Petković was also rumoured to not have very favorable relationships with the Football Association of Yugoslavia, yet another speculation for his few caps. According to him and his family, another reason was his denial in accept bribes charged by high ranked Federation officials. In 2004, some have even felt Petković would have made the ''Brazil national football team, Seleção'' if he were Brazilian. To that end, after the changing of the former FR Yugoslavia into Serbia and Montenegro the previous year, he publicized his dream in being picked by the Brazil national side,"Pátria amada, Brasil", Flávia Ribeiro, ''Placar'' nº. 1274, September 2004, Editora Abril, pp. 50–53. but he did not have Brazilian citizenship. In 2006, a campaign in his native country urged the Football Association of Serbia, Serbian FA to select Petković for Serbia and Montenegro's final roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, World Cup in Germany. Striker
Savo Milošević Savo Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Саво Милошевић, ; born 2 September 1973) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player. A former forward, he signed for English club Aston Villa after making a name for himself at Partizan. ...
even went as far as saying Petković would be a welcome addition. In January 2006, it was announced that Petković would be called up for friendly matches in February, but nothing ever came of it. The then Serbia and Montenegro coach Ilija Petković, who is not a relative of him, thought Dejan Petković would disrupt the team's harmony, as he had a reputation for having a very loud personality. However, even before the Breakup of Yugoslavia, nation upcoming final breakup, the harmony was disrupted by the coach himself, after Ilija called his son Dušan Petković (footballer, born 1974), Dušan Petković, a defender who played just a few matches until 2004 for the team, to replace the injured forward Mirko Vučinić. Embarrassed after huge criticism, Dušan asked to not take part of the squad. In a first moment, it was believed that the replacement player would be Dejan Petković, as he told in 2018 to ''El País'' journal: "I came from a fantastic 2005 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 2005 Campeonato Brasileiro for Fluminense FC, Fluminense. My matches in Brazil were broadcast in Serbia. The whole country asked my calling up. They always created an excuse to not bring me. When the Cup squad list was launched, people asked themselves why I was not selected. In those days, Zico (footballer), Zico said that Serbia would win the Cup: 'they have 23 players better them Pet'. So, Vučinić injured himself. And then they announced the substitute: 'D. Petković'. Some people started calling to congrat me, but, actually, the chosen one was Dušan Petković (footballer, born 1974), Dušan Petković, the coach's son. He exchanged a forward for a defender. It resounded so negatively, reaching the point that, in the preparation for the Cup, the boy could not stand the pressure and left, ashamed of being there. We played the Cup with one player less. They never gave me an official statement. Off the records, they told that, if they call up me, I would have to play. Unfortunately, I lost two World Cups. I joined the select group of the good players who never played a World Cup. I have not any frustration for not playing the Cup, because it was not a failure of mine. In football, a few people have power to ruin a lot of things. The people who managed my country team did bad things to me, the institution itself did not. I do not hold any sorrow". Petković retired from professional football without ever playing for the Serbia national football team, White Eagles. In 2009, Serbia coach Radomir Antić praised Petković's success as an incoming 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 2009 Brazilian champion for CR Flamengo, Flamengo, but confirmed the player's too unlikely chances in being included for 2010 FIFA World Cup. Petković never had such expectations anymore, feeling himself too old as having 37 years: "I would like having ten years less to at least go to a World Cup", he said while celebrating his country confirmation to South Africa. He just kept some desire in playing a last friendly match for his national team.


Playing style

He is considered one of the best foreign players to have played in Brazil, a great free and corner kicker and passer. In 2006 while playing for
Fluminense Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
, he scored a Olympic goal, goal directly from a corner against Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Grêmio. In the next game, he scored another, but the ball hit the hand of a player from
Fluminense Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
and entered the goal; nonetheless, the officials counted it as one. Overall, he scored eight goals from corner kicks in his career, the last one on 8 November 2009 for
Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
against Clube Atlético Mineiro, Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Série A. He is currently the record holder for most goals from corners scored in football history.


Legacy

*His form in the first half of 2001 preceded the arrival of five more Serbs to Brazilian football. Željko Tadić (who would play later with Petkovic at Vasco), Miodrag Anđelković, Nikola Damjanac, Vladimir Đorđević (footballer), Vladimir Đorđević, Dejan Osmanović, and Vladimir Petković (unrelated to Dejan Petkovic). *In November 2009, following Petković's pinnacle season at Flamengo, Serbian film director Darko Bajić started shooting a documentary on Petković's life and career path. Initially with the working title of ''Rambo Petković – 90 minuta sa produžecima, životni meč'' and later ''O Gringo'', the film is meant to be shown before the 2010 World Cup. Apparently, the director wanted to make the film ever since Petković's initial successes with Flamengo in 2001, but the player wasn't thrilled with the idea. Petković eventually agreed during his second stint with Flamengo. The yet unfinished movie was promoted in Belgrade on 29 December 2009. *His pivotal role in Flamengo's road to its fifth league title motivated a pop song, "É o Pet". *Although his return home to possibly finish out his career with Red Star and/or perhaps take an administrative role in the club once his playing career is over was occasionally mentioned in Serbian media, Petković said in early 2010 that he'll continue living in Brazil even after stopping playing. Though not mentioning anything specific, he said that he wants to take advantage of the opportunities 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics will provide for those who want to be involved with sports. *Petković was a color commentator for Brazilian sports cable franchise SporTV during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 World Cup. He also acted as an analyst alongside
Clarence Seedorf Clarence Clyde Seedorf (; born 1 April 1976) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He is regarded by many to be one of the best midfielders of his generation. Seedorf is considered one of the most successful players in UE ...
in a nightly show hosted by sports journalists André Rizek and Marcelo Barreto.


Honours


Club


Red Star Belgrade

*
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
: 1991–92, 1994–95 *Yugoslav Cup: 1992–93, 1994–95


Real Madrid

*La Liga: 1996–97 *Supercopa de España: 1997


Vitória

*Bahia State Championship: 1997, 1999 *
Copa do Nordeste Copa do Nordeste (''Cup of the North-East''), also known as Campeonato do Nordeste (''Championship of the North-East'') or Copa Nordeste (''Northeastern Cup''), and sometimes informally referred as Lampions League – in reference to the UEFA Ch ...
: 1999


Flamengo

*Campeonato Carioca: 2000, 2001 *
Copa dos Campeões Copa dos Campeões (Portuguese for Brazilian Champions Cup) was a Brazilian football competition, organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), contested by the best teams from each one of the regional cups. The Copa dos Campeões wi ...
: 2001 *Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2009, 2009


Shanghai Shenhua

*Chinese Jia-A League: Chinese Jia-A League 2003, 2003 (revoked due to match-fixing scandal)


Vasco da Gama

*Campeonato Carioca: 2003


Al Ittihad

*Arab Champions League: 2005


Individual

*Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2005 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 2005, 2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 2009 * Bola de Prata: 2004, 2005, 2009 *
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
Sportsperson of the Year: 2009


Orders and special awards

*EC Vitória's Player of the Twentieth Century (by popular vote) *Scored the thousandth goal of Fluminense FC in the Campeonato Brasileiro (v. Cruzeiro, on 7 September 2005) *Scored the most Olympic goals ever by a professional footballer: 8 *Nominated to the Maracanã Walk of Fame *Named Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro by the ALERJ, State Legislative Assembly


Diplomatic career

On 20 June 2010, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremić, announced the appointment of Dejan Petković to Consul (representative), Honorary Consul of Serbia in Brazil.


References


External links


Official Site
*
Profile at reprezentacija.rs
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Petkovic, Dejan 1972 births Living people People from Majdanpek Serbian footballers Serbia and Montenegro footballers Yugoslav footballers Association football midfielders Yugoslav First League players Serie A players La Liga players Saudi Professional League players Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players FK Radnički Niš players Red Star Belgrade footballers Real Madrid CF players Sevilla FC players Racing de Santander players Esporte Clube Vitória players Venezia F.C. players Brazilian people of Serbian descent CR Flamengo footballers CR Vasco da Gama players Shanghai Shenhua F.C. players Ittihad FC players Fluminense FC players Goiás Esporte Clube players Santos FC players Clube Atlético Mineiro players Serbia and Montenegro international footballers Serbian expatriate footballers Serbia and Montenegro expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Expatriate footballers in Brazil Expatriate footballers in Italy Expatriate footballers in China Expatriate footballers in Saudi Arabia Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Spain Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Brazil Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Italy Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in China Serbian football managers Campeonato Brasileiro Série B managers Campeonato Brasileiro Série A managers Criciúma Esporte Clube managers Sampaio Corrêa Futebol Clube managers Esporte Clube Vitória managers Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Brazil