Damir Čakar (; born 28 June 1973) is a Montenegrin former professional footballer who played as either an attacking midfielder or a striker. He is known for his powerful shots and set pieces.

Club career

Čakar started out at his local club Rudar Pljevlja, before joining Budućnost Titograd, aged 15. He made his senior debut for the side during the final 1991–92 edition of the Yugoslav First League. Afterwards, Čakar returned to Rudar Pljevlja for the 1992–93 Second League of FR Yugoslavia, helping them win promotion to the First League of FR Yugoslavia. He subsequently moved to Borac Čačak, spending the next year and a half at the club. In the 1995 winter transfer window, Čakar was transferred to Partizan. He was the team's top scorer in 1995–96 and 1996–97, helping them win back-to-back championships. In the summer of 1997, Čakar was sold to French side Châteauroux. He scored three league goals in his debut season at the club, as they suffered relegation from the top flight. In the following 1998–99 campaign, Čakar appeared in just four league games, before eventually leaving Châteauroux. After two years abroad, Čakar returned to FR Yugoslavia and joined ambitious Sartid Smederevo in early 2000. He however failed to make an impact there due to an injury, before terminating his contract by mutual agreement with the club's chairman. Subsequently, Čakar signed with Sutjeska Nikšić. He scored 19 league goals in 23 appearances in the 2000–01 First League of FR Yugoslavia, securing him a return to Partizan. Over the next two seasons, Čakar added two more championship titles to his collection. He also helped Partizan reach the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2003–04 campaign. In February 2005, Čakar was loaned to his parent club Rudar Pljevlja. In the summer of 2005, Čakar extended his contract with Rudar Pljevlja, helping the side win the Montenegrin Cup in its first edition. He subsequently moved to fellow Montenegrin First League club Mogren, winning his second national cup, before eventually retiring from the game.

International career

At international level, Čakar earned three caps for

FR Yugoslavia The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...

. He made his national team debut on 31 March 1995, coming on as a substitute for Dejan Stefanović in a 1–0 friendly win over

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

. Six years later, Čakar received a call-up to the squad for the 2001 Kirin Cup.

Post-playing career

In October 2015, Čakar was hired as a

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

by Partizan under newly appointed sporting director Ivica Iliev. In October 2022, Čakar was appointed as manager of Serbian SuperLiga club

Novi Pazar Novi Pazar ( sr-cyr, Нови Пазар) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia. As of the 2022 census, the urban area has 71,462 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 106,720 inha ...

Personal life

Born in Pljevlja, Čakar grew up in a footballing family. His father Rasim and uncle Safet both played for Rudar Pljevlja. They are considered among the greatest players in the club's history.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Partizan * First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1995–96, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2002–03 Rudar Pljevlja * Montenegrin Cup: 2006–07 Mogren * Montenegrin Cup: 2007–08 Individual * Montenegrin First League top scorer: 2006–07

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cakar, Damir 1973 births Living people Sportspeople from Pljevlja Bosniaks of Montenegro Yugoslav men's footballers Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers Montenegrin men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Men's association football forwards Serbia and Montenegro men's international footballers FK Budućnost Podgorica players FK Rudar Pljevlja players FK Borac Čačak players FK Partizan players LB Châteauroux players FK Smederevo 1924 players FK Sutjeska Nikšić players FK Mogren players Yugoslav First League players Second League of Serbia and Montenegro players First League of Serbia and Montenegro players Ligue 1 players Ligue 2 players Montenegrin First League players Serbia and Montenegro expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in France Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in France Montenegrin football managers FK Partizan non-playing staff FK Novi Pazar managers Serbian SuperLiga managers