Vladimir Durković (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: Владимир Дурковић; 6 November 1937 – 22 June 1972) was a

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

defender. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

Career

Club career

Durković played with

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...

until he was 28 at which point he moved abroad and made a name for himself with AS Saint-Étienne, winning three French League titles and the

Coupe de France The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...

twice.

International career

Capped 50 times by Yugoslavia between 1959 and 1966, Durković excelled as a 22-year-old at the first

UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...

, offering defensive solidity and attacking penetration at right-back. Although Yugoslavia finished second in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Durković won a gold medal at the Rome Olympics the following September. He also wore the number two shirt at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

and was an ever-present as Yugoslavia eliminated former winners

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 ...

and

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

and finished fourth. His final international was a June 1966

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...

against

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Death

He died when shot by a drunken policeman in Sion, Switzerland in June 1972 at the age of 34. The police officer was later sentenced to 9 years prison of which he served 7 years.

Honours

;Red Star Belgrade * Yugoslav First League: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1963–64 *

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup (; ; , ), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup (; , and between 1947 and 1991 as the Marshal Tito Cup (; ; ; ), was one of two major association football, football competitions in Socialist Federal Re ...

: 1957–58, 1958–59, 1963–64 * Mitropa Cup: 1958 ;AS Saint-Etienne *

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

: 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70 *

: 1967–68, 1969–70 ;Yugoslavia *

: runner-up 1960 * Olympic gold medalist in 1960 ;Individual * UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1960

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Durkovic, Vladimir 1937 births 1972 deaths Footballers from Gjakova Kosovo Serbs Men's association football defenders Yugoslav men's footballers Yugoslavia men's international footballers Olympic footballers for Yugoslavia Olympic gold medalists for Yugoslavia Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in football Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics 1960 European Nations' Cup players 1962 FIFA World Cup players FK Napredak Kruševac players Red Star Belgrade footballers Borussia Mönchengladbach players AS Saint-Étienne players FC Sion players Yugoslav First League players Bundesliga players Ligue 1 players Swiss Super League players Yugoslav expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in France Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in France Expatriate men's footballers in West Germany Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in West Germany Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Deaths by firearm in Switzerland Serbian people murdered abroad