RIP Vladica Kovačević

Vladimir "Vladica" Kovačević, former striker of FK Partizan and the Yugoslav national team, member of the great "generation ’66" has passed away today in Belgrade. He was 76 years old.

Vladica Kovačević as the player of Partizan

(photo: seebiz.eu)

Vladica Kovačević last year at Partizan’s 70th anniversary

(photo: mondo.rs)

May he rest in peace :(

Photo gallery: Celebrating Partizan’s 70th birthday

Partizan sports society (JSD Partizan) celebrated the 70th anniversary of its foundation on 4th October. For this occasion the team rent National Theater (Narodno pozorište) in Belgrade to remember these 7 decades in the proper way. Former players were invited as well as the current squad and for great (and not too pleasant) surprise there were politicians, too. Here are a huge bunch of photos taken at the event together with a long video, because RTS 2 broadcasted it all live and since then it has been uploaded to Youtube, of course.

Mateja Kežman arrives

Vladica Kovačević

Veljko Paunović

Omnem dimitte spem, o vos intrantes - leave all hope, ye who enter. Even if you’re Albert Nagy personally, because if you want to get into the Hall of Fame, you have to get through Miloš Vazura...

...and Milorad Vučelić

Did you notice the sickening colour of Vazura’s face? What about those panda-sized circles around his eyes?

Saša Ilić and his family

Marko Jevtović with his parents

Predrag Mijatović

On this photo there is a legendary former player of Partizan hidden. Send your answers to us and the winner gets the footprint of Zoran Popović as a prize

There were all kinds of people. Insignificant ones...

...legendary ones...

...and well... these guys.

Partizan’s management is smoozing with Serbian first deputy prime minister Ivica Dačić

Posing with the bosses was surely a must

It would be interesting to know where Petar Grbić found this amazingly orange jacket

For this hat even the most forgiving judge would give 10 years of forced labour in a quarry to Bojinov

Everyone must get photographed with the bosses. No escape

I get that there was probably no dress code for this event. I get that, too, that a football player isn’t necessarily a fashion icon. I get even that reason, that a football player cannot buy a 3-piece Giorgio Armani-suit. But has nobody told this scatter-brained Bulgarian that you must NEVER wear a hat

a) in theatre

b) at the table

c) while dancing

d) generally indoors

because it is considered as one of the biggest indecorums. A gentleman wears hat only outdoors. Period.

Džigi, Subić and Brašanac

The Master and the young padawan

Zoran Popović had a speech. You can read it here, if you want to

Then Grupa JNA appeared on stage performing U mislima mojim

Then came a stage play, written and directed specially for this occasion. The main character, a 15-year-old Grave Digger remembers back the golden ages with his grandfather and father. By the way, did you know that Albert Einstein was a Grave Digger?

Yes, he was, just like Vuk Karadžić

Here the grandfather is telling stories to the young fan about Stjepan Bobek

Great names to remember...

...and some are still with us: Vladica Kovačević...

...Ivan Ćurković

(Mustafa Hasanagić was also there, but nobody took any photos about him)

Meanwhile the scene changed, here are the parents of the young Grave Digger

The father was a Grave Digger as well, of course, one of the first members of the Southern Tribune. He also remembered the great old days...

...and the Living Legend, Momčilo Moca Vukotić, who can’t, who mustn’t be forgotten

Grupa JNA again, now performing Partizan anthem with Saša Aleks

It cranked up the atmosphere

Albert Nagy enjoyed it

Those who sit at cheap seats may clap their hands. Those who sit at expensive seats, it’s enough to rattle with your jewels

Then the father continued to remember back, telling about Dragan Mance...

...Predrag Mijatović...

The top moment was when Saša Ilić appeared on stage and handed his own jersey to the young fan

"Sale, hvala ti"

At the end, Partizan’s future, the children

The final: Dobro pamtim sve with the kids and Nele Karajlić

Party time

Great applause at the end. It was nice, emotional, just like a remembrance should be

After-party with Mr. Hat and friends

Duško Vujošević: If I remember well, the emergency exit is near the male toilet on the left...

Politicians, boot-lickers and outsiders

Here is the entire event:

(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)