Dragan Džajić

The Magic Dragan — Yugoslavia's greatest ever player and Red Star Belgrade legend voted the best European player of 1968.

Dragan Džajić was born on 30 May 1946 in Ub, a small town roughly 60 kilometres outside Belgrade, in what was then Yugoslavia, and joined Red Star Belgrade's youth academy in 1961. He made his senior debut for the club shortly afterward, quickly establishing himself as one of the finest left wingers of his generation, renowned for his blistering pace, close dribbling, natural technique, and dangerous left-footed free kicks. Džajić spent the bulk of his career at Red Star Belgrade, playing 590 games and scoring 287 goals across more than a decade with the club, and helping them win five Yugoslav league titles and four Yugoslav Cups. His combination of flair and end product made him the standout Yugoslav player of his era, and in 1969 he was recognised as one of the finest talents in European football. Džajić represented Yugoslavia at three European Championships and two World Cups between 1964 and 1979, scoring a memorable goal in the semi-final of the 1968 European Championship on home soil, helping Yugoslavia reach the final, which they lost to Italy in a replay. He later had a brief spell in France with Bastia before returning to Red Star Belgrade to finish his playing career in 1978. After retiring, Džajić remained closely tied to Red Star Belgrade, serving multiple terms as club president across three separate periods between the late 1990s and 2014. In November 2003, to mark UEFA's Jubilee celebrations, he was named the Golden Player of Serbia and Montenegro, recognising him as the country's outstanding player of the previous half-century. He later became president of the Football Association of Serbia in 2023, extending a lifetime of involvement in the sport he once dominated on the pitch.

Exceptional dribbler with precise crossing ability and powerful left foot

Considered one of the greatest left wingers of all time and Yugoslavia's finest player

• Yugoslav League 8x
• Yugoslav Cup 6x
• 85 Yugoslavia caps, 23 goals
• Best Player Euro 1968
• European Championship Runner-up 1968
• Olympic Silver Medal 1968

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps	Goals
Red Star Belgrade	1963–1975	281	108
Bastia	1975–1977	56	31
Red Star Belgrade	1977–1978	25	5
Yugoslavia	—	85	23