Today, in the premises of FK Vojvodina, at the Karađorđe stadium, a commemoration was held in honor of the former Old Lady player, Zoran Dakić.
Zoran Dakić was born on July 28, 1940 in Šabac, where he started his football career in Mačva jersey. As he himself said, the beginning of his career was especially interesting, and the most interesting details from his life and career were revealed by the secretary of the Veterans’ Section of FK Vojvodina, Cvijan Savković.
– As a boy, he played football on the lyceum with Vojislav Melić and Selimir Milošević, the famous Ćele Vilotić noticed them and offered them to come to Mačva’s training, and so they all started playing together for the youth team. After three Mačva players left, they became first-teamers as 16-year-olds, and soon became standard first-team players. Good games were heard until Belgrade, so Dakić continued his career in OFK Beograd, and Melić and Milošević ended up in Red Star. Dakić spent five seasons in OFK Beograd, won two Yugoslav Cups, was standard in the best generation of famous Romantics among whom were famous names such as – Stepanović, Krivokuća, Skoblar, Petković, Samardžić and Santrač – revealed Cvijan Savković.
After OFK Beograd, he came to Novi Sad, which changed his life and career. There he met his wife, started a family, and later returned to live.
– He came to Vojvodina before the 1966/67 season, as a great reinforcement of the champion generation, which previously won the first championship title. He played with Voša in the Champions Cup and was an important member of the team until 1970, recording 137 official matches for the Old Lady. After Vojvodina, the trip took him to France, where he played two seasons for Reims and then two more for Ajaccio. During his stay in France, he also earned a coaching degree, so he started a new career immediately after finishing playing. He spent as many as nine years as an assistant coach of Dusseldorf, and later worked as a coach in Angola and Gabon. After the end of his coaching career, he returned to Novi Sad, where he lived until his death. He was married to the famous athlete Štefica Kraut-Haker, with whom he has two sons, Željko and Srđan. His son Željko is a child of Vojvodina. He won the Yugoslav Cup with the youth team in 1986, and then won the second title in the history of the club as a first team player in 1989. In his retirement days, Zoran Dakić often encouraged his Vojvodina from the stands, but he also watched the volleyball club’s matches, since he was a big fan. He was always in a good mood, smiling and cheerful, and as such we will always remember him – said Savković.
On behalf of FK Vojvodina, his former teammate, Vasa Pušibrk, a member of the champion generation and the president of the Old Lady’s Veterans’ Section, said goodbye to Zoran Dakić with selected words.
– At that time, Vojvodina brought such players, who were real reinforcements for our team. It was wonderful to remember the great matches with OFK Beograd, which had a strong team at that time, and I am glad that he became our teammate after them. Also, we trained here, at this stadium, and his wife, athlete Štefica, trained there, where that great love was born, from which two wonderful sons came. We trained here, we hung out here and spent a lot of time together, and that is exactly why I am proud that we are holding a commemoration in his part here, at the same stadium – Vasa Pušibrk began the story.
He then remembered why Zoran Dakić was so special as a player, but also as a person, because he was always a professional in everything.
– Zoran always had that one incredible lifestyle, as a professional and a person, which is why I always admired him. Zoran paid attention to every detail of his life, from food, massage, preparation for the game, it was rare to see such a professional in those times. Our lives diverged, although we went to Reims in France together, but I left when Milan Galić came. Later, the road took him to Ajaccio, Corsica, to a club that was one of the best organized at the time. After finishing his playing career and many years of coaching work, first in Dusseldorf and later in Angola and Gabon, Zoran made his nest in his hometown of Novi Sad, with his children and his Štefica. There on the Quay, where he had a view of the wide Danube, he went to the Fish Market and I often saw him on a bicycle doing daily chores for his family. I am especially happy for him that he welcomed the children of his children, he was a wonderful grandfather, a great man and my great friend, and may he have eternal glory – said Vasa Pušibrk.
