Nenad Bjeković

Nenad Bjeković
Bjeković in 2021
Personal information
Full name Nenad Bjeković
Date of birth (1947-11-05) 5 November 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth Lazarevo, FPR Yugoslavia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Zadrugar Lazarevo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1969 Proleter Zrenjanin 103 (27)
1969–1976 Partizan 198 (82)
1976–1981 Nice 143 (85)
Total 444 (194)
International career
1968–1976 Yugoslavia 22 (4)
Managerial career
1982–1984 Partizan (assistant)
1984–1987 Partizan
1987–1989 Nice
1990 Partizan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nenad Bjeković (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Бјековић, pronounced [něnad bjêːkoʋitɕ]; born 5 November 1947) is a Serbian football administrator and former player and manager.

Club career

Born in Lazarevo, a village near Zrenjanin, Bjeković started out at his local club Zadrugar Lazarevo, before switching to Proleter Zrenjanin. He stayed there for four years, making his Yugoslav First League debut in the 1967–68 season.

In 1969, Bjeković was transferred to Partizan. He spent seven seasons with the Crno-beli, netting 82 league goals in 198 appearances. In the 1975–76 season, Bjeković was the Yugoslav First League top scorer with 24 goals, helping Partizan win its seventh championship title.[1]

In 1976, Bjeković moved abroad to France and signed with Nice. He played five seasons with Les Aiglons, scoring a total of 85 goals in 143 league appearances. In 2013, Bjeković was named the club's player of the century.[2]

International career

At international level, Bjeković played 22 matches for Yugoslavia and netted four goals.[3] He scored on his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Brazil in Belo Horizonte on 19 December 1968. His last cap came on 24 February 1976 in a 2–1 away friendly win over Algeria in Algiers.[4]

Post-playing career

After hanging up his boots, Bjeković started his managerial career as an assistant to Miloš Milutinović at Partizan in 1982. He would replace Milutinović as manager at the start of the 1984–85 season. At the helm of Partizan, Bjeković won back-to-back championship titles in 1986 and 1987.

In 1987, Bjeković was appointed as manager of his former club Nice. He was released after two years in charge. In 1990, Bjeković returned to Partizan as manager, but stayed just two months.

After his managerial career, Bjeković served as sporting director of Partizan for almost two decades. He resigned from the position in May 2007.[5]

On 17 April 2018, Bjeković was elected as vice-president of the Serbian Football Association.[6]

Personal life

Bjeković is the father of fellow footballer Nenad Bjeković.[7]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Proleter Zrenjanin 1965–66 Yugoslav Second League 21 7 — 21 7
1966–67 Yugoslav Second League 21 4 — 21 4
1967–68 Yugoslav First League 28 10 — 28 10
1968–69 Yugoslav First League 33 6 — 33 6
Total 103 27 — 103 27
Partizan 1969–70 Yugoslav First League 32 7 2 0 34 7
1970–71 Yugoslav First League 33 8 2 0 35 8
1971–72 Yugoslav First League 33 14 — 33 14
1972–73 Yugoslav First League 33 13 — 33 13
1973–74 Yugoslav First League 32 14 — 32 14
1974–75 Yugoslav First League 4 2 0 0 4 2
1975–76 Yugoslav First League 31 24 — 31 24
Total 198 82 4 0 202 82
Nice 1976–77 French Division 1 32 19 2 2 34 21
1977–78 French Division 1 35 29 — 35 29
1978–79 French Division 1 28 17 — 28 17
1979–80 French Division 1 35 15 — 35 15
1980–81 French Division 1 13 5 — 13 5
Total 143 85 2 2 145 87
Career total 444 194 6 2 450 196

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[8]
National team Year Apps Goals
Yugoslavia 1968 1 1
1969 3 1
1970 0 0
1971 7 0
1972 3 0
1973 5 2
1974 1 0
1975 0 0
1976 2 0
Total 22 4
Yugoslavia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Bjeković goal
List of international goals scored by Nenad Bjeković
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 19 December 1968 Belo Horizonte, Brazil  Brazil 2–0 2–3 Friendly
2 26 February 1969 Split, Yugoslavia  Sweden 1–0 2–1 Friendly
3 13 May 1973 Warsaw, Poland  Poland 2–1 2–2 Friendly
4 26 September 1973 Belgrade, Yugoslavia  Hungary 1–0 1–1 Friendly

Honours

Player

Proleter Zrenjanin

Partizan

Individual

Manager

Partizan

References

  1. ^ "Nenad Bjeković" (in Serbian). partizanopedia.rs. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Nenad Bjeković – igrač veka Nice (FOTO i VIDEO)" (in Serbian). mozzartsport.com. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Yugoslavia (Serbia (and Montenegro)) - Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Bjeković Nenad" (in Serbian). reprezentacija.rs. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Bjeković podneo ostavku" (in Serbian). blic.rs. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Nenad Bjeković izabran za potpredsednika Fudbalskog saveza Srbije" (in Serbian). b92.net. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Sinovi (uvek) u senci očeva" (in Serbian). novosti.rs. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Nenad Bjeković, international football player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
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