Blagoje Marjanović


Blagoje "Moša" Marjanović was a Yugoslav football player and manager.

Early life

Born to merchant father Dimitrije and housewife mother Sofija, young Blagoje grew up on the outskirts of Belgrade in 7 Đakovačka Street.

Playing career

Blagoje Marjanović was one of the best football forward in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He played for BSK, with whom he won five league titles and three times was the best league goal scorer. For the national team, he debuts on 28 June 1926 in a friendly match against Czechoslovakia in Zagreb. The first goal he scored on 15 May 1927 against Bulgaria in Sofia when in the last five minutes he scored two goals in the match. During his career, he scored 37 goals in 58 games for the national team, and 575 goals in 14 seasons for his club BSK. He participated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam and the first FIFA World Cup 1930 in Uruguay. He has won a bronze medal in the FIFA World Cup 1930 in Uruguay. He scored one goal in that tournament in the game versus Bolivia.
After returning from South America, this excellent striker became, first professional footballer in Yugoslavia
. For his services at BSK Marjanović was paid YUS1,800 per month. The exchange rate of dinar against US dollar in December 1930 was $1 = YUS56.39 meaning that his monthly salary was $32.He and Tirnanić formed one of the greatest right side partnership in Yugoslavian football history. Although, during the match he understood with Tirnanić very well, he had almost the same understanding with other teammates, from his club and from national team. Marjanović was highly intelligent player, and he was able to realize, how every of his teammates plays. During the game it always seemed that he knew what to do with or without a ball. He was very accurate shooter, but with average shot power. Moša could score from almost every position and he didn't care if the ball came low or high, because he was, also, very good in air game. His main specialty was volley shot. Besides that, he was also one of the best free-kick takers in Yugoslavia. He scored a few times hat-trick for national team, but probably most memorable was against Brazil in 1934, in friendly game in Belgrade. Many football experts of that time showed great appreciation for "Moša's" skills, including Hugo Meisl who claimed that with Marjanović in the attacking line "Wunderteam" would be perfect.
Marjanovic enjoyed great fame. He was a national superstar but also a playboy, up to the moment when his club played against Hajduk, in Split. On the eve of the match, he met a Dalmatian girl who supported Hajduk. They were married in 1938 with great interest of the public and journalists. The last match for the national team was played on 3 April 1938 against Poland in a World Cup qualifier. Marjanović scored the only goal of the match. During German invasion on Yugoslavia, he was captured as truck driver soldier of Yugoslav Army and placed in a prison camp in Fürstenberg, Germany. In the midst of adversity, sometimes they organized football matches between "war prisoners" versus "the guardians". When the war ended, he returned to Yugoslavia and played for Dinamo Pančevo. His career ended in Proleter from Osijek.
According to a biography of his time Marjanović scored more than 1,000 goals in his career.

Coaching career

During his coaching career, he first led Proleter Osijek then OFK Beograd, with whom he won the national cup in 1955. After this, Marshal Tito honored Marjanovic with the Yugoslavian Order of Merit of the People. Also in 1955, Marjanović went on a tour to Asia where he had the honor to meet Chinese People's Leader Mao Zedong. He was later a coach in the Italian league. He returned to Yugoslavia and became a coach for FK Pobeda Prilep. After a match in 1961, Moša suffered a stroke. He never regained his speech and the right side of his body was paralyzed. He died in 1984. In the former Yugoslavia, he was also remembered for his statement: Football is my life.

Film

In the 2014 film See You in Montevideo, Marjanović was portrayed by actor Petar Strugar.

International goals

Yugoslavia's goal tally first
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.15 May 1927Slavia Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria1–02–0Friendly
2.15 May 1927Slavia Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria2–02–0Friendly
3.25 March 1928Üllői úti stadion, Budapest, Hungary0–12–1Friendly
4.6 May 1928Stadion SK Jugoslavija, Belgrade, Yugoslavia2–03–11928 King Aleksandar Cup
5.19 May 1929Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, France2–03–1Friendly
6.28 June 1929Stadion Concordije, Zagreb, Yugoslavia2–23–3Friendly
7.28 June 1929Stadion Concordije, Zagreb, Yugoslavia3–23–3Friendly
8.6 October 1929ONEF Stadium, Bucharest, Romania1–21–21929–31 Balkan Cup
9.13 April 1930BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia2–06–1Friendly
10.13 April 1930BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia4–16–1Friendly
11.17 July 1930Estadio Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay2–04–01930 FIFA World Cup
12.3 August 1930Estadio Alvear y Tagle, Buenos Aires, Argentina1–31–3Friendly
13.16 November 1930Slavia Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria2–03–01929–31 Balkan Cup
14.19 April 1931Stadion SK Jugoslavija, Belgrade, Yugoslavia1–01–01929–31 Balkan Cup
15.21 May 1931BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia1–03–2Friendly
16.28 June 1931Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Yugoslavia1–12–41929–31 Balkan Cup
17.2 August 1931Stadion SK Jugoslavija, Belgrade, Yugoslavia2–02–1Friendly
18.4 October 1931Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria2–03–21931 Balkan Cup
19.30 April 1933Stadion SK Jugoslavija, Belgrade, Yugoslavia1–11–1Friendly
20.24 September 1933BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia2–02–21934 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.18 March 1934Stadion AS 23, Sofia, Bulgaria1–02–1Friendly
22.18 March 1934Stadion AS 23, Sofia, Bulgaria2–02–1Friendly
23.3 June 1934BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia3–38–4Friendly
24.3 June 1934BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia6–38–4Friendly
25.3 June 1934BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia8–38–4Friendly
26.26 August 1934Stadion SK Jugoslavija, Belgrade, Yugoslavia4–14–1Friendly
27.16 December 1934Parc des Princes, Paris, France1–12–3Friendly
28.1 January 1935Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens, Greece2–04–01934–35 Balkan Cup
29.17 June 1935Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria1–02–01935 Balkan Cup
30.20 June 1935Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria2–06–11935 Balkan Cup
31.24 June 1935Yunak Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria1–03–31935 Balkan Cup
32.12 July 1936Taksim Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey1–13–3Friendly
33.6 September 1936BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia1–09–3Friendly
34.6 September 1936BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia3–09–3Friendly
35.6 September 1936BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia5–09–3Friendly
36.6 September 1936BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia8–19–3Friendly
37.3 April 1938BSK Beograd Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia1–01–01938 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Player

Club

SK Jugoslavija
BSK Beograd
BSK Beograd