Miodrag Božović
Miodrag "Grof" Božović (Serbian Cyrillic: Миодраг "Гроф" Божовић, pronounced [mîodraɡ bôːʒoʋitɕ]; born 22 June 1968) is a Montenegrin football manager and former player.
 Božović coaching Arsenal Tula in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 June 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Mojkovac, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Playing position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1992 | Budućnost Titograd | 107 | (6) |
| 1992–1994 | Red Star Belgrade | 52 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Pelita Jaya | ||
| 1996–1997 | APOP Kinyras | 20 | (1) |
| 1997–1998 | RKC | 19 | (1) |
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 8 | (0) |
| 1999 | RBC | 5 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1990 | Yugoslavia U21 | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2000–2001 | Beograd | ||
| 2001–2002 | Consadole Sapporo (assistant) | ||
| 2003–2004 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2004 | Obilić | ||
| 2004 | Hajduk Lion | ||
| 2005 | AEP Paphos | ||
| 2005–2006 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2006–2007 | Budućnost Podgorica | ||
| 2007 | Grbalj | ||
| 2007 | Borac Čačak | ||
| 2008 | Amkar Perm | ||
| 2009 | FC Moscow | ||
| 2010–2011 | Dynamo Moscow | ||
| 2011–2012 | Amkar Perm | ||
| 2012–2014 | Rostov | ||
| 2014–2015 | Lokomotiv Moscow | ||
| 2015–2017 | Red Star Belgrade | ||
| 2017–2018 | Arsenal Tula | ||
| 2018–2020 | Krylia Sovetov | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Playing career
Club
A tall central defender, Božović played alongside Yugoslav and Montenegrin legends Predrag Mijatović and Dejan Savićević at Budućnost Titograd and for fellow Yugoslav team Red Star Belgrade, whom he left in 1994 during the civil war to play in Indonesia.[1] He also played for Dutch clubs RKC Waalwijk[2] and RBC Roosendaal, as well as in Cyprus and Japan.
During his playing career Božović won Yugoslav Cup with Red Star Belgrade.
International
He represented his U-21 national side once.
Managerial career
As a coach, he had a successful spell in Budućnost in the 2006–07 season, when his team was leading in Montenegrin First League, but he resigned and joined Grbalj in February 2007, due to the disagreement with the board.[3] Božović also was successful in Borac Čačak, as he made a competitive team out of a humble club.
Russian side FC Amkar Perm qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the first time in club's history under his management. Next season, his new club FC Moscow was among the leaders in the Russian Premier League for long stretches, before fading in the end of the season and falling out of European qualification. In early 2010, FC Moscow dropped out of the Premier League due to financial considerations, and Božović became a free agent.
On 27 April 2010, Božović signed a three-year contract with FC Dynamo Moscow.[4]
After the game against his former club, Amkar, he was questioned in the flash interview, did he feel that he was playing against the team he had built himself. His answer was: "I feel I was playing against players who made me a coach."[5]
He resigned from Dynamo on 21 April 2011 after losing in a Russian Cup quarterfinal against FC Rostov (winning the Cup was the last hope for Dynamo to qualify for UEFA Europa League).[6]
In Serbia Božović was nicknamed Grof (the Count or Earl), because of his orderly and elegant appearance.[7]
In June 2012 he became the Manager General of FC Rostov.[8] The next season Rostov won the 2013–14 Russian Cup.[9]
Red Star
2015-16
On 29 May 2015 it was announced that Božović would manage his former club Red Star Belgrade.[10] His start as Red Star manager was turbulent. Red Star was eliminated by Kairat in the first qualifying round for the Europa League and started off the regular season with a comeback win against OFK Beograd and a draw against Metalac in Gornji Milanovac in the first two rounds of the Serbian Superliga. Serbian media and journalist were not on his side and criticized him and his team's play. After a draw against Radnički Niš in front of 22.000 fans who started to chant against the club board, Božović offered his resignation. Fans were explicit in their desire that board members must leave the club right away, not him, and gave clear support to Božović. Several board members including the vice president and the general director left the club and Božović started a "little war" with the media.[11] After the series of bad performances, Red Star dominated throughout the match and won after a comeback against Čukarički, considered the best match of the season.
Following these incidents, Božović masterminded Red Star to 24 straight wins in the regular season, a new club record, and dominated the Serbian Superliga with 32 points ahead of their rivals. With Božović at the helm Red Star made the best start in club history. Božović lead Red Star to the 27th club league title in history, and the first in his career. Božović stated that he is very happy like never before in his life.
2016-17
After clear and unambiguous support from Red Star fans, who were chanted his name and ask to stay, Grof Božović signed new two-year contract with Red Star to lead the club to the Champions League. Božović said that chants from the fans and whole stands of Marakana are the biggest thing which happened to him in his life, after birth of his sons. He record his first European victory, which is also Red Star first in three years and five matches in a row, against Valletta FC in first match of second qualifying round for the Champions League in Valletta.[12]
Return to Russia
He signed with the Russian Premier League club FC Arsenal Tula before the 2017–18 season.[13] He led the club to the 7th place in the 2017–18 Russian Premier League, the best position in club's history. He did not renew his Arsenal contract at the end of the season.[14]
On 5 October 2018, he signed a 2-year contract with FC Krylia Sovetov Samara.[15] He left Krylia Sovetov by mutual consent on 28 June 2020, with the team in the last position in the table.[16]
Club statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | J1 League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 16 March 2020
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Beograd | 1 June 2000 | 5 June 2001 | 34 | 16 | 5 | 13 | 47.06 |
| Borac Čačak | 3 June 2002 | 25 May 2003 | 33 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 51.52 |
| Hajduk Lion | 1 June 2003 | 30 May 2004 | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 55.56 |
| AEP Paphos | 5 June 2004 | 24 May 2005 | 32 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 34.38 |
| Borac Čačak | 1 June 2005 | 30 May 2006 | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 38.71 |
| Budućnost Podgorica | 1 June 2006 | 2 February 2007 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 75.00 |
| Grbalj | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||
| Borac Čačak | 8 March 2007 | 8 January 2008 | 33 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 36.36 |
| Amkar Perm | 8 January 2008 | 31 December 2008 | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 46.88 |
| FC Moscow | 1 January 2009 | 1 March 2010 | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 47.06 |
| Dynamo Moscow | 27 April 2010 | 21 April 2011 | 31 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 35.48 |
| Amkar Perm | 29 September 2011 | 11 June 2012 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 47.37 |
| Rostov | 11 June 2012 | 25 September 2014 | 83 | 28 | 19 | 36 | 33.73 |
| Lokomotiv Moscow | 4 October 2014 | 11 May 2015 | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 47.62 |
| Red Star Belgrade | 2 June 2015 | 7 May 2017 | 84 | 63 | 11 | 10 | 75.00 |
| Arsenal Tula | 18 June 2017 | 25 May 2018 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 38.71 |
| Krylia Sovetov | 5 October 2018 | Present | 46 | 12 | 7 | 27 | 26.09 |
| Total | 600 | 279 | 131 | 190 | 46.50 | ||
Honours
References
- Miodrag 'The Count' Bozovic breaking records at Red Star Belgrade - ESPN
- Degradatieduel in Waalwijk giert uit de hand - RKC (in Dutch)
- "Bozovic shock in Montenegro", uefa.com
- НОВЫМ ГЛАВНЫМ ТРЕНЕРОМ "ДИНАМО" СТАЛ МИОДРАГ БОЖОВИЧ (in Russian). FC Dynamo Moscow official site. 27 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- "Браво, Миодраг!", Express Yourself (russian)
- "Футбольный клуб "Динамо" подтвердил отставку Божовича". RIA Novosti. 21 April 2011.
- "Mysterious Count", Sovetsky Sport (russian)
- Miodrag Bozovic takes charge of Rostov - Sports.ru
- Miodrag Bojovic resigns from Rostov
- "Гроф Божовић нови тренер Црвене звезде" "Moja Crvena zvezda: Grof Božović novi trener Crvene zvezde" (serbian)
- Звезда је симбол Србије, никад неће пропасти, никад (in Serbian). Moja Crvena zvezda. 12 August 2015.
- "Malteški vitez Aleksandar Katai!" (in Serbian). Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- МИОДРАГ БОЖОВИЧ - ГЛАВНЫЙ ТРЕНЕР ПФК «АРСЕНАЛ»
- СПАСИБО, МИОДРАГ! (in Russian). FC Arsenal Tula. 21 May 2018.
- Миодраг Божович представлен команде (in Russian). FC Krylia Sovetov Samara. 5 October 2018.
- "Миодраг Божович покидает "Крылья Советов"" (in Russian). PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara. 28 June 2020.
External links
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