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Short interview with Serbian soccer coach Dragan Okuka by Djuradj Vujcic
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Short interview with Serbian soccer coach Dragan Okuka
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“The fact that I received the highest recognition for a coach (Coach of the Year in 2012) – in the company of names such as Marcello Lippi, Jean Tigana and Sven-Goran Eriksson and in the most populous country in the world – gave me the opportunity to work four years in China and learn about their football, the mentality and character of the Chinese people, and their traditions as well.” – Dragan Okuka, Serbian soccer coach.
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Dragomir “Dragan” Okuka is a Serbian soccer coach and former player. He was born on April 2, 1954 in the village of Porija, Municipality of Kalinovik, Yugoslavia in what is today Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started his career with Velez Nevesinje later moving on to the more renowned Velez Mostar (winning the 1981 Yugoslav Cup) for which his playing days are most remembered. He finished out his playing career in Sweden where his son Drazen (also a footballer) was born. Internationally, he represented Yugoslavia at the 1979 Mediterranean Games (winning gold) and played four matches (scoring one goal) for the Yugoslav U21 team. Okuka was the captain of the U21 side at the 1980 European Under-21 Championship. Yugoslavia (led by a coaching duo of Ivan Toplak and Stevan “Cele” Vilotic) reached the semi-final where they lost to the Soviet Union.
After his playing career, Okuka started his coaching career in 1994 with FK Becej. He would then go on to make history with FK Obilic, leading them to the 1997–98 Yugoslav league title. He also won the Polish league title in 2001–02 with Legia Warsaw and led the Serbia and Montenegro under-21 national team to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. In 2012, he was voted both the Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year and the Football Association of Serbia Coach of the Year.
In this short interview with the Urban Book Circle’s editor-in-chief Djuradj Vujcic, Okuka spoke about the success of the Serbian national youth sides, his time coaching in China and his plans for the future.
Djuradj Vujcic: The Serbian national under-20 team just won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. How important is this success for the re-birth of Serbian soccer? Is there hope for the A team as well?
Dragan Okuka: Surely, it is a big achievement and a great incentive for our soccer which has been stumbling. We should be maximally careful with this generation and protect them from various challenges and influences so that in 4–5 years (some of them maybe even before that) they can debut for the national A team. We should keep in mind that this is just the first step – youth football – and that a challenging and long path awaits these players if they are to become true stars. With this result, they have announced that they are on that path.
Djuradj Vujcic: You were head coach of Changchun Yatai in 2014. How did that come to an end?
Dragan Okuka: Simply put, my contract expired. We stayed in the league which was the main goal when I came. My ambitions are far greater than fighting to avoid relegation with a club in the Chinese league.
Djuradj Vujcic: Would you like to coach a club here in North America?
Dragan Okuka: I’m not sure how doable that is but yes, I would like to.
Djuradj Vujcic: You are very well-respected in China. How special is your time in China to you?
Dragan Okuka: The fact that I received the highest recognition for a coach (Coach of the Year in 2012) – in the company of names such as Marcello Lippi, Jean Tigana and Sven-Goran Eriksson and in the most populous country in the world – gave me the opportunity to work four years in China and learn about their football, the mentality and character of the Chinese people, and their traditions as well. It is an invaluable experience for my further career as a coach.
Djuradj Vujcic: After great results with the national under-21 team of Serbia and Montenegro, wasn’t it logical for them to give you a chance with the national A team as well?
Dragan Okuka: It was a logical and natural solution, considering that we made great results with that generation (fourth in Europe at the championship in Portugal in 2006) and the fact that from that generation, the future head coach of the national team Javier Clemente promoted several players – Vladimir Stojkovic, Dusan Basta, Dusko Tosic, Milan Bisevac, Branislav Ivanovic, Milos Krasic, Bosko Jankovic, Milan Stepanov... This was the case with the Montenegrin national team as well as their head coach Zoran Filipovic promoted Simon Vukcevic, Mirko Vucinic, Igor Burzanovic and Milan Purovic – all from the 2006 generation.
Unfortunately, the people who were leading the Football Association of Serbia at the time decided to bring in a foreigner in the form of Clemente (we know how we did with him). For comparison, in order to go to the European Championship in Portugal, we had to play two matches against Croatia, led by Slaven Bilic, whose national team was led by great young footballers such as Corluka, Kranjcar, Vukojevic, Modric and Eduardo. We won both matches; in Belgrade in front of a record 40,000 people by a score of 3–1 and in Zagreb by a score of 2–1. Despite that, the Croats gave Bilic a chance to lead the Croatian A team and we know what successes they achieved with him. We went on to the European Championship in Portugal and finished fourth (losing on penalties to Ukraine in the semifinals) and unfortunately, I was never given a chance with the national A team as that finish was deemed not enough...
Djuradj Vujcic: Thank you, Dragan, for your time.
Dragan Okuka: It was my pleasure, Djuradj. Thank you.
After his playing career, Okuka started his coaching career in 1994 with FK Becej. He would then go on to make history with FK Obilic, leading them to the 1997–98 Yugoslav league title. He also won the Polish league title in 2001–02 with Legia Warsaw and led the Serbia and Montenegro under-21 national team to a fourth-place finish at the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. In 2012, he was voted both the Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year and the Football Association of Serbia Coach of the Year.
In this short interview with the Urban Book Circle’s editor-in-chief Djuradj Vujcic, Okuka spoke about the success of the Serbian national youth sides, his time coaching in China and his plans for the future.
Djuradj Vujcic: The Serbian national under-20 team just won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. How important is this success for the re-birth of Serbian soccer? Is there hope for the A team as well?
Dragan Okuka: Surely, it is a big achievement and a great incentive for our soccer which has been stumbling. We should be maximally careful with this generation and protect them from various challenges and influences so that in 4–5 years (some of them maybe even before that) they can debut for the national A team. We should keep in mind that this is just the first step – youth football – and that a challenging and long path awaits these players if they are to become true stars. With this result, they have announced that they are on that path.
Djuradj Vujcic: You were head coach of Changchun Yatai in 2014. How did that come to an end?
Dragan Okuka: Simply put, my contract expired. We stayed in the league which was the main goal when I came. My ambitions are far greater than fighting to avoid relegation with a club in the Chinese league.
Djuradj Vujcic: Would you like to coach a club here in North America?
Dragan Okuka: I’m not sure how doable that is but yes, I would like to.
Djuradj Vujcic: You are very well-respected in China. How special is your time in China to you?
Dragan Okuka: The fact that I received the highest recognition for a coach (Coach of the Year in 2012) – in the company of names such as Marcello Lippi, Jean Tigana and Sven-Goran Eriksson and in the most populous country in the world – gave me the opportunity to work four years in China and learn about their football, the mentality and character of the Chinese people, and their traditions as well. It is an invaluable experience for my further career as a coach.
Djuradj Vujcic: After great results with the national under-21 team of Serbia and Montenegro, wasn’t it logical for them to give you a chance with the national A team as well?
Dragan Okuka: It was a logical and natural solution, considering that we made great results with that generation (fourth in Europe at the championship in Portugal in 2006) and the fact that from that generation, the future head coach of the national team Javier Clemente promoted several players – Vladimir Stojkovic, Dusan Basta, Dusko Tosic, Milan Bisevac, Branislav Ivanovic, Milos Krasic, Bosko Jankovic, Milan Stepanov... This was the case with the Montenegrin national team as well as their head coach Zoran Filipovic promoted Simon Vukcevic, Mirko Vucinic, Igor Burzanovic and Milan Purovic – all from the 2006 generation.
Unfortunately, the people who were leading the Football Association of Serbia at the time decided to bring in a foreigner in the form of Clemente (we know how we did with him). For comparison, in order to go to the European Championship in Portugal, we had to play two matches against Croatia, led by Slaven Bilic, whose national team was led by great young footballers such as Corluka, Kranjcar, Vukojevic, Modric and Eduardo. We won both matches; in Belgrade in front of a record 40,000 people by a score of 3–1 and in Zagreb by a score of 2–1. Despite that, the Croats gave Bilic a chance to lead the Croatian A team and we know what successes they achieved with him. We went on to the European Championship in Portugal and finished fourth (losing on penalties to Ukraine in the semifinals) and unfortunately, I was never given a chance with the national A team as that finish was deemed not enough...
Djuradj Vujcic: Thank you, Dragan, for your time.
Dragan Okuka: It was my pleasure, Djuradj. Thank you.
Djuradj Vujcic,
Canadian journalist, editor-in-chief of the Urban Book Circle
Canadian journalist, editor-in-chief of the Urban Book Circle
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Circle UBC® – an online magazine of applied literature and traditional arts – of the Urban Book Circle®
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Interview with Serbian soccer coach Dragan Okuka by Djuradj Vujcic
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· Interview: Djuradj Vujcic / All rights reserved 2015. Copyright © Djuradj Vujcic ·
· Photo of Dragan Okuka courtesy of Dragan Okuka ·
· Photo of Samuel Beckett’s bookshelf in the study of his apartment at the Boulevard St Jacques in Paris courtesy of John Minihan / All rights reserved 1985. Copyright © John Minihan ·
· Design & Artwork by Djuradj Vujcic and Prvoslav Vujcic · Illustrated by Sarah Riordan and Deidre McAuliffe ·
· Edited by Djuradj Vujcic, Prvoslav Vujcic, Deidre McAuliffe, Sarah Riordan and Danijela Kovacevic Mikic ·
· Edited by Djuradj Vujcic, Prvoslav Vujcic, Deidre McAuliffe, Sarah Riordan and Danijela Kovacevic Mikic ·
All rights reserved 2015. Copyright © Urban Book Circle®
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Last updated on June 26, 2015.
Published by Urban Book Circle on June 26, 2015 Urban Book Circle® (UBC) |
