Legendary Hajduk footballer Miroslav Bošković passes away: Debuted at 17 against Red Star

Miroslav Bošković, the legendary Hajduk footballer, passed away three years ago today. Born on January 3, 1947, in Belgrade, he took his first footballing steps in Zadar, where his parents had moved. At the time, Zadar was a small club in the Dalmatian League, but Bošković's talent did not go unnoticed, and Hajduk soon learned of him.

At just 17, he arrived at Hajduk, where his natural ability was further honed. "In Danilovgrad, Montenegro, where he lived, the legendary Hajduk footballer Miroslav Bošković, our dear Galeb, passed away after a brief and severe illness," Hajduk said in their farewell to their former player.

A debut that surprised everyone

The match was only in its fifth or sixth minute when Šorban's guard Žaja got injured. He tried to continue, but it wasn't possible. In his place, an unknown, tall, and skinny young man ran onto the pitch-clean-shaven and pale, a mere child. "Oh my, we're done for! Who's this now?" the stands murmured with apprehension. Split got to know him that afternoon on August 22, 1965, when Hajduk defeated Red Star 1-0.

That was Bošković. He signed his contract with Hajduk in early July 1965, and on August 22, he made his debut against Red Star and never took off the white jersey again. Although he had not yet turned 18, he improved with each match. "Bošković has made a huge leap as a player," said Hajduk's then-coach Dušan Nenković.

Nenković further praised him: "To step from the senior squad of Zadar into Hajduk's first team and play solidly is no small feat. He is still young and promising, but he possesses all the qualities to develop into an excellent footballer. As an athlete, he is very disciplined, hardworking, and dedicated." Bošković himself modestly said: "I was lucky, and my teammates received me excellently." He played for Hajduk until 1973, making 405 appearances and scoring 31 goals over eight seasons.

Trophies and the national team jersey

With Hajduk, he won the Yugoslav championship in 1971 and was part of the cup-winning teams in 1967 and 1972. In 1974, he won both the cup and the championship with the club, although he played only a few matches as a new generation of "bilih tića" led by Tomislav Ivić took over.

From Hajduk, he moved to Belgrade's Partizan in October 1973, and after two seasons, in 1975, he went to French club Angers, where he spent three years. He ended his playing career in 1978 at Belgrade's Sinđelić.

He earned six caps for the Yugoslav national team. He made his debut in a friendly against Brazil in Belgrade on June 25, 1968 (0-2), and his last appearance in the national jersey was in Rio de Janeiro on July 9, 1972, in a Brazil Independence Cup match against Argentina (4-2).

The commandos who brought the title

For Hajduk fans, the 1970/71 season remains particularly memorable, as the club finally won the national championship after sixteen barren years. In the final moments of the match in Novi Sad against Vojvodina, the score was 1-1. Hajduk persistently attacked, but the net wouldn't bulge. Then coaches Luštica and Beara shouted: "Commandos, warm up!"

Pavlica and Bošković immediately entered the game. As soon as they stepped onto the pitch, Bošković got hold of the ball, delivered a cross, Pavlica rose and headed it... goal! A frenzy of delight. Just seven days earlier, and a week later, the same "commandos" decided two more matches-one in Split against Bor, and the decisive one in Belgrade against Partizan.

After Partizan took a 3-0 lead, Bošković scored the equalizer to make it 3-3, and Buljan then scored for 4-3, securing the victory and the championship title. In Split, Bošković is remembered as a tireless, combative player who did the dirty work-just as coaches Luštica and Beara dubbed him: "football commando."