Dušan Bajevic
Encyclopedia
Dušan Bajević is a Bosnian
football manager and former Yugoslav
international.
. He played almost 400 games for Velež where he scored 170 goals. He stayed in Velež from 1966–1977 before going to AEK Athens, where he won the Greek championship twice. He is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the AEK Athens FC
team. He was a successful player, loved by AEK's fans. He joined the team in 1977 along with other great players of the era and won two championships and one cup title. He was also the league's top scorer during the season 1979–1980.
He came back to Velež in 1981 and stayed to 1983 before retiring. During his career he was together with Slobodan Santrač
the best goalscorer in the Yugoslav league season 1969/70
(20 goals). He also played for Yugoslavia in the 1974 FIFA World Cup
where he scored three goals against Zaire. He scored 29 times in 37 games for Yugoslavia between 1970–1977.
in 1986 by defeating Dinamo Zagreb
3–1 in the final. The next season Velež finished the league in second spot and Bajević went to Greece to coach AEK Athens.
), he managed to lead the team to an unexpected championship title after ten years. He then went to win three consecutive championships (1992
, 1993
, 1994
), one Greek Super Cup (1989), one League Cup (1990), one Pre-Mediterranean Cup (1991) and one Greek Cup (1996
). The club also had several notable campaigns in Europe under his management. Namely the reached the Champion's Cup
last 16 twice (1990, 1993), the Champions League
last 16 once (1995), the Cup Winners' Cup
last 16 once (1996) and the UEFA Cup last 16 once (1992).
and, for the first and only time in their history, reached the UEFA Champions League
quarter finals.
In the 1996–97 season Bajevic led Olympiacos to the championship after 10 years, putting an end to the "stone years'. This season, the team ended the League with a 12 points difference from AEK Athens, and 20 points difference from Panathinaikos.
The next season, 1997–98
, Olympiacos participated for first time in the UEFA Champions League
ending with a 3rd place in the group. In the Alpha Ethniki, Bajevic's team along with AEK and Panathinaikos were too close in the table, but finally Olympiacos made an important away win against Panathinaikos (0–2) and celebrated the second consecutive championship, with three points difference from Panathinaikos.
1998–99 was a very successful season. Olympiacos reached the UEFA Champions League
quarter finals, losing to Juventus (1–2 loss in Italy and 1–1 in the Olympic Stadium
). They also won the domestic double
. In the league they ended with 10 points difference from AEK and 11 from Panathinaikos. In the Cup
, Olympiacos won 2–0 the rival Panathinaikos.
The fans had great expectations for the 1999–00 season with the additions of Giovanni and Zlatko Zahovič
to the squad, but Bajević's team only achieved a 3rd place in the Champions League
group stage. The head coach was sacked on November 11, 1999, despite Olympiacos holding the top spot in the league
at the time.
considering the team's financial problems. During his stay at the club of PAOK FC, he won the Greek Cup in 2001 (after a near-thirty year wait) beating 2–4 Οlympiakos in Athens in a game in which his team delivered very high quality football.
in the Nikos Goumas Stadium
and another one the 2–2 draw against Real Madrid
at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
. He was brought in by club president Dragan Stojković
as replacement to recently departed Walter Zenga
, with the appointment generally welcomed by club's fans due to Bajević's glowing reputation as an experienced coach with plenty of success from the Greek league.
The expectations were also plentiful as Red Star, Serbia-Montenegro league champion, was getting ready to start Champions League qualifying
. After easily progressing from the initial stage versus Irish champions Cork City
, they were drawn against powerhouse AC Milan in the final qualifying round, putting up decent resistance en route to 1–3 aggregate loss. Despite the failure to get into the Champions League, many still took some positives from the Milan clash, however things were different when Bajević's squad got eliminated from UEFA Cup in first round by Slovan Liberec
with embarrassing ease (1–4 on aggregate, including the 1–2 loss at home) thus failing to reach the group stage.
In contrast to European failures, the domestic league form was satisfactory with Bajević leading the team to top of the league with 14 points in spare at the winter break. However, the second part of the season began with an inexplicable dip in form. The slide continued and on February 24, 2007 Red Star lost 4–2 to eternal rivals FK Partizan. A few days later on February 27, 2007, angry fans made damage to Bajević's club-issued Toyota SUV by slaming a brick through its side window while the car was parked at the Markana stadium parking lot during Bajević's guest appearance on SOS kanal TV station.
The end of Bajević's stint with Red Star came in shocking fashion on March 10, 2007 during a league match versus FK Vojvodina
. Red Star was down 0–2 at home, prompting the fans to start chanting "Dušan leave". Soon after the chant was picked up by the majority of the north stand where the club's most loyal supporters
gather, Bajević decided to walk out on the team in the middle of the match, leaving the pitch in 70th minute. The match finished 0–3, shrinking Red Star's lead at the top of the table to only 6 points. Bajević's overall league record at the helm of Red Star during 2006–07 season was 14 league wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses.
.
During the 2007–08 season, when he was the head coach of Aris Thessaloniki
, the team played superb football. Aris reached both a respectable 4th place in the Greek Super League and reaching the Greek Cup final, where the team was beaten by Greek champions Olympiacos F.C. with the score of 2–0. On July 1, 2008 he decided to resign, allegedly because Aris president Labros Skordas demanded that he bench star defender Avraam Papadopoulos
, after the latter rejected a contract extension.
In the UEFA Cup, Aris made excellent performances, eliminating Real Zaragoza
and beating 3–0 Bajevic's old club Red Star Beograd at home. Although, draws with Bolton
and SC Braga
and an 6–0 away loss to Bayern at Munich ended the team's dreams for qualification.
After his resignation, he was immediately related with Panathinaikos
, while there were reports that there was a contract to be pented by the side of Bajević. But he finally decided not to join the team, which eventually appointed Henk ten Cate
.
By the end of October, when the team of Panathinaikos was totally under-performing, and while ten Cate was on the verge of being sacked, the football manager of Panathinaikos, Kostas Antoniou
was said to have asked once again Bajević to become the coach of the greens, but both sides rejected this relation.
in the position of the technical director and Lysandros Georgamlis
as assistant coach.
In his first interview since being re-appointed head coach of AEK, Bajević covered a range of issues including the squad he had inherited, his ambitions for the remainder of what has so far been a difficult season, the possibility of a return to the club's symbolic home ground—the Nikos Goumas Stadium at Nea Philadelphia—and about his well-documented relationship with the fans.
On a possible return of AEK returning to the Nikos Goumas Stadium
, Bajević said: "It is my home because as a player and a manager I lived there", "I'm not the only one who wants a stadium at Nea Philadelphia – there are a lot of others who want it there."
He then went on to discuss his relationship with the fans and Original 21
, "I have said sorry to whoever I aggrieved and I say sorry again to everyone", "We can't afford to talk about it now though. We all love AEK. We need to forget the good and the bad and look forward".
His first game in charge was a 1–1 draw against OFI Crete
in Crete
on November 23, 2008. The first season in his third spell in-charge of "Dikefalos Aetos" brought ups and downs. AEK in the league, finished 4th, thus qualifying for the seasons annual play-offs in which AEK finished 2nd meaning qualification for next seasons Europa League. Bajević managed to get AEK to the Greek Cup Final where they come up short handed as they lost 16–15 on penalties to Olympiacos after the game finished 4–4 after extra time.
On August 7, 2010 Bajević faced one of his worst moments in football. A section of AEK fans physically assaulted him following a friendly-game loss against to second division side Kallithea F.C.. Bajević fell to the ground after being punched by the fans who surrounded the coach as he attempted to leave the pitch at the Gregoris Lambrakis Stadium
following the 2–1 defeat.
It was feared that the incidents in Kallithea would lead to Bajevic's resignation, but due to overwhelming support from AEK management, players, and the majority of AEK fans, Bajević was convinced to stay on with the club.
The video of the attack caused a worldwide shock, with many foreign media sources commenting on the lack of progress in stamping-out hooliganism at Greek football matches.
On September 26, 2010 Bajević resigned as head coach of AEK, following a 3–1 away defeat to Olympiakos Volou, for the Greek Superleague.
Nicosia, following the resignation of its predecessor Takis Lemonis. The managerial crew is also consisted of two training assistants, assistant coach Lysandros Georgamlis
and physical fitness coach Dimitris Mpourouzikas. The first game with Bajević sitting on the club's bench was scheduled on Monday, October 18 against Olympiakos Nicosia
.
and UEFA
on April 1, 2011, Bajević became part of a normalization committee, whose aim was to have the Federation approve the changes required by FIFA for the suspension to be lifted.
AEK Athens
Individual
As a coach
Velež Mostar
AEK Athens
Olympiacos
PAOK
Bosnian
Bosnian may refer to:*Anything related to Bosnia or its inhabitants*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants* Bosnian language, a South Slavic language spoken mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
football manager and former Yugoslav
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
international.
Playing career
Bajević began his career with Velež MostarVelež Mostar
FK Velež , successor of RŠD Velež, is a football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the city of Mostar, founded on June 22, 1922....
. He played almost 400 games for Velež where he scored 170 goals. He stayed in Velež from 1966–1977 before going to AEK Athens, where he won the Greek championship twice. He is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens FC
AEK Athens F.C. , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece. Outside Greece, the club is also known as AEK Athens, however, the word Athens is not part of the club's official title.Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees...
team. He was a successful player, loved by AEK's fans. He joined the team in 1977 along with other great players of the era and won two championships and one cup title. He was also the league's top scorer during the season 1979–1980.
He came back to Velež in 1981 and stayed to 1983 before retiring. During his career he was together with Slobodan Santrač
Slobodan Santrac
Slobodan Santrač is a retired Serbian football player and currently manager of Chinese Super League side Shaanxi Renhe Commercial Chanba F.C.....
the best goalscorer in the Yugoslav league season 1969/70
Yugoslav First League 1969/70
The 1969–70 Yugoslav First League season was the 24th season of the First Federal League , the top level association football league of SFR Yugoslavia, since its establishment in 1946...
(20 goals). He also played for Yugoslavia in the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
where he scored three goals against Zaire. He scored 29 times in 37 games for Yugoslavia between 1970–1977.
Velež Mostar
After ending his football career in 1983 he took over as coach for Velež. He led the team to win the Kup Marsala TitaYugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
in 1986 by defeating Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
3–1 in the final. The next season Velež finished the league in second spot and Bajević went to Greece to coach AEK Athens.
AEK Athens
He took over AEK's managerial position in 1988. During his first season (1988–89Alpha Ethniki 1988-89
-Standings:Pts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *...
), he managed to lead the team to an unexpected championship title after ten years. He then went to win three consecutive championships (1992
Alpha Ethniki 1991-92
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1991-92' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *...
, 1993
Alpha Ethniki 1992-93
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1992-93' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *...
, 1994
Alpha Ethniki 1993-94
-Standings:' : Cup winner 1993-94' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *...
), one Greek Super Cup (1989), one League Cup (1990), one Pre-Mediterranean Cup (1991) and one Greek Cup (1996
Greek Cup 1995-96
The Greek Cup 1995-96 was the 54th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 72 teams participated, 18 from Alpha Ethniki, 18 from Beta, and 36 from Gamma...
). The club also had several notable campaigns in Europe under his management. Namely the reached the Champion's Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
last 16 twice (1990, 1993), the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
last 16 once (1995), the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
last 16 once (1996) and the UEFA Cup last 16 once (1992).
Olympiacos
In 1996, he moved to Olympiacos, bringing great fan hostility upon himself from AEK supporters. While he was Olympiacos' manager, Olympiacos won their first championship in 1997 after ten sterile years, and became champions for three consecutive times. In 1999, Olympiacos won the DoubleThe Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
and, for the first and only time in their history, reached the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
quarter finals.
In the 1996–97 season Bajevic led Olympiacos to the championship after 10 years, putting an end to the "stone years'. This season, the team ended the League with a 12 points difference from AEK Athens, and 20 points difference from Panathinaikos.
The next season, 1997–98
Alpha Ethniki 1997-98
- Standings :' : Cup winner 1997-98' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;- Match table :- External links :* * * *...
, Olympiacos participated for first time in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
ending with a 3rd place in the group. In the Alpha Ethniki, Bajevic's team along with AEK and Panathinaikos were too close in the table, but finally Olympiacos made an important away win against Panathinaikos (0–2) and celebrated the second consecutive championship, with three points difference from Panathinaikos.
1998–99 was a very successful season. Olympiacos reached the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
quarter finals, losing to Juventus (1–2 loss in Italy and 1–1 in the Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Athens)
The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...
). They also won the domestic double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
. In the league they ended with 10 points difference from AEK and 11 from Panathinaikos. In the Cup
Greek Cup 1998-99
The Greek Cup 1998-99 was the 57th edition of the Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short. Olympiacos defeated Panathinaikos in the final on May 5, 1999.-Tournament details:...
, Olympiacos won 2–0 the rival Panathinaikos.
The fans had great expectations for the 1999–00 season with the additions of Giovanni and Zlatko Zahovič
Zlatko Zahovic
Zlatko Zahovič is a retired Slovenian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica, he went on to have unassuming spells in Spain and Greece...
to the squad, but Bajević's team only achieved a 3rd place in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage. The head coach was sacked on November 11, 1999, despite Olympiacos holding the top spot in the league
Alpha Ethniki 1999-2000
- Standings :' : Cup winner 1999-2000' : Title holder' : Promoted from Beta EthnikiPts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;- Match table :-UEFA Cup Places:AEK qualified through the Cup, the 3rd...
at the time.
PAOK
Bajevic decided to move to Northern Greece, in the region of Makedonia and its capital Thessaloniki, where he had a successful stay at PAOK Thessaloniki FCPAOK FC
P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club...
considering the team's financial problems. During his stay at the club of PAOK FC, he won the Greek Cup in 2001 (after a near-thirty year wait) beating 2–4 Οlympiakos in Athens in a game in which his team delivered very high quality football.
AEK, second time
Fans were divided among those who accepted him and those who hated him for going to Olympiacos. The latter part of the fans made his life a living hell. On a match day against Iraklis, he decided he had enough and with no prior warning left the bench and resigned while the game was still in first half. As the AEK coach, in the 2002/2003 UEFA Champions League AEK became the first and only team to collect six ties out of six games in the group phase and ended up at third position. A notable match was the 3–3 draw against Real MadridReal Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the Nikos Goumas Stadium
Nikos Goumas Stadium
Nikos Goumas Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Nea Filadelfeia , a northwestern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of AEK Athens FC. It was named after a one-time club president, Nicholas Goumas, who contributed to its building and later...
and another one the 2–2 draw against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
Olympiacos, second time
In 2004, he returned to Olympiacos, where he won the double again. Also, his team got very close to the second round of the Champions League by collecting ten points, however the defeat against Liverpool FC with 3–1 in the last game stopped them not making it to the next round. Olympiacos went as far as the fourth round of the UEFA Cup. Despite these good results, he quit, mainly due to the pressure from Gate 7 fans who were not satisfied with the team's way of playing, although the majority of the fans were on his side.Red Star Belgrade
On May 25, 2006 Bajević became the coach of the former European Cup champion Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
. He was brought in by club president Dragan Stojković
Dragan Stojkovic
Dragan Stojković , also known under the nickname Piksi is a Serbian former footballer and current manager of J...
as replacement to recently departed Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga is a retired Italian footballer and current manager. He is a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Internazionale. He also holds Romanian citizenship...
, with the appointment generally welcomed by club's fans due to Bajević's glowing reputation as an experienced coach with plenty of success from the Greek league.
The expectations were also plentiful as Red Star, Serbia-Montenegro league champion, was getting ready to start Champions League qualifying
2006–07 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds
The qualifying rounds for the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League began on 11 July 2006. In total, there were three qualifying rounds which provided 16 clubs to join the group stage.-First qualifying round:...
. After easily progressing from the initial stage versus Irish champions Cork City
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, they were drawn against powerhouse AC Milan in the final qualifying round, putting up decent resistance en route to 1–3 aggregate loss. Despite the failure to get into the Champions League, many still took some positives from the Milan clash, however things were different when Bajević's squad got eliminated from UEFA Cup in first round by Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec is a Czech football club founded in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won two league titles and the domestic cup since 1993. Slovan Liberec is also one of the richest clubs in the Czech league...
with embarrassing ease (1–4 on aggregate, including the 1–2 loss at home) thus failing to reach the group stage.
In contrast to European failures, the domestic league form was satisfactory with Bajević leading the team to top of the league with 14 points in spare at the winter break. However, the second part of the season began with an inexplicable dip in form. The slide continued and on February 24, 2007 Red Star lost 4–2 to eternal rivals FK Partizan. A few days later on February 27, 2007, angry fans made damage to Bajević's club-issued Toyota SUV by slaming a brick through its side window while the car was parked at the Markana stadium parking lot during Bajević's guest appearance on SOS kanal TV station.
The end of Bajević's stint with Red Star came in shocking fashion on March 10, 2007 during a league match versus FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina
FK Vojvodina is a football club from Novi Sad, Serbia. The club currently competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. FK Vojvodina is the third oldest football club in Serbia's SuperLiga, after OFK Beograd which was founded in 1911 and FK Javor which was founded in 1912.-History:FK Vojvodina was founded...
. Red Star was down 0–2 at home, prompting the fans to start chanting "Dušan leave". Soon after the chant was picked up by the majority of the north stand where the club's most loyal supporters
Delije
Delije roughly translated to English as Heroes is an umbrella name referring to the supporters of various sports clubs that compete under Red Star Belgrade Sports Society banner....
gather, Bajević decided to walk out on the team in the middle of the match, leaving the pitch in 70th minute. The match finished 0–3, shrinking Red Star's lead at the top of the table to only 6 points. Bajević's overall league record at the helm of Red Star during 2006–07 season was 14 league wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses.
Aris
On September 7, 2007 Bajević signed a 3 year contract with Aris ThessalonikiAris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
.
During the 2007–08 season, when he was the head coach of Aris Thessaloniki
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
, the team played superb football. Aris reached both a respectable 4th place in the Greek Super League and reaching the Greek Cup final, where the team was beaten by Greek champions Olympiacos F.C. with the score of 2–0. On July 1, 2008 he decided to resign, allegedly because Aris president Labros Skordas demanded that he bench star defender Avraam Papadopoulos
Avraam Papadopoulos
Avraam Papadopoulos is a Greek footballer, currently playing for Olympiacos F.C. and the Greek national football team as a central defender.-Aris Thessaloniki:...
, after the latter rejected a contract extension.
In the UEFA Cup, Aris made excellent performances, eliminating Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
and beating 3–0 Bajevic's old club Red Star Beograd at home. Although, draws with Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and SC Braga
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga. Its football team plays at the AXA Stadium, also known as The Quarry, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004...
and an 6–0 away loss to Bayern at Munich ended the team's dreams for qualification.
After his resignation, he was immediately related with Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
, while there were reports that there was a contract to be pented by the side of Bajević. But he finally decided not to join the team, which eventually appointed Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
.
By the end of October, when the team of Panathinaikos was totally under-performing, and while ten Cate was on the verge of being sacked, the football manager of Panathinaikos, Kostas Antoniou
Kostas Antoniou
Kostas Antoniou is a former Greek international footballer, playing as a midfielder. He was born in Athens and started his career at Panathinaikos FC during the late 1970s. He was recognized for his offensive talent as well. While playing for Panathinaikos he won four Championships and three Cups...
was said to have asked once again Bajević to become the coach of the greens, but both sides rejected this relation.
AEK, third time
On November 21, 2008, Bajević made his second return to AEK together with two other former players of AEK, Stelios ManolasStelios Manolas
Stylianos "Stelios" Manolas is a retired Greek football defender.Arguably the best football defender ever to come out of Greece, Manolas, a product of AEK Athens FC's youth academy...
in the position of the technical director and Lysandros Georgamlis
Lysandros Georgamlis
Lysandros Georgamlis is a former international Greek footballer and current assistant manager at AC Omonia.-Playing career:...
as assistant coach.
In his first interview since being re-appointed head coach of AEK, Bajević covered a range of issues including the squad he had inherited, his ambitions for the remainder of what has so far been a difficult season, the possibility of a return to the club's symbolic home ground—the Nikos Goumas Stadium at Nea Philadelphia—and about his well-documented relationship with the fans.
On a possible return of AEK returning to the Nikos Goumas Stadium
Nikos Goumas Stadium
Nikos Goumas Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Nea Filadelfeia , a northwestern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of AEK Athens FC. It was named after a one-time club president, Nicholas Goumas, who contributed to its building and later...
, Bajević said: "It is my home because as a player and a manager I lived there", "I'm not the only one who wants a stadium at Nea Philadelphia – there are a lot of others who want it there."
He then went on to discuss his relationship with the fans and Original 21
Original 21
Original 21 is the largest AEK Athens supporters club. The first attempt to organise AEK supporters was Gate 21 , which took its name from the gate in the Nikos Goumas Stadium, Nea Filadelfia, where the most hardcore fans gathered...
, "I have said sorry to whoever I aggrieved and I say sorry again to everyone", "We can't afford to talk about it now though. We all love AEK. We need to forget the good and the bad and look forward".
His first game in charge was a 1–1 draw against OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
on November 23, 2008. The first season in his third spell in-charge of "Dikefalos Aetos" brought ups and downs. AEK in the league, finished 4th, thus qualifying for the seasons annual play-offs in which AEK finished 2nd meaning qualification for next seasons Europa League. Bajević managed to get AEK to the Greek Cup Final where they come up short handed as they lost 16–15 on penalties to Olympiacos after the game finished 4–4 after extra time.
On August 7, 2010 Bajević faced one of his worst moments in football. A section of AEK fans physically assaulted him following a friendly-game loss against to second division side Kallithea F.C.. Bajević fell to the ground after being punched by the fans who surrounded the coach as he attempted to leave the pitch at the Gregoris Lambrakis Stadium
Gregoris Lambrakis Stadium
Grigoris Lambrakis Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Kallithea, Greece.It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Kallithea F.C...
following the 2–1 defeat.
It was feared that the incidents in Kallithea would lead to Bajevic's resignation, but due to overwhelming support from AEK management, players, and the majority of AEK fans, Bajević was convinced to stay on with the club.
The video of the attack caused a worldwide shock, with many foreign media sources commenting on the lack of progress in stamping-out hooliganism at Greek football matches.
On September 26, 2010 Bajević resigned as head coach of AEK, following a 3–1 away defeat to Olympiakos Volou, for the Greek Superleague.
AC Omonia Nicosia
On October 13, 2010, Bajević signed a contract with Cyprus's club, AC OmoniaAC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953...
Nicosia, following the resignation of its predecessor Takis Lemonis. The managerial crew is also consisted of two training assistants, assistant coach Lysandros Georgamlis
Lysandros Georgamlis
Lysandros Georgamlis is a former international Greek footballer and current assistant manager at AC Omonia.-Playing career:...
and physical fitness coach Dimitris Mpourouzikas. The first game with Bajević sitting on the club's bench was scheduled on Monday, October 18 against Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia is a football club in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The club was founded in 1931. It is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. Olympiakos's home ground is the New GSP Stadium of 23,400 seat capacity...
.
Bosnian Football Federation
After the Bosnian Football Federation was suspended by FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
on April 1, 2011, Bajević became part of a normalization committee, whose aim was to have the Federation approve the changes required by FIFA for the suspension to be lifted.
Honours
As a Player:AEK Athens
- Greek ChampionshipSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 1978, 1979 - Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 1978
Individual
- Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
Top Goalscorer: 1970 - Yugoslavian Football Player of the year: 1972
- Greek Superleague Top Goalscorer: 1980
As a coach
Velež Mostar
FK Velež Mostar
FK Velež , successor of RŠD Velež, is a football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the city of Mostar, founded on June 22, 1922....
- SFR Yugoslavian CupYugoslav CupThe Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
: 1986
AEK Athens
- Greek ChampionshipSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994 - Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 1996 - Greek Super CupGreek Super Cup-Official edition:-External links:*...
: 1989 - Greek League Cup: 1990
- Pre-1991 Mediterranean Games1991 Mediterranean GamesThe 11th edition of the Mediterranean Games were held in Athens, Greece fromthe 28th of June to the 12th of July 1991. Eighteen nations competed in 24 different sportingevents.- Pre-Mediterranean Cup :...
Cup: 1991
Olympiacos
- Greek ChampionshipSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005 - Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 1999, 2005
PAOK
- Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 2001