First Division. Four teams fought for the title, which was great. Two highly respected clubs were in decline, which was not great.
Celik (Zenica) finished 18th with 24 points. Never a strong team, their relegation was not surprising.
Olimpija (Ljubljana) – 17th with 28 points. The strongest Slovenian club was never more the mid-table team, but relegation was not in the books. To see them going down was almost shocking.
Sloboda (Tuzla) – one of the clubs most often found in the lower half of the table, largely concerned with survival. They managed to escape relegation this season too – 16th with 31 points.
Vardar (Skopje) – 15th with 31 points. Standing from left: Jovanovski, Grošev, Banković, Setinov, Šterijev, Ringov.
First row: P. Georgievski, Zdravkov, Pančev, Micevski, Urošević.
This is interesting not because of actual time, but when we look back today: normally, Vardar was nothing special and finishing just above relegation zone was expected. But this was also the team which soon will make sensational run for the title, and depending on ‘opinion’, will be Yugoslavian champion – or not. Impossible to imagine at the end of the 1983-84 season. Darko Pancev was making the news already, but he was hardly enough to propel this squad to glory – or shame.
Buducnost (Titograd) – 14th with 31 points. The usual. Standing from left: Ljumović, Ljukovčan, Radović, Martać, Ž.Janović, Ž. Božović,
Crouching: Vlaisavljević, D.Brnović, Hadžiosmanović, Koljenović, Vlahović.
Velez (Mostar) – 13th with 31 points. One of the strongest clubs in the 1970s and not expected to decline, but it looked like real decline, not just a sloppy season. Looked like the stream of excellent players dried out and it was very questionable whether Velez will find new strong players to recover.
Dinamo (Zagreb) 12th with 31 points. Decline it was not, just this terrible inconsistency plaguing Dinamo for quite many years. Hard to imagine a squad full of national team players, some of them the brightest current stars of Yugoslavian football, not running for the title, but dangerously close to relegation.
Dinamo (Vinkovci) – 11th with 32 points. Standing from left: Vukusic, Macan, Budimcevic, Novoselac, Tonkovic, Vitkovic, Mrsic, Skeledzija.
Crouching: Vujicic, S.Lusic,Tunjic, Secer, Halilovic.
Great season for the debutantes, but one can say that it was driven on excitement. The next year will be the true test, whether Dinamo belonged to the top league or were they just accidental. The team needed reinforcements, for there was not much to it: Budimcevic played for Hajduk (Split) a little bit before and did not establish himself there. It was hard to believe players like him could keep Dinamo among the best.
Vojvodina (Novi Sad), pictured here before a friendly with ‘mother club’ Slavia Prague (on the left). Not only Slavia inspired the founding of Vojvodina, but the Yugoslav club took the exact colours and kit design from Slavia. Relations remained, but never mind that – Vojvodina was just mid-table team for years – stable enough not to be in danger. 10th with 32 points.
FC Sarajevo – 9th with 32 points. Standing from left: Jozic,Radeljas, Kapetanovic, D.Bozovic, Janjus, Ferhatovic.
First row: Svrakic, Janjos, Musemic, Vukicevic, B. Bozovic.
An interesting squad, but still in making and not at its prime yet.
Pristina – 8th with 33 points. The golden period of the club, which normally played second division football and had no chance of recruiting strong players from elsewhere. It was the other way… of there were good players in Pristina, most likely they would be snatched by the big clubs – Vokkri, in this squad, was surely going to be taken. So, enjoy as long as good days last.
Radnicki (Nis) – 7th with 33 points. This was the best period in the history of the club, but it was also safe to say that they were running already on inertia: the proximity to Belgrade gave them no chance – good players were noticed quickly and taken, that was the sour predicament. Standing from left: ?, Gavrilović, Džinović, Drizić, Milenković, Nikolić.
Crouching: Bojović, Milošević, Mitošević, Stojković, Aleksić.
Osijek – 6th with 34 points. Great season for the small club, normally concerned only with escaping relegation and that if they played first division football at all.
Hajduk – 5th with 39 points. Not in the title race this year – or dropping out of the title race at one point – but nevertheless an amazing club showing no sign of fatigue. Constantly among the best. Constantly having great team. Constantly able to replace leaving stars with new bright talent. The future was good, no doubt – there were still remains from the great squad of the first half of the 1970s – Rozic and Salov, there were players who were young and pushing the regulars at that time – Katalinic and Jerolimov, there were current Yugoslavian leading stars – Zlatko and Zoran Vujovic, and there was already the next generation of which the world will here years after this season – Asanovic and Spanic. Excellent management and vision, assuring continuity. May be playing smaller role this season, but title contenders as a whole.
Rijeka – 4th with 42 points. Running for the title and losing it by 2 points. They scored most goals this season, though – 53. Amazing run and perhaps the peak of the greatest period in the history of this otherwise small club. They won cups, they climbed up and mingled with the best teams in the country, now they even run for the title – and all that with quite a modest squad. Not only that, but if some strong players developed, they were immediately grabbed by Dinamo Zagreb or Hajduk Split. Yet, they continued to play with great spirit against the odds, true darlings, and it was only too unfortunate they were unable to earn 3 more points. But it was good anyway and no regrets.
Zeljeznicar (Sarajevo) – 3rd with 42 points. Standing from left: Bazdarevic, Skrba, Komsic, ? , Cilic
Crouching: Grabo, Gutovic, Paprica, Nikic, Curic.
Running for the title only a short time after playing in second division – looked like great recovery, and to a point, it was. But compared to local rivals FK Sarajevo, it was poorer squad – Bazdarevic was the great star, but he was alone and destined to leave and play abroad. In the long run, Zeljeznicar had modest prospects: perhaps able of occasional strong season, otherwise – mid-table. So, this season had to be cherished, even with the disappointment of losing the title.
Partizan – 2nd with 42 points. Standing from left: Dragi Kaličanin, Ljubomir Radanović, Slobodan Rojević, Miodrag Ješić, Ranko Stojić, Admir Smajić.
Couching: Mića Radović, Čava Dimitrijević, Dragan Mance, Rade Radulović, Kujtim Šalja.
On the surface – the usual bitter battle between Crvena zvezda and Partizan, lost by Partizan. In reality, they were 2nd only because of better goal-difference and the championship was not the famous Belgrade duel, but a knot of 4 clubs – may be even 5. What was strange, however, was that Partizan for years had weaker squad compared not only to their arch-rivals, but to Hajduk and even other clubs. Not that many national team players, as the others had, and hardly any first-rate stars. Why was that is hard to say, but Partizan maintained strong leading position and was a worthy contender for the title.
Anybody surprised? Crvena zvezda winning the title… nothing new. Not an easy victory, the battle was exciting, and Zvezda prevailed – 17 wons, 10 ties, 7 losses, 52-26 goal-difference, 54 points. Not an easy victory, therefore, much sweeter. Good form was perhaps not the whole reason for winning – most likely Crvena zvezda prevailed thanks to deeper squad, compared to the teams of the rivals. And plenty of experience. The title was not everything – Crvena zvezda had a chance to win a double. Not just a chance, they had the appetite too – as ever.