Radomir Antic is respected by the vast majority of football fans in Spain. His career in the beautiful game has taken the Serbian from his home ground to South Africa via Luton, Istanbul, Barcelona and Madrid. It’s a unique footballing quest that has taken twists and turns like no other.
The Soccer world has seen a whole lot of great managers dished out instructions from the dugouts, like the great Sir Alex Ferguson who comes with inspiring players. Jose Mourinho with his day to day controversies that excite the media, and the intricacy of Pep Guardiola, although anyone can become a manager of a team, pick a team, decides the tactics, not everyone can lead their team to glory.
More often than not, football managers are saddled with the tasks of bringing out the best in headstrong and volatile players, man manage them and bring out the best in them even when they’re faced with a great deal of criticism from the football aficionados or the media. The only manager or managers that could do all of that are the great ones.
Although, some may not have kicked a single ball as a player before becoming a manager, however, a good manager always makes sure he stamps his imprint on a game.
Cheapgoals will look at one of the unique servants of the game, though he may not be the Guardiola of this world or the Jurgen Kloop’s, Radomir Antic has definitely paid his dues, the Serbian remains the only coach to manage Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid.
Radomir Antic’s Journey
Managers are paid to win games and most importantly trophies, if the team does well, then the manager is a success likewise the team he manages.
Fortunately, same can be said of Antic, whom we tag one of the unique servants of the game, who played most of his football career with Partizan Belgrade for almost 17 years as a defender winning the league in 1985-86 with the ‘Black & White.
Ironically he also started his coaching journey with his former team as an assistant manager in his home country where he worked under head coach Nehad Bjekovic.
In early 1987, things changed drastically in a negative way for Radomir Antic as an assistant manager when a new manager was brought in as the new head coach for the ‘Black & White’. During that period Antic got into a brawl with Jusufi the new manager over player personnel issues that resulted in him been demoted to the position of Partizan U16 youth team as a coach.
As years progress, Radomir Antic found his way down to Spain with Real Zaragoza, a team he had initially played for through the recommendation of his former manager Vujadin Boskov who led ‘Los Manos’ in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Resuming as the head coach of Zaragoza in the summer, he made his debut in the league as a manager against Valencia with a fairly modest team without any really big names in the team.
Antic’s team can only boost of an aging Spanish International midfielder Juan Senor and Miguel Pardeza, although the team had some young players like Francisco Villarroya, Juan Vizcaino and Paraguayan goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert. During his stint with Los Manos the first season was rough and tough for him and his team was hovering in and around the relegation zone, which later followed up by a period of slight improvement.
Fortunately for Antic and his boys, he was able to turn things around during the last eight league matches of the season as they started posing win after win to climb up the league table. In the end, Zaragoza finished the season in fifth place and qualified for the UEFA Cup, he ended up spending two seasons managing the club he had also played for as a player.
Real Madrid came calling for Antic having relatively done a brilliant job for Real Zaragoza as a manager, he took over from the club legend Alfredo Di Stefano following Real Madrid elimination from the European Cup, now UEFA Champions League against Spartak Moscow at the quarter-finals stage.
Before Radomir Antic came in as Real Madrid manager, the Madrid based team were in a very difficult and disappointing season in the league as at that time after 26 matches played.
Los Blancos was in the seventh position on the league table and knowing Madrid for their knack for winning titles, unfortunately for them, they lived through a turmoil season after relieving John Toshack and Di Stefano of their job and brought in Radomir Antic in 1991.
Antic began his reign with Los Blancos against Real Oviedo at the Santiago Bernabeu in a disappointing manner with Fernando Hierro, Manolo Sanchis, Gheorghe Hagi, Butragueno and the aging Hugo Sanchez as the star players in the team then.
During this period things went worse for Antic against Real Burgos losing at home and against Luis Aragones led side Espanyol, a terrible performance that dropped them to 10 positions on the log.
One thing that comes with managing the Madrid based side is the pressure from the Madrid faithful and the people at the helms. As such Antic started feeling the pressure of the hot seat at the Bernabeu having lost two matches and one draw.
However, things started falling in place for Radomir against Valencia, with an emphatic 4-0 win which brought about a five-match winning streak.
He ended the season with Madrid on a high against arch-rival Barcelona in El Clasico, finishing third on the league table and qualified Los Blancos for the UEFA Cup just like he achieved it with Real Zaragoza. The following season he started with an impressive winning streak, having brought in Robert Prosinecki from Red Star Belgrade and young Luis Enrique from Sporting Gijon.
Antic’s winning streak came to an end against the ‘Catalans’, Real Madrid began another winning streak in their match against Logrones, which lasted up to seven winning streaks as they clearly separated themselves from other teams chasing them on the log in the league.
As the season progresses, Antic’s team had a slight dip form recording a draw against Oviedo, and also going on to lose against crosstown rival Atletico Madrid.
During the slight lost of form, then club President Ramon Mendoza opted to appoint Leo Beenhakker to take over the role of a Sporting Director of the club, the coming of Beenhakker was more like a blessing in disguise for Antic as his team returns to winning way.
However, the Serbian contract was later terminated, having led Los Blancos to 19 league matches into the season, with a seven-point margin lead on the league table. Beenhakker took over as his successor.
When Antic left Madrid to join Real Oviedo replacing longtime coach Javier Irureta, he took over the reign from matchday 21 and managed to avoid relegation by finishing two spots above the relegation zone.
The following season Antic turned things around for Real Oviedo when he brought in players such as Slavisa Jokanovic from Partizan and injury-prone Robert Prosinecki from Real Madrid and he led the team to a respectable 9th position missing the European spot with just a point.
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Atletico Sojourn
Antic fantastic success began when he joined Rojiblancos, having transformed the fortune of Real Oviedo which led to offers from some of the biggest club in Spain.
He opted to join Atletico Madrid having been in the final stages of negotiation with Valencia, joining Atletico Madrid Antic took over a talented team with Kiko Narvaez, Diego Simeone, and Luis Caminero.
The Rojiblancos reputation of underachiever is one unpalatable reputation that they are synonymous with in Spain. Meanwhile, in the season prior to when Radomir Antic joined them, the club finished the season one point above the relegation zone.
One thing he like doing is working with his former players, Antic did Identified Viktor Onopko whom he coached at Real Oviedo. The deal couldn’t be pulled through and he went for a relatively unknown Milinko Pantic from Panionios who went on to proved himself as one of the finest players in Antic’s team.
All of the players Antic brought in gelled together masterfully and went on to a historic La Liga and Copa Del Rey triumph in the 1995-96 season, winning the double for Rojiblancos increased the love they had for him and more importantly their controversial President Jesus Gil.
Antic’s impressive achievement for Atletico Madrid made Gil to keep him at the helm for two more seasons and three seasons in total. During that period he took the Rojiblancos to the Champions League with an upgraded team but unfortunately lost to Ajax in the quarterfinal in extra time.
However Antic and Gil didn’t give up on the lucrative UEFA Champions League, the President spent heavily to bring in Christian Vieri who was still fresh from winning the Seria A with Juventus and Juninho from Middlesbrough.
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However both players struggled to deliver, Vieri still managed to produce an impressive performance when fit to play with 24 goals in 24 league appearances, but then his scoring form couldn’t save Antic’s ass en route to their semi-final lost to Lazio in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup which led to his dismissal.
One crucial thing that made him unique is the fact that he was one of the only two men to have managed both Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
He won the double win Rojiblancos, though his success with Real and Barcelona wasn’t as mouthwatering as that of Atletico Madrid, yet he’s one unique servant of the game who made his presence felt with the Rojiblancos faithful.
Tributes
We are devastated to learn of the passing of Town legend Radomir Antic, at the age of 71. A true Hatters hero, for promotion and preventing relegation. The thoughts of all at Kenilworth Road are with his family and friends at this terribly sad time. Rest in peace, Raddy 🙏 #COYH pic.twitter.com/6ZwMAcGp2l
— @LutonTown (@LutonTown) April 6, 2020
Real Madrid also paid tribute to its former manager, saying it was “deeply saddened” by the news.
Real Madrid C.F, its president and board of directors are deeply saddened by the passing of Radomir Antić, who served as Real Madrid coach between March 1991 and January 1992. Real Madrid wishes to express its sincerest condolences to his family and friends. These condolences also go out to the whole Madridista family and the clubs he represented throughout his sporting career as both a player and coach.
In 2003, Antic helped stabilize Barcelona during a difficult patch and the Catalan club also sent its condolences.
Radomir Antic, who managed FC Barcelona in 2003, passed away today. The Barça family mourns the loss of a man who was deeply beloved in the world of football. Rest in Peace pic.twitter.com/RmHX1BAeW3
— FC Barcelona (from 🏠) (@FCBarcelona) April 6, 2020
Image credits: Reuters, Tribuna, The Sun
