Ljubinko Drulović

Ljubinko Drulović (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубинко Друловић; born 11 September 1968) is a Serbian-Portuguese[1] former professional footballer who played as a winger, and is a current manager.

Ljubinko Drulović
Personal information
Date of birth (1968-09-11) 11 September 1968
Place of birth Nova Varoš, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Zlatar Nova Varoš
Sloga Užička Požega
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Sloboda Titovo Užice 55 (9)
1990–1992 Rad 77 (25)
1992–1993 Gil Vicente 44 (17)
1994–2001 Porto 225 (40)
2001–2003 Benfica 50 (5)
2003–2004 Partizan 26 (5)
2004–2005 Penafiel 8 (0)
Total 485 (101)
International career
1996–2001 FR Yugoslavia 38 (3)
Managerial career
2006 Tourizense
2008 Banat Zrenjanin
2008–2009 Drava Ptuj
2010–2011 1º Agosto
2012–2013 Serbia U19
2014 Serbia (caretaker)
2015 Macedonia
2015 Partizan
2019–2020 Uzbekistan U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent the most notable part of his playing career in Portugal, with stints at Porto and Benfica – a combined ten seasons between the two clubs, winning 14 major titles with the former. He also had brief spells at Partizan as player and manager.

Drulović represented the Yugoslavia national team in one World Cup and one European Championship, earning 38 caps. He had brief spells as manager of his country and Macedonia, as well as coaching Serbia under-19 to the European title in 2013.

Club career

Drulović was born in Nova Varoš, Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After playing out his contract at FK Rad in the summer of 1992, he signed a two-year deal with Portuguese club Gil Vicente FC, but only remained there until December 1993, after which he moved to FC Porto also of the Primeira Liga; between both teams, he finished the 1993–94 season with a career-best 18 goals.[2]

Drulović was one of very few players to have contributed to each of Porto's five consecutive titles during the 90s. He was mostly remembered at the side for his pin-point assists and ability to cross the ball, mainly to the head of Mário Jardel.[3]

In June 2001, already 33, Drulović joined S.L. Benfica.[4] After a slow 2002–03 campaign, he returned home and signed with FK Partizan, being one of the side's most influential players as they reached the group stage in the UEFA Champions League. He moved back to Portugal a year later, finishing his career with F.C. Penafiel alongside former Porto teammate António Folha.[5]

International career

Drulović made his debut for FR Yugoslavia on 28 December 1996, in a friendly with Argentina played in Mar del Plata (3–2). He went on to play a further 37 times in the following five years, appearing for the nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments and contributing with one goal in the 3–3 group stage draw against Slovenia[6] and four assists in the latter as the country reached the quarter-finals.[7]

Coaching career

Drulović began his coaching career with modest Portuguese club G.D. Tourizense, in 2006–07.[8] At the season's closure, he obtained a professional licence.

In early April 2008, Drulović became manager of FK Banat Zrenjanin in the Serbian SuperLiga.[9] As the fifth manager of the season – he replaced Žarko Soldo – he took over a team under relegation threat (eighth place out of 12), with eleven matches to go.[10] Eventually, he could not help prevent them from dropping down a level after a 4–1 loss to FK Vojvodina on 17 May.[11]

In June 2008, Drulović moved to Slovenia and signed with NK Drava Ptuj. Eighteen months later, he was appointed coach of C.D. Primeiro de Agosto of the Angolan Girabola.[12]

As manager of his country's under-19 team, Drulović won the 2013 UEFA European Championship in Lithuania with a shock 1–0 win over France in the final.[13] The following February, he became the senior team's interim manager manager after Siniša Mihajlović failed to make the year's World Cup.[14] He led the team for four exhibition games before the appointment of Dick Advocaat, starting with a 2–1 win away to the Republic of Ireland on 5 March.[15]

Drulović was named in charge of neighbours Macedonia on 23 April 2015.[16] In five games before leaving for Partizan in October, he avoided defeat in only his last – a goalless draw away to Belarus in UEFA Euro 2016 qualification.[17] His spell back at the reigning Serbian champions lasted only until 22 December, when he was dismissed from the fourth-placed team who were 26 points behind rivals Red Star Belgrade.[18]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by national team and year[19]
National teamYearAppsGoals
FR Yugoslavia 199611
1997110
199860
199961
200091
200150
Total383

Honours

Player

Porto

Manager

1º de Agosto

Serbia U19

Individual

Managerial statistics

As of 9 September 2019[23]

Team Nat From To Record
GWDLWin %
Macedonia North Macedonia April 2015 October 2015 5 0 1 4 000.00
Partizan Serbia October 2015 December 2015 15 7 3 5 046.67
Uzbekistan U23 Uzbekistan March 2019 17 11 4 2 064.71

References
  1. "Aviso n.º 8140/2002 (2.ª série), de 4 de julho". diariodarepublica.pt. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  2. Da Cunha, Pedro Jorge (18 April 2019). "Drulovic: "O Robson não me convocou e disse 'não há lugar no avião'"" [Drulovic: "Robson did not select me and said ‘no room on the plane’"] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. Catarino, Luís (26 June 2015). "O fotogénico Monstro do Lago Ness" [The photogenic Loch Ness Monster] (in Portuguese). Primeiro Toque. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. "Quiosque: Drulovic dois anos no Benfica (A Bola, Record, O Jogo)" [Newsstand: Drulovic two years in Benfica (A Bola, Record, O Jogo)] (in Portuguese). TVI 24. 12 June 2001. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. "Drulovic regressa para jogar no Penafiel" [Drulovic returns to play in Penafiel] (in Portuguese). Relvado. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  6. "Milošević stars as Yugoslavia beat the odds". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  7. "Euro 2020 facts and statistics". Diario AS. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  8. "Drulovic rescinde com o Tourizense" [Drulovic rescinds with Tourizense]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 November 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. "Ljubinko Drulović novi trener Banata" [Ljubinko Drulović new Banat manager] (in Serbian). MTS Mondo. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  10. "Banat se uzda u čudo" [Banat relying on a miracle] (in Serbian). MTS Mondo. 16 May 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  11. "MSL: Banat ispao, ostalo 3 razlike" [MSL: Banat dropped, 3 other differences] (in Serbian). B92. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  12. "1º de Agosto hire new coach". Angola Press News Agency. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  13. "Serbia should learn from the youngsters, says Drulovic". Reuters. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  14. "Drulovic selecionador interino da Sérvia" [Drulović interim manager of Serbia]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 14 February 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  15. Delaney, Miguel (5 March 2014). "Ireland loosen up in second half and Serbia take full advantage". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  16. "Drulovic é o novo treinador da Macedónia" [Drulović is the new manager of Macedonia]. Record (in Portuguese). 23 April 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  17. "Друловиќ ја напушти македонската репрезентација" [Drulović left the Macedonian national team] (in Macedonian). Denar. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  18. "Drulovic deixa de ser treinador do Partizan" [Drulović no longer manager of Partizan]. Público (in Portuguese). 22 December 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  19. "Ljubinko Drulović". European Football. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  20. "1º de Agosto win football Super Cup". Angola Press News Agency. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  21. "Mourinho message inspires jubilant Drulović". UEFA. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  22. "FSS: Ivanović i Drulović najbolji" [FAS: Ivanović and Drulović are the best] (in Serbian). B92. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  23. Ljubinko Drulović coach profile at Soccerway
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