Remembering the ‘Legendary’ football coach and Ambassador Vojislav Jacksic

Victory Football Club - Sri Lanka would like to dedicate this write up as a mark of respect, in commemoration of his 110th birth anniversary, which was on January 25. Jaksic, Yugoslavian national was no stranger among the local football loving fans of yesteryear who some still reminisce the input he had on Ceylon and Sri Lankan soccerites.

He is best remembered for his exceptional contributions to both Victory FC and Saunders Sports Club as coach that made big strides in the playing levels of these rivalry clubs. He guided and shared his football knowledge to the then kingpins of local club football in the late 60s that earned these two clubs to be in the pinnacle of local football arena enabling them to win many major trophies.

Vojislav Jacksic

Late Jaksic's passion for soccer, his commitment and dedication to the two clubs made him an important figure in the lives of the players of Victory and Saunders which shaped their insights for them to take lead roles of these soccer players of both clubs to achieve a positive attitude during challenging times both on and off the field.

In 1964, he coached the Ceylon team which took part in the Aga Khan Gold Cup held in Dacca, East Pakistan. He also went out to coach few outstation clubs as well.

Late Jaksic was an amazing person admired and widely regarded as one of the best foreign honorary football coaches of all times who graced the green of our beautiful island and his departure was decorated and embellished by a friendly farewell encounter between Victory FC and Saunders SC played in front of large football enthusiasts that we hardly see nowadays which ended in a 2-all draw.

Below story is related by the late Jacksic’s grandson Vojislav Jacksic, named after his grandfather.

Vojislav and his brother Milovan were war orphans. They started playing football on children’s playgrounds for fun but had that instinct for the game. They were fortunate enough to be adopted by a well-known Belgrade merchant family Popovich, who directed them into education and sports. Both he and his brother played football for two different clubs in different ways. Vojilsav played as a striker in FK Istra, who merged in 1936 and become FK Cukaricki and Milovan was the goalkeeper for FK Soko, which was merged with FK BSK. As Milovan played for FK Soko he was invited to play for his country in the first World Cup back in 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay where he was declared the best goalkeeper of the World Cup after his amazing defenses against Brazil (2-1) after which he got a nickname ‘El Grande’ and Bolivia (4-0), later in the semi-final game against Uruguay (1-6), despite their defeat to Uruguay, where one goal was scored by a policeman who was standing next to the goal. Unfortunately, Vojislav wasn’t selected for the national team as he was much younger than Milovan.

August 14, 1966 -- Sugathadasa Stadium, Victory vs Saunders exhibition match as a gesture of farewell by both clubs to Mr. Vojislav Jacksic which ended in a 2-all draw

In their development, they have gone in two completely different paths and football has remained their common ground. So it happened that when their clubs played against each other, and when Vojislav gave his brother a goal, Milovan would chase him down the field to beat him, since he couldn’t catch him, he threatened him that when they got home he would get it.

Unfortunately, the Second World War did its thing. His brother Milovan remained in sports as one of the founders of FK Crvena Zvezda, later winner of the European Champions Cup and Intercontinental Club Cup. Sadly in 1953 he died in Cairo, Egypt while on tour with his club FK Crvena Zvezda as its Technical Manager. In the life of these two men, football has been a driver for all. This game is what made them simple people forever.

After the Second World War Vojislav started working in the civil service and was engaged in sports only in his spare time, during that time he was training small clubs and during his stay abroad where he worked at the embassies of Yugoslavia, he was engaged in weighing and reporting sports events. Thanks to his work at the embassies in 1963 he was transferred to Yugoslav embassy service in Sri Lanka, Ceylon at that time.

When they settled down and brought everything in place at the embassy in Colombo, they started having afternoon walks, him and his wife. Every night they walked past the grounds where Saunders trained. Jaksic strolled there every time to watch them practice. He saw that they were making some mistakes in training, and because of his great love for football, he did not resist while standing near the field to start suggesting what they have to do to make practice better, considering that he spent free time in Belgrade training small clubs before coming to Ceylon. The players and the coaches gladly accepted his advice, later they called him from the club to ask him if he would coach them, which he accepted but only on a friendly basis and never charged for his services as a coach. However, according to embassy rules he had to ask permission to coach in his private time, which the embassy gladly allowed, given to friendly relations of our county with Ceylon at that time. He did this work in Saunders with love and with pleasure.

The whole Saunders club, the coaches and the players, so conscientiously accepted his presence and also that he went into a very detailed work with them. Meanwhile, from another club Victory FC, when they saw Saunders SC advance, they asked him to devote some time to them, he had no heart to refuse them, so he started training them too. He ended up working with two clubs at the same time, with one club training in the morning before his working hours and the other in the afternoon, after his working hours in the embassy.

He often told us that it was a pleasure to work with these people because they were conscientious and worked lovingly, and the results were visible very quickly. Later, Jaksic got so popular on all sides when moving around the city that ordinary people stopped him on the street, praising him for the help he provided to their football. Jaksic along with all players and coaches from both clubs had something in common, they had a love for football and a conscientious attitude towards the same.

Our grandmother told us that when Saunders and Victory played against each other, the clubs were run by assistant coaches and he would mix with the audience so that none of the players would see him. No matter who scores a goal he would be happy and our grandmother would ask him who were you cheering for? And he would answer her: “Well, for my children”, meaning for both Saunders and Victory. During the game, from the stands, he could see his own mistakes and not the mistakes of the players, and so corrected them in training afterwards.

Many times he told us so much details that we couldn’t remember and in 1984 we agreed to come to Sri Lanka for the New Year, which was his lifelong desire to visit and see again what he had left here. Unfortunately, in September he had a stroke and died four years later. However, during his illness, he kept telling us, when I get healthy, we will go to Sri Lanka. He died on December 8, 1988, and he never fulfilled his wish to visit Sri Lanka once again.

He always mentioned that magnificent farewell match between his two clubs Saunders and Victory before leaving Ceylon in 1966. He always mentioned the day he was leaving Ceylon, when all Colombo took to the streets to escort him and his family to the port for a trip back to Yugoslavia. On the way they were passing towards the port, people of Colombo were throwing flowers on them.

In 1974 when Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike visited Yugoslavia and President Tito, Minister of Sports at that time, who was in the delegation asked President Tito where is Jaksic, as Tito was not aware who Jaksic was he asked his people to find him immediately which they did after 30 minutes. They told Vojislav, Tito wants to see you, he got so frightened as he did not know what he did wrong, but when he finally came to the Presidential Residence and saw who was there he figured it out why Tito wanted to see him.

After his retirement he was engaged in festive celebrations and anniversaries at FK Cukaricki where he played for the longest time. Due to his illness he was brought in a wheelchair for the 60th anniversary of FK Cukaricki in 1986, which was his last appearance.

Also, it is a great honour for us that when we look around the house we see many things and gifts that Vojislav received from Ceylon and which occupy a special place of honour in our home.