- published: 13 Nov 2009
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Dejan Savićević (Montenegrin: Дејан Савићевић, pronounced [dɛ̂jan saʋǐːt͡ɕɛʋit͡ɕ]) (born 15 September 1966 in Titograd, Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia), is a Montenegrin former football player. Since 2004 he's been the president of Montenegrin FA.
Savićević's close control and superb vision have won him many admirers during his time with Red Star Belgrade and A.C. Milan. Following an illustrious professional playing career that lasted 19 seasons, as well as a short and unsuccessful head coaching stint during early 2000s, he's turned to administrative matters - becoming, during summer 2004, the president of Montenegrin FA (FSCG).
Born to Orthodox parents Vladimir Savićević and Vojislava Đurović, young Dejan had an immediate affinity for football and quickly developed his gift for the game.
Savićević began playing structured football during the summer of 1981 in the youth teams of OFK Titograd. He was almost 15 years old at the time, which by professional football standards is considered fairly late to be starting out. Before that, and even in parallel to playing with OFK, his involvement with the game revolved around outdoor futsal tournaments on concrete and clay surfaces. Since this kind of "scaled-down football" was very popular in Titograd at the time, many tournaments of semi-formal character were organized in and around the town. Barely a teenager at this point, Savićević played for a team that consisted of men from his street (the informal team was named Tehnohemija after the entire block of apartment buildings in the neighbourhood that was known under that name) and quickly marked himself out as skilled player with great ball control and good overall technical ability.