It was an extraordinary generation – says the selector golden boys handball, Zoran Zivkovic Tuta, recalling those days in 1986 at the World Championships in Switzerland:
– The winning generation. We had players on that team – winners. In the preparatory period, we recorded all opponents playing with the best teams. Our team is independent of individuals. The guys were phenomenal individuals, but we were looking for a way to fit into the system. We have succeeded in doing so.
In the preliminary group, on the way to the final, the former Yugoslavia had to beat the current world champion, the USSR but also Olympic champion in Moscow, DDR. Both teams were unknown because they missed the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
– Drawing on the experience of the last World Cup in 1982, when we lost the finals after extra time by the Soviets, but after winning Olympic gold in Los Angeles, we changed a couple of players and two years preparing for Switzerland. We had a problem, because in our group were the strongest team, which missed Los Angeles for political reasons. They were as outsiders. At the beginning we did the most important thing in the tournament, defeated the Russians.
Finale with the Hungarians was „easy part“ …
– Our group was the strongest. Hungarians have had a much easier path to the final. The first half we played solid, it was a draw, but we are below change the defense and certainly brought a sword eventually. We had four or five goals in ten minutes before the end. Pobeda was out of the question.
At that time, the game is different than it is today. Balconies has not been …
– The biggest celebration was at the airport. There is a real party on the New Year’s Eve. The next day we were in the Assembly of Yugoslavia. At that time there was no balcony as today.
It was not easy to lead generation Vujovic, Isakovića, Cvetkovic, snake, Vukovic and other amazing handball size …
– Those were great players, but great individuals. We had to have such a system that collectively we are stronger. The individual quality emanated from the collective game. We have always been willing to approach the maximum of every opponent. It was not easy to lead this team. And prior to that success were the big stars, but we’ve managed to create a team where everyone could come to the fore.
In the mid eighties, Europe was devastated Metaloplastika with two titles the club champion of Europe …
– It was a big thing we had Metaloplastika as champions of Europe, but players from other clubs like Cvetkovic, Elezovic, snake, Grubić, Holpert, giving a huge contribution. Not everything depended on the citizens of Šabac. We made mix. We made it clear from the quality of the whole league, which was the strongest in the world, to create an excellent representation of the system that are all accepted – says Zivkovic.
Gold medalist at the World Championships in Switzerland, will be guests of the Handball Association of Serbia in a match between Serbia and the Czech Republic in Kraljevo on 12 March, in the framework of qualifications for the European Championship in Sweden.
