Holding an unbeatable record

As the long-time record-holder for international appearances (85), the former captain of Yugoslavia Dragan Dzajic left an indelible mark on the history of football in his country.

During two spells with Red Star Belgrade, but also at Corsican side Bastia, where he spent his only two footballing seasons abroad on the idyllic isle, he made his mark on the European football scene.

(FILES) - West German Hans-Georg Schwarzenberg (L) and Yugoslav forward Dragan Djazic run after the ball during a 1974 World Soccer Cup match, 26 June in Dusseldorf.

He was much loved because of his kindly nature and easy-going manner, while on the pitch, he won admiration for being an exceptional left-winger who could both score goals and deliver defence splitting passes with fantastic precision.

The left wing was his domain - and it was quite usual for him to take off, leaving all defenders in his wake to deliver an inch-perfect pass into the penalty area.

If highly appreciated by players and coaches alike for his passing ability, Dzajic was no less embraced for his goal-scoring. The man could score from just about any angle and many of his successful attempts came direct from corner kicks.

His goal tally reads 108 from 281 matches in the Yugoslav league, while in the French first division he filled the net a total of 31 times over the course of 70 matches, not too bad for a winger.

Gifted with vision and that rare gift, a killer left foot, he was already scoring "Platini-like" free kicks when the French legend was still in shorts.

Regarded as a national hero in his native country, Dzajic wore Yugoslavia's colours with pride for 15 years (1964 to 1979), and decided to end his career with Red Star after his Corsican adventure with Bastia.

With a degree in economics and commerce, he subsequently became Red Star's sports director.