Blagoje Bratić
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Blagoje Bratić (born March 1, 1946 in Sarajevo) is a Bosnian Serb former football player.
He started playing football in Pretis Vogošća (later known as UNIS, and today as FK Vogošća) at the age of 14. As a talented youngster, he moved to FK Željezničar where he would become one of the more notable Yugoslav defenders at the time. He made his debut for Željo's first team in 1964, and was a standout member of the club's greatest generation that won its only Yugoslav First League title in 1972. He played 343 official competitive games for FK Željezničar, more than anyone in the club's 86-year-old history.He scored the total of 32 goals for the club in all competitions.
Blagoje "Blažo" Bratić was an absolutely amazing stronghold guardian, which basically means that he was a defender like no other, powerful, strong, and solid in the crease, few players got by this defensive force. There were times where Blažo would have to guard a 200cm+ forward or midfield and he still would battle it out with him. But what truly is amazing to read and believable is that sometimes it would take 3 players to take down Blažo.
In 1969 the representation of Sarajevo, basically the best players in the city, played the greatest player to ever play, Pele in a friendly. Pele's team Santos travelled 11 hours to Sarajevo on a beautiful day. The game was definitely not played like a friendly and Santos players saw the determination in the eyes of the Sarajlije. Blažo was guarding Pele and not letting him breathe, he was on him like mud stains on a soccer jersey after a rainy day, he wasn't getting off. At the end of the day Santos won, Pele scored the winner, but Blažo was not out of sight because Pele scored the only possible way back to the net, he could not shake Blažo, and even when he got by Blažo another defender or defenders would be right there. After the game Blažo said I feel like I have done it all playing the greatest player there will ever be in soccer and said he feels like he reached another step in his career. Pele also had something to say about Blažo. He said if Blažo really wanted to play he could become a name no one forgets. Pele also said it was hard to execute any offense against this absolutely amazing defender.
Bratić has collected 3 caps for the Yugoslav national team. He decided to end his playing career in 1976, at the age of 30.
He stayed in football, however, as the head coach of lower division sides such as Lokomotiva, Brčko, Famos, Hrasnica, NK GOŠK, Dubrovnik, and NK Iskra, Bugojno, before finally getting a chance to lead a top-division team with FK Željezničar in the first part of 1987/88 season. In the early 1990s he coached in Malaysia.
