Red Star became world champion on this day: How Jugovic had to "share" a Toyota with his teammates

On this day 29 years ago, Red Star (Crvena Zvezda) footballers became world champions with a 3-0 victory over the Chilean team Colo-Colo, in a game played in Tokyo.

On December 8, 1991, Red Star, as the European champion, defeated the winner of the Copa Libertadores in front of 60,000 spectators at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The hero of the team, led by coach Vladica Popovic, was the youngest player - Vladimir Jugovic. The 22-year-old footballer announced the great celebration with two goals he scored in the 19th and 58th minute, while Darko Pancev finished the job with a goal in the 72nd minute.

Jugovic was declared the best player in the final and should have received a Toyota car as a gift, but...

"Maybe people still remember when Cvele (Vladimir Cvetkovic) hugged me after the final. Well, it was then that he told me that it would be nice to share that Toyota with all my teammates.

He jokingly told me that I was very young and that did not even have a license to drive such a car," Jugovic once told the Mozzartsport portal.

Red Star's lineup at the time included: Milojevic, Radinovic, Vasilijevic, Jugovic, Belodedic, Najdoski, Stosic, Ratkovic, Pancev, Savicevic, Mihajlovic.

The team played the second half with a man less on the pitch after Savicevic got sent off.

"We showed all our strength there even with a player less. Dejo fell cheaply for that provocation, and otherwise he was a player you could hardly be derailed. We played great and we showed that compactness again. Whoever was the South American champion, was the best on a continent where great football was played," said Darko Pancev in a big interview for Telegraf.

In the six months after winning the European title to winning the world title, Red Star faced numerous changes in the team, but still managed to win a valuable trophy.

Coach Ljupko Petrovic was replaced by Popovic, and in the meantime, Robert Prosinecki, Stevan Stojanovic, Slobodan Marovic, Refik Sabanadzovic and Dragisa Binic all left the club.

Spectacle at Camp Nou (21:00) between Barcelona and Juventus does not carry much weight - both have qualified, but Juventus can top the table if they win with more than two goals difference. In such an atmosphere, lots goals are expected, the odds on both teams scoring a total of 3 or more goals are 1.80, on home team winning 2.20, and on away team winning 3.25. See all MOZZART odds for Barcelona - Juventus.

(Telegraf.rs)