Žarko Dragaš (Cyrillic: Жарко Драгаш,ŽarkoDragaš born on 15 June 1971) is a Montenegrin retired football midfielder.

Club career

Budućnost

Born in Titograd (nowadays Podgorica, capital of Montenegro), he begin his career in 1989 by playing with FK Budućnost Podgorica, known until 1993 as FK Budućnost Titograd. The club was playing in the top national flight, known as the Yugoslav First League until 1992, then as First League of FR Yugoslavia until 1994. Budućnost usually finished in mid table, and the highlight of his spell with Budućnost was when the club finished runner-up in the Balkans Cup in 1991.

Žarko Dragaš

Rudar Pljevlja, Red Star and Degerfors

In summer 1994, he moved to another top league side, FK Rudar Pljevlja, but stayed only until the following winter break when he moved to Red Star Belgrade.

Žarko Dragaš

He played one and a half seasons with Red Star, but during that time he made only 8 league appearances and scored two goals. He was part of the team during a successful period, as in those two seasons Red Star won one national championship and two cups.

Žarko Dragaš

In summer 1996, he made his first move abroad by signing with Swedish side Degerfors IF. He made 15 appearances and scored 3 goals in the Allsvenskan and Degerfors finished in 9th place that season.

Vojvodina

In summer 1997 he returned to FR Yugoslavia and joined FK Vojvodina. They finished in 4th place in the 1997–98 First League of FR Yugoslavia with Žarko Dragaš contributing with 7 appearances and one goal in the league. This would be his last season in FR Yugoslavia before he moved to Greece.

Greece

In summer 1998 he signed with newly promoted Greek top-flight side Ethnikos Asteras, and played with them in the 1998–99 Alpha Ethniki which they finished 11th, with Dragaš making a solid performance of 24 appearances and 5 goals in the season. Despite that, at the end of the season he left the club and joined Beta Ethniki side Larisa which was being coached by Serbian manager Nebojša Ličanin. Despite their ambitions, and Dragaš 21 appearances and 7 goals in the league, Larisa finished 6th and failed to achieve promotion to Alpha Ethniki. Coach Ličanin left, and so did Dragaš, the latter joining 3rd level Gama Ethniki (3rd tier) Greek club Patraikos Patra. In his first season in Patras, Dragaš had quite an impressive season for a midfielder by scoring 14 goals in 35 league appearances, thus helping Patraikos to earn a promotion to the 2001–02 Beta Ethniki. He retired at the end of the following season. While playing in Greece, his wife gave birth to a first born child, Jana.

Honours

Budućnost Titograd

Balkans Cup runner-up: 1992

Red Star

First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1994–95 First League of FR Yugoslavia

FR Yugoslav Cup: 1995, 1996

References

1971 births

Living people

Footballers from Podgorica

Men's association football midfielders

Yugoslav men's footballers

Montenegrin men's footballers

Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers

FK Budućnost Podgorica players

FK Rudar Pljevlja players

Red Star Belgrade footballers

Degerfors IF players

FK Vojvodina players

Ethnikos Asteras F.C. players

Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C. players

Patraikos F.C. players

Yugoslav First League players

First League of Serbia and Montenegro players

Allsvenskan players

Super League Greece players

Football League (Greece) players

Serbia and Montenegro expatriate men's footballers

Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden

Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Sweden

Expatriate men's footballers in Greece

Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Greece