Ljubinko Drulović

Ljubinko Drulović (born 11 September 1968) is a Serbian-Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger, and is a current manager.
He spent the most notable part of his playing career in Portugal, with stints at Porto and Benfica – a combined ten seasons between the two clubs, winning 14 major titles with the former. He also had brief spells at Partizan as player and manager.
Drulović represented the Yugoslavia national team in one World Cup and one European Championship, earning 38 caps. He had brief spells as manager of his country and Macedonia, as well as coaching Serbia under-19 to the European title in 2013.
Club career
Drulović was born in Nova Varoš, Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After playing out his contract at FK Rad in the summer of 1992, he signed a two-year deal with Portuguese club Gil Vicente FC, but only remained there until December 1993, after which he moved to FC Porto also of the Primeira Liga; between both teams, he finished the 1993–94 season with a career-best 18 goals.
Drulović was one of very few players to have contributed to each of Porto's five consecutive titles during the 90s. He was mostly remembered at the side for his pin-point assists and ability to cross the ball, mainly to the head of Mário Jardel.
In June 2001, already 33, Drulović joined S.L. Benfica. After a slow 2002–03 campaign, he returned home and signed with FK Partizan, being one of the side's most influential players as they reached the group stage in the UEFA Champions League. He moved back to Portugal a year later, finishing his career with F.C. Penafiel alongside former Porto teammate António Folha.
International career
Drulović made his debut for FR Yugoslavia on 28 December 1996, in a friendly with Argentina played in Mar del Plata (3–2). He went on to play a further 37 times in the following five years, appearing for the nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 tournaments and contributing with one goal in the 3–3 group stage draw against Slovenia and four assists in the latter as the country reached the quarter-finals.
Coaching career
Drulović began his coaching career with modest Portuguese club G.D. Tourizense, in 2006–07. At the season's closure, he obtained a professional licence.
In early April 2008, Drulović became manager of FK Banat Zrenjanin in the Serbian SuperLiga. As the fifth manager of the season – he replaced Žarko Soldo – he took over a team under relegation threat (eighth place out of 12), with eleven matches to go. Eventually, he could not help prevent them from dropping down a level after a 4–1 loss to FK Vojvodina on 17 May.
In June 2008, Drulović moved to Slovenia and signed with NK Drava Ptuj. Eighteen months later, he was appointed coach of C.D. Primeiro de Agosto of the Angolan Girabola.
As manager of his country's under-19 team, Drulović won the 2013 UEFA European Championship in Lithuania with a shock 1–0 win over France in the final. The following February, he became the senior team's interim manager manager after Siniša Mihajlović failed to make the year's World Cup. He led the team for four exhibition games before the appointment of Dick Advocaat, starting with a 2–1 win away to the Republic of Ireland on 5 March.
Drulović was named in charge of neighbours Macedonia on 23 April 2015. In five games before leaving for Partizan in October, he avoided defeat in only his last – a goalless draw away to Belarus in UEFA Euro 2016 qualification. His spell back at the reigning Serbian champions lasted only until 22 December, when he was dismissed from the fourth-placed team who were 26 points behind rivals Red Star Belgrade.
Career statistics
Honours
Player
Porto
Primeira Liga: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
Taça de Portugal: 1993–94, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2000–01
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001
Manager
1º de Agosto
Supertaça de Angola: 2010
Serbia U19
UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2013
Individual
Serbian Coach of the Year: 2013
Managerial statistics
References
External links
1968 births
Living people
People from Nova Varoš
Footballers from Zlatibor District
Yugoslav men's footballers
Serbian men's footballers
Men's association football wingers
Yugoslav First League players
Serbian SuperLiga players
FK Sloboda Užice players
FK Rad players
FK Partizan players
Primeira Liga players
Gil Vicente F.C. players
FC Porto players
S.L. Benfica footballers
F.C. Penafiel players
Serbia and Montenegro men's international footballers
1998 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2000 players
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in North Macedonia
Serbia and Montenegro expatriate men's footballers
Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Serbian football managers
FK Banat Zrenjanin managers
FK Partizan managers
C.D. Primeiro de Agosto managers
Serbia national football team managers
North Macedonia national football team managers
Serbian expatriate football managers
Expatriate football managers in Portugal
Expatriate football managers in Angola
Expatriate football managers in Uzbekistan
Portuguese people of Serbian descent
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Angola
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Uzbekistan