I remarked: they defeated me, and as a result, both they and the club suffered! Greatness in a club doesn’t stem solely from its results; there are various paths to achievement. Money was a significant factor following the era of Rado Đurđić, when teams could acquire top talent from around the globe and achieve much more, as noted by “Monitor”.

For seasoned sports enthusiasts, Dr. Rado Đurđić needs no introduction. For those unfamiliar, he served in all management roles within ŽRK Buducnost from 1983 to 2003, including board member, general director, and president. During his leadership, ŽRK Buducnost transformed from a newcomer in the strong First League of the former SFRY to a powerhouse that claimed 29 trophies, including two European titles, and reached the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup six times. Concurrently, he was the President of the Handball Association of Montenegro and the Handball Association of the former Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro, also serving as the president of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee.

Nearly two months ago, “Monitor” reached out to Đurđić amidst concerns regarding potential closure of the Montenegrin sports giant.

He shed light on lesser-known aspects of the club’s functioning before the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) took control for political gain.

Đurđić: I dedicated twenty years of my life to planning for the future. While my children were growing up, we never spent a single summer together in those two decades. My wife took them to the sea with relatives. At the end of each season, I sought funds to compensate the players, reinforced the team during transfer periods, and arranged preparation locations. The passion instilled in me by the late Vinko Kandija led me to overlook a promising university career, even a master’s in sociology, before eventually earning my doctorate at the FPN of Belgrade University after my departure from the club and sports organizations.

“Monitor”: What stands out as the greatest achievement of Buducnost under your leadership?

Đurđić: To thoughtfully establish and develop a club worthy of European elite status is an accomplishment any founder can take pride in. Achieving this was done with very limited resources, as we consistently lacked reliable, sustained, and high-quality funding. Nevertheless, Buducnost remains prominently positioned on the elite handball map of Europe.

However, the most personal moment of pride comes from the fact that, despite the circumstances, in the ’89/90 season—when the last players from the golden generation of Titograd handball departed (the Mugoš sisters—Ljilja, Svetlana, Stanka, Olga Pejović, Zorica Pavićević, Katica Lješković among others)—I managed to recruit several of the world’s best players in that time. Names like Nataša Cigankova, regarded as the best winger globally, Larisa Karlova, a star from the renowned coach Igor Turčin and multiple European champion Spartak (Kiev), and Nataša Guskova, recognized as the finest left back in the world, were joined alongside Tanya Shalimova, the best goalkeeper.

It’s a remarkable honor that in their impressive careers, these handball legends will be remembered for having played for ŽRK Budućnost, Podgorica, Montenegro! Additionally, bringing in talents like Maja Savić, Bojana Petrović-Popović—celebrated players now esteemed coaching experts—and the brilliant, silver Olympian Sonja Barjaktarević… the list continues.

What fills me with immense pride is that all these elite handball players—mentioning the Montenegrin and Yugoslav stars, of which many were already famous—joined our club based on verbal agreements regarding play conditions. To clarify, the Registration Rulebook of the RS Yugoslavia outlined two types of contracts: the standard registration (which granted membership and the right to play) and a special contract (detailing financial conditions, treated as a business secret and enforceable only in cases of contractual breach).

Buducnost players did not sign these special (conditionally professional) contracts due to the strong trust established between them and the director! My word held weight, despite the personal costs!

“Monitor”: Budućnost has had renowned coaches over the years.

Đurđić: Without wanting to belittle or insult anyone, I reiterate that in my tenure, coaches came to Buducnost with the intent to win trophies (as winning carries a different connotation). Most were qualified professionals. Only the incomparable Vinko Kandija led the team, alongside two other experts, Korean Lim Jong Chol and Saša Panov (the first edition 89-92), whose skills and reputation matched the level of the team they coached.

“Monitor”: What was Budućnost’s legal status back then?

Đurđić: During the SFRY era, all clubs were organizational entities. ŽRK Budućnost functioned as an amateur club. When new states emerged, regulations evolved. Budućnost was registered as an NGO in 2002, with founders (Rade Đurđić and Darko Šuković), where I served as legal representative and general director.

Subsequent “re-registrations” occurred in 2012 (under Minister of Sports Slavoljub Stijepović) and again in 2018 (during Nikola Janović’s tenure). Recently, the Assembly of ŽRK Budućnost authorized the transfer of founding rights from several individuals to the capital city of Podgorica. Notably, during the previous “re-registrations”, no one ever consulted me, as a legitimate legal representative and founder, about changes to the club’s ownership structure!

How the “re-registration” occurred without my written consent as a founder, alongside the transfer of rights to others, remains unclear to me; regardless, it is—illegitimate!

“Monitor”: How was ŽRK Budućnost funded?

Đurđić: Like many sports clubs, Budućnost received certain funding from the budget of the then SIZ (Self-Governing Interest Community) for competitions, equipment, and travel expenses from 1983-1988… Handball players were awarded scholarships during various periods. We also had sporadic sponsorships from entities such as the Titograd aluminum plant and the Tobacco plant, with Zetatrans being a long-standing supporter. However, these contributions were neither consistent nor generous!

Promonte (now One Montenegro) provided sporadic support. The state of Montenegro showed some interest and financial backing only in 1998, following our semi-finals finish in the Champions Cup, which officially positioned us among the elite in handball.

That was a time of division in the then-unified DPS and the onset of movements advocating for Montenegrin independence. The party and state found no better champion than ŽRK Budućnost, which drew massive public support.

“Monitor”: How did you find the necessary funds?

Đurđić: To a large degree—personally. While it may sound boastful or incredible today, it’s true. From 1983 to 1998, I volunteered with the club; all my earnings, even a meager meal stipend (DM 20), were often shared with female players for their basic life needs instead of benefiting my family!

I often took loans for match expenses, travel, and accommodations, generally at interest. Owing to accumulated debts, I had to sell a substantial house in a prime Podgorica location below Gorica, valued over a million euros (now worth two million), but it was partially sold due to unpaid loans for a significantly lesser amount. Additionally, three apartments in that house housed foreign handball players from Russia, Ukraine, and Serbia free of charge for nearly a decade! After leaving the club, the president and board members were aware of the debts I incurred fulfilling obligations to the players, yet all claims remained my responsibility.

This led my family and me to spend the last twenty years repaying long-term loans to commercial banks exceeding 500,000 euros, accruing to a million with interest! Documentation and contracts with banks back this account. Many within the handball and sports communities are very well aware of this difficult facet of my journey (a challenging reality for my family), but this offers the public insight into how much Rade Đurđić gained from leading and fostering the European Future.

“Monitor”: You departed the club in the spring of 2003, during Branimir Gvozdenović’s presidency, who was also the deputy prime minister. What led to that decision?

Đurđić: Because of non-statutory, illegal actions from the administration at that time—motivated by personal, private interests—with the backing of those who had the power to determine everything in our country, I was effectively barred from legitimately fulfilling my duties as the general director of the club (through a majority vote on the Board of Directors), rendering my role marginalized, prompting my irrevocable resignation.

This resulted in the dismantling of an organizational system I had spent decades building, one that had achieved unprecedented results in Montenegrin sports history until that point. I then remarked, they defeated me, and they (and the club) suffered! It’s not only results that define a club’s greatness; various avenues exist for achieving it. Money, for instance, became the primary factor following the era of Rado Đurđić, where one could acquire the best players globally and more.

“Monitor”: What are your thoughts on the current situation with the Capital City gaining the founding rights over the club?

Đurđić: At this moment, it’s the best development for the club. It’s highly significant that the capital has assumed complete management and funding of the most trophy-laden Montenegrin sports club. I believe this creates the security and environment necessary to maintain a competitive standing in the Champions League and uphold the hard-earned reputation over decades.

News