Djuro Bago

Djuro Bago - born 20 April 1961 in Zagreb (Croatia) is a football coach and sports director. He is currently sports' director of NK Inter (Croatian First League) from Zagreb's west suburb of Zapresic. NK Inter Zapresic is a 'branch-club' of Dinamo Zagreb for young players of Dinamo Zagreb.

He was educated in the Faculty of Physical culture of the University of Zagreb between 1992 to 1996 and graduated as a football coach. He started his football coaching career in 1992 working with young players U-12, U-14 and U-16 years in the Zagreb Football Association.

In 1995 he became a member of Croatian Football Association's Team of Football Expert for Young players under 16 years. In the season 1997-98 he was head coach of pro-team of NK Inter Zapresic (Croatian First League. Thanks to his excellent works with young players in NK Inter Zapresic, in 1999 he received an offer and signed to lead the Croatian football club NK Dinamo Zagreb.

As head coach of Dinamo Zagreb Under 16 team he was Champion of Croatian Championship on 2001. On the season 2001-2002 as head coach of Dinamo Zagreb Under 18 years he was Champion of Croatian Championship and Winner of Croatian Cup. As head coach of Football Academy of NK Dinamo Zagreb U-16 and U-18 years he has launched / promoted young players who have become stars and great players during 2000:- Eduardo da Silva (Arsenal),- Niko Kranjcar (Portsmouth)- Marko Maric (Lille)

Thanks to his work with young players of Dinamo Zagreb he became assistant coach to the famous Croatian coach Miroslav Blazevic in 2002 when Blazevic became head coach of first (pro) team of Dinamo Zagreb.

As assistant coach, on 2002 Djuro Bago was winner of Croatian Cup, and on 2002/2003 was Champion of Croatia as assistant coach of Miroslav Blazevic and winner of Croatian SuperCup.On the season 2003/04 as assistant coach of professional team of Dinamo Zagreb he was Winner of Croatian Cup and Croatian SuperCup. On the season 2004/05 he was head coach of professional team of Dinamo Zagreb few games after his boss Nikola Jurcevic was sent off by management board of Dinamo Zagreb.

On the season 2005-2006 he was head coach of professional team of Inter Zapresic and since 2006 until now he is sports director of NK Inter Zapresic. He launched the careers of three of Dinamo's famous stars Eduardo Da Silva, Vedran Corluka and Luka Modric.

COACH DJURO BAGO HAS 'SAVED' ARSENAL'S STAR EDUARDO DA SILVA

In 1999 when Djuro Bago was coach of juniors' team (U-16) of NK Dinamo Zagreb he 'discovered' then unknown young Brazilian striker Eduardo Da Silva (15 years) who became a great star of Croatian football 6 years later. Now, Eduardo Da Silva is playing for Arsenal which paid for his transfer in summer 2007 a record transfer fee in history of Croatian football of 15.000.000 euros.

In the Summer 2002 in the training camp in Crans Montana in Switzerland, Miroslav Blazevic head coach of Dinamo wanted to remove Eduardo Da Silva from Dinamo Zagreb and send him back to Brazil because according to Blazevic: "Eduardo Da Silva is not enough of a talented player for his team Dinamo Zagreb", but fortunately for NK Dinamo Zagreb and Croatian football, then Blazevic's assistant coach Djuro Bago have persuaded his boss Miroslav Blazevic to hold Eduardo Da Silva in his team.

"This young striker Eduardo will go to Geneva tomorrow and return to Rio de Janeiro, because he is not talented enough for our club Dinamo" has told Miroslav Blazevic and then he has made critic of his assistant Djuro Bago: "Djuro, you have told me that this Brazilian boy Eduardo is world class talented striker, but I think that he is not good enough for our club". Then assistant coach Djuro Bago has cried and answered to his boss:"Mr Blazevic, I think still that he is great talent, I trust in him. I think that he will become great forward. Please, can you hold him in Dinamo Zagreb during this training camp and then we will send him on the loan in our 'branch club' NK Inter Zapresic for young players where he would get his chance for playing".

Fortunately, head coach of Dinamo Zagreb Miroslav Blazevic accepted the advise of his assistant Djuro Bago.

Five years later when Eduardo Da Silva signed with Arsenal, Miroslav Blazevic told the Croatian press:"Really, Eduardo is great player. I have had mistake. Fortunately, my former assistant Djuro Bago has excellent eye for discover young players".

Sports' director of Dinamo Zagreb Velimir Zajec and executive-vice president Zdravko Mamic also wanted to send Eduardo da Silva back to Brazil, but fortunately assistant coach Djuro Bago supported by a few Croatian sports journalists persuaded Dinamo' coach and Management board to keep Eduardo Da Silva in Dinamo. One year later Eduardo returned from NK Inter to Dinamo Zagreb after they played very well and then Zdravko Mamic has also changed mind about him.

External links

in Croatian:
*http://www.nacional.hr/articles/view/36420/
*http://beta.24sata.hr/index.php?cmd=show_clanak&tekst_id=22320

In English:
*http://www.nacional.hr/en/articles/view/36451/18/
*http://www.onlinearsenal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11092
*http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20071119/ai_n21114926/pg_2 -
*http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/israel-showed-they-are-honest-people--we-have-to-behave-in-the-same-way-400969.html