Today, we are marking the 35th anniversary of the death of the greatest Hajduk's and Croatian football player of the 20th century, Bernard Bajdo Vukas.
Numerous former players gathered on this occasion to pay tribute to the great football artist by his monument in front of the stadium: Bogdan Kragic, Ivo Bego, Zvonko Bego, Luksa Poklepovic, Ante Ivkovic, Ante Zaja, Sinisa Fulgosi, Stanko Mrduljas, Josko Gluic, Dragutin Celic, Ivan Katalinic, Ivica Kalinic, Stjepan Jukic Peladic, Stipe Andrijasevic, Zeljko Mijac, Vlatko Đolonga, Nenad Pralija, Franko Bogdan, Luka Vucko, Igor Jelavic, Goran Brailo, Petar Lovric, Ante Secer, Miroslav Borozan and Slaven Lustica, son of late Slavko Lustica.
On their behalf, Bogdan Kragic laid a wreath at Bajdo's monument while the candles were lit by Hajduk's President Ivan Kos, in the presence of Club chronicler Jurica Gizdic and representatives of family Vukas, his wife Stjepanka and nephew Mislav Andrijasevic. President Kos reminded everyone about the famous days of Bajdo's football career.
Those who watched Bernard Vukas, the popular "Bajdo", say that he really was a football artist.
Born in Zagreb on May 1, 1927, he was a Yugoslav football player, an attacker, a game builder, a great scorer, an unbeatable dribler.
Worldwide esteemed player Bernard Vukas Bajdo started his football career immediately after completing elementary school in 1938 in Zagreb. In high school he stood out among his peers as a talented football player. In 1940 he was playing for the youth team of Concordia Zagreb. The war in 1941 stopped his football progress.
Immediately after the end of the war, he played for Zagreb clubs Amater and Zagreb. His great talent was revealed by Hajduk's experts who, in agreement with his parents, move him to Split. So since 1947, Bernard Vukas belonged to Hajduk, not only as a player but also by how he felt about the club.
He played 615 games and scored 300 goals for Hajduk. With Hajduk, he won the title of the champions of Yugoslavia in 1950, 1952 and in the season 1954/55. It should be noted that Vukas was the league's top scorer in 1955 with 20 goals scored.
From 1948 to 1957, as a player of Hajduk, he played for A team of Yugoslavia 59 times and scored 23 goals. He is the holder of two silver Olympic medals which he won as a member of the national football team in 1948 in London and in 1952 in Helsinki. He also played in two World Cups, in 1950 in Brazil and in 1954 in Switzerland. He played for FIFA's national team in London on October 21, 1953 against the England national team (4:4) and on August 10, 1955 in Belfast, against the UK team, he played for the European team. In the second match, which ended with the 4:1 victory for Europe, Vukas scored three goals. He was the first is our football players who played as a professional abroad.
Bernard Vukas Bajdo was a great player, the greatest Hajduk player of all time. His contemporaries will always remember Vukas's talent and fair play in every game. Although the opponents did not spare him, but on the contrary, played against him very dangerously, he never left the field because of injury. He always had the strength and the knowledge to endure to the end. As for his behaviour towards others, sufice is to say that he had never been sent off the game. He was a true role model for honor and dignity, especially because of his love for Hajduk and his homeland.
He is the bearer of numerous sports awards, from which we highlight that in the Vecernji list survey he was declared the best Croatian athlete of the 20th century. He is the bearer of the biggest Hajduk's acknowledgments, the Golden Badge of Hajduk with a brilliant and the Golden armband. In 2004, the Croatian Football Federation pronounced him the best Croatian football player of the century. In 2005, she was awarded FIFA's special award "Centennial Order of Merit". Since 2007, he is a honorary member of Split Sports Hall of Fame.
He died in Zagreb on April 4, 1983 and was buried at Zagreb cemetery Mirogoj.
His words, that are carved in his monument, will live eternally: "If I were born again, I would again be a Hajduk player"!
And on this occasion, we want to thank him for everything he gave to his dearest club, eternal glory and praise to him!
