During his playing career that spanned 21 seasons from 1960 to 1981, Ćurković made over 700 official appearances for three clubs in Yugoslavia and France, winning numerous trophies and reaching the European Cup final on two occasions, with Partizan in 1966 and Saint-Étienne in 1976. He was also capped 19 times by Yugoslavia at senior level between 1963 and 1970.
After hanging up his boots, Ćurković held various high-level administrative positions, including serving as president of the Serbian Olympic Committee and vice-president of the Serbian Football Association. He also acted as president of his former club Partizan for almost two decades from 1989 to 2006.
Club career
A talented goalie, Ćurković began at his hometown club Velež Mostar and was officially registered by the club in 1958. He would sign his first professional contract in 1960 at the age of 16. During the 1960–61 Yugoslav First League, his first senior season, Ćurković played 13 (out of 22) games and helped the team narrowly avoid relegation from the top flight. He spent three more seasons with the Rođeni, leading them to a fourth-place finish in 1962–63.[1]
In 1964, Ćurković was transferred to Partizan. He would become the first-choice goalkeeper in his debut season after Milutin Šoškić joined the army to complete his compulsory military service, helping the club win the championship.[2] During the next season in 1965–66, Ćurković served as a backup to Šoškić through their European Cup campaign that year, as Partizan lost in the final to Real Madrid. He spent a total of eight seasons with the Crno-beli, making 227 appearances across all competitions.[3]
In 1972, Ćurković moved abroad to France and signed with Saint-Étienne. He immediately established himself as the starting goalkeeper and played nine seasons with Les Verts, winning four domestic championship titles (1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, and 1980–81), three national cups (1973–74, 1974–75, and 1976–77), and reaching the European Cup final in 1975–76.[4]
International career
At international level, Ćurković played 19 matches for Yugoslavia between 1963 and 1970. He participated at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[5]
Post-playing career
Between 1989 and 2006, Ćurković served as president of his former club Partizan, establishing a long-lasting partnership with general secretary Žarko Zečević and sporting director Nenad Bjeković.
