BOBAN, PROSINECKI, SAVICEVIC, MIHALJOVIC, SUKER...
The 'Chileans'.
Born in the same county, they grew up with the same dream.
In 1989 they were world youth champions in Chile and played together until 1990, when war broke out and Yugoslavia started to fall apart.
First the Croatian players left, then the trainer Ivica Osim resigned because the Serbians bombed his home town of Sarajevo and finally the team was banned from the European championships in Sweden under pressure from the international community. This meant the end of the promising Yugoslavian eleven.
In March 1999 they were to share the same soccer pitch for the first time in a direct clash during the preliminary rounds of the Euro 2000 Championship: Mijatovic, Savicevic and Mihajlovic playing for Yugoslavia; Suker and Boban for Croatia. But this very tense qualification match between Yugoslavia and Croatia was again postposed because of war (this time in Kosovo).
In August 1999 the game was played in Belgrade. Croatian players were in Yugoslavia for the first time since the war. The tension surrounding the match was even greater because next day a massive protest was planned against President Milosevic. Was it a coincidence that the lights went out in the 47th minute? Or was it planned in order to endanger the protests? Milosevic had bought all up the tickets for his supporters, so the general public was not able to attend the game. Croatia, that had been number three in the world only two years before in France, played and drew.
Two months later the return game was played in Zagreb (Croatia). This match was even more tense. Yugoslavia was at the top of group 8 and for Croatia it was do or die. Suker, Boban and their team had to win to reach the 2000 European Championships. They faced each other for the second time.
Players who knew each other intimately, grew up together, were world champions together, but because divided by contradictory interests as a result of the war. The war forced each of them to choose a new fatherland, a new nationality, a new national anthem and a new national football team. For some the choice was easy, but others were torn by doubt and forced to make impossible decisions.
The director, Vuk Janic grew up in Sarajevo and faithfully accompanied his father to watch the achievements of the national team. The film is his story about his country falling apart, told by his former heroes - the 'Chileans'. Vuk Janic shows the players, their families and friends: in the villages where they were born or grew up, on the scruffy fields where they often kicked their first ball and at the major European clubs where they now play.
A film about friendship, war and the love of soccer.
Het laatste Joegoslavische elftal
Boban, Prosinecki, Savicevic, Mijatovic, Mihaljovic, Suker... De 'Chilenen'. Geboren in hetzelfde land, opgegroeid met dezelfde droom. Ze werden in 1989 jeugdwereldkampioen in Chili en speelden samen, tot in 1990 de oorlog uitbrak en Joegoslavië uiteen viel. Eerst stapten de Kroatische spelers op; daarna nam de trainer Ivica Osim ontslag omdat de Serven zijn geboortestad Sarajevo bombardeerden. Tenslotte werd onder druk van de internationale gemeenschap het team uit het Europees Kampioenschap in Zweden gezet. Dit betekende het definitieve einde van het zo veelbelovende Joegoslavische voetbalteam.
Regie en samenstelling : Vuk Janic
Productie: Pieter van Huystee Film &TV
Eindredactie NPS: Cees van Ede / NPS
Productie NPS: Marjan Fluitsma
lengte: 82'55"
