In 1959, a then only 21-year-old striker from what was then Yugoslavia dominated the headlines for days, wrote the doyen of Austrian sports journalists, Wolfgang Winheim, 40 years later in a “diary” column in the Kurier. The focus of his text was Branko Milanovićwhich this year from the legendary Ernst Happel were brought to SK Rapid from Red Star Belgrade under adventurous circumstances, literally. The “Wödmasta”, then in the process of being the freshly appointed head of the section together with coach Robert grains to set up a new Rapid team, actually drove to the Balkan metropolis himself to fix everything and, according to legend, to smuggle the neo-player across the border in the trunk.
After many obstacles, including a one-year suspension from FIFA, the attacker was actually able to play for Grün-Weiss and is considered the first legionnaire to play for Rapid for several seasons. A total of five seasons kicked off Milanović from 1960 for the Hütteldorfer Kanoniere, interrupted by a season with the French club Le Havre. In 1961 he was in four games (one goal) on the way to the semifinals of the European Cup of the national champions and became ÖFB Cup winner, three years later he became champion with his teammates and scored four goals in 16 appearances.
1966 went the era of Branko Milanović ended as a Rapid player, but the former striker, born on February 28, 1938, is still very much involved in club life. As a member of the club of legends, he hardly ever misses a home game and is also a welcome guest at numerous events away from the matches.
On his birthday we wish Branko Milanović, who is very young at heart even at 85, all the best and above all good health!