Foreign Goals - Sasa Drakulic's K-League Career

-by Mark Trevena-

Considered one of the most successful foreign players to have played in the K-league, Serbia & Montenegro striker Sasa Drakulic entered Korea in 1995 with Daewoo Royals as a 23 year-old. Once on the books of Red Star Belgrade, Drakulic was persuaded to make the switch from Belgrade to Korea by Yugoslav football legend Dragan Dzajic, and was entrusted with the task of revitalising the forward line of a side that had finished second-bottom of the K-League the previous season.

Daewoo enjoyed a slight improvement in fortunes with Drakulic netting eight times in his debut season for the club, however they were a long way off the pace and indeed finished bottom of the second stage of the K-League that year, but Drakulic's play that year earned him a spot in the "White Tigers" team for the Korean All-star match.

1996 was a somewhat disappointing season though, with Drakulic netting only three times in his 20 appearances under fellow countryman and coach Dragoslav Sekularic. When Sekularic left the club eventually appointed former manager Lee Cha-man to the top job, and in 1997 Lee's leadership and Drakulic's goals led the club to a double success. The pre-season Adidas Cup was the first trophy in the bag, and then Daewoo lifted the biggest prize of all with a championship playoff win against Pohang Steelers. Drakulic's penalty goal in the second half of the second leg was his 11th strike of a successful season for the club.
More success was to follow at the start of 1998 as Drakulic lifted the Korean league cup, however his strong performances were gaining notice from other clubs in the league. Just before the start of the K-League season Drakulic joined up at Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He immediately formed a devastating partnership with fellow foreigners Vitaliy Parahnevych and Denis Laktionov as the Bluewings won their first ever K-league championship.

His first full season in 1999 yielded an impressive tally of 23 goals in 37 appearances as Suwon retained their championship and added the Korean League Cup, Adidas Cup and Super Cup (with Drakulic hitting a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Anyang) to their trophy cabinet. Drakulic finished the K-league's top scorer, and had the honour of scoring the goal in the Championship play-off against Ulsan which clinched the second consecutive title for Suwon.

Sasa's goalscoring exploits with Suwon were attracting the attention of several foreign clubs, and at the end of 1999 he was transfered to Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol for $1.5m, with Korean international Hwang Sun-hong going in the opposite direction. Neither deal worked out well for each side, as Hwang only featured in one K-league match before returning to Japan with Cerezo Osaka. Drakulic had an unhappy time with Kashiwa citing personal problems as the root of it, and then Kashiwa medical staff discovered a previously unrevealed broken bone in his foot which caused friction between the clubs.

Drakulic returned to a much-changed Suwon side during the 2000 season, but played in only fourteen matches before leaving the club again. His destination for 2001 was Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, the fallen giants of the Korean football scene who were looking to regain their position at the top end of the league.
An explosive debut season for Seongnam saw Drakulic finish as the club's top scorer and also helped fire the club to it's first championship since 1995. With his rich vein of scoring form and the Korean-hosted 2002 World Cup just around the corner, many Korean football fans called for Drakulic to take Korean citizenship in order to offer his goalscoring ability to the national side for the tournament. Giving the idea serious consideration, Drakulic investigated the possibility of naturalising but because of Korea's laws refusing the granting of dual citizenship, Drakulic resisted the idea of giving up his Serbian passport for a Korean one.

The 2002 K-League title again came Seongnam's way, with Drakulic netting 19 times for his club. His 90th minute goal also brought the Super Cup to Seongnam, and in the summer All-star match Drakulic broke all previous scoring records by smashing home four goals after coming on as a second half substitute.

2003 was to prove to be Drakulic's final season in Korea and though he bowed out with his sixth K-League championship medal, rumours of a bust-up with strike partner Kim Do-hoon and Seongnam coach Cha Kyung-bok led to a dip in form and Drakulic weighed in with only eight strikes during the season, well eclipsed by Kim's record 28 goals.

Speculation linked the 31 year-old with switches to Incheon United and Bucheon, but in the end Drakulic opted for pastures new after leaving Seongnam and joined Cypriot side AEK Larnaca for a crack at UEFA Cup football. Having set records left, right and centre in Korea (Drakulic holds the record for number of shots on goal with 943 efforts as well as at one point having held the second-top goal tally in the history of the K-League) it is likely that Drakulic's name will be embedded in K-League history for many years to come.

Total appearances: 271
Total goals: 104
K-League championships: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
Adidas Cup: 1997, 1999
League Cup: 1997, 1998, 1999
Super Cup: 1999, 2002