Volleyball · International
Serbian coaching pioneer Sava Grozdanović dies aged one hundred
The federation’s obituary recalled his work across clubs, refereeing and the Yugoslav national programme.
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Serbian volleyball coach Sava Grozdanović died in Athens at the age of one hundred, according to the CEV’s obituary published on 9 February. He was born in Jelašnica near Niš in November 1925 and became involved in volleyball after moving to Belgrade.
Grozdanović began playing in 1947 when friends needed another teammate and started coaching the following year. His early career developed during a period when limited specialist staffing meant individuals frequently worked across multiple clubs and responsibilities within the sport.
He served as president of the Volleyball Referees’ Association in the early 1950 s and later became the Yugoslav federation’s first professional paid coach. The obituary connected those roles with a long coaching and teaching career that helped shape successive generations of players.
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