1. Overview
Boško Gjurovski is a notable figure in Balkan and Japanese football, known for his extensive playing career and subsequent transition into management. Born in Tetovo, then part of Yugoslavia, he achieved significant success as a midfielder for Red Star Belgrade and Servette FC, winning multiple league titles and cups. He represented both the Yugoslavia and North Macedonia national teams. As a manager, Gjurovski held head coaching positions at several clubs, including Red Star Belgrade, Nagoya Grampus, and Kyoto Sanga FC, and also managed the North Macedonia national team, securing a domestic double with Red Star Belgrade and a league title as an assistant at Nagoya Grampus. In addition to his football career, he has ventured into Serbian politics, advocating for agrarian rights, environmentalism, and sports development, and has publicly expressed sentiments of Yugo-nostalgia.
2. Playing Career
Boško Gjurovski played as a midfielder, renowned for his strong defensive skills, adept tackling, and powerful shooting ability. Throughout his professional career, he amassed a total of 400 appearances and scored 50 goals across various competitions.
2.1. Club Career
Gjurovski began his youth career with FK Teteks before joining the youth system of Red Star Belgrade from 1976 to 1978. In 1978, he made his professional debut with Red Star Belgrade, where he spent eleven seasons until 1989. During his extensive tenure, he became a central figure for the club and was particularly cherished by the fans, especially following his brother, Milko Djurovski, controversially joining Red Star's fierce rivals, FK Partizan. For Red Star Belgrade, Gjurovski played in 237 matches and scored 41 goals, contributing significantly to a highly successful period. He was instrumental in winning four Yugoslav First League titles in the 1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84, and 1987-88 seasons. Additionally, he helped the club secure two Yugoslav Cups in 1981-82 and 1984-85.
In the summer of 1989, Gjurovski moved to Switzerland to join Servette FC. He played for Servette for six seasons, concluding his playing career there in 1995. During his time with the Swiss club, he made 163 appearances and netted 9 goals. He was a key component in Servette's triumph in the 1993-94 Swiss Super League season, adding another league title to his collection.
2.2. International Career
Boško Gjurovski represented two national teams: Yugoslavia and, after its dissolution, the North Macedonia. He earned a combined total of 11 international caps and scored 3 goals.
His senior international debut for Yugoslavia occurred in December 1982, during a UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying match against Wales. He accumulated 4 caps for Yugoslavia between 1982 and 1989, though he did not score any goals. He also played for the Yugoslavia U-20 team in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship.
In 1994, similar to his brother Milko, Gjurovski accepted an invitation to represent North Macedonia, the country of his birth. His debut for North Macedonia came in March 1994, in a friendly match against Slovenia held in Skopje. He played in 7 matches for North Macedonia between 1994 and 1995, notably scoring all three of his international goals in a single game against Cyprus. His final international appearance was in June 1995, during a European Championship qualification match against Belgium.
3. Managerial Career
Following his retirement as a player, Boško Gjurovski transitioned into football management, undertaking various coaching and managerial roles at both club and national team levels.
3.1. Early Coaching Roles
Gjurovski began his coaching journey at his former club, Servette FC, in 1995. He served as an assistant coach and was also involved in the youth development department, remaining in these positions until 2001. During his tenure as assistant, Servette notably won a Swiss league title in the 1998-99 season and achieved runner-up finishes in two other seasons.
In 2001, he returned to another former club, Red Star Belgrade, where he served as an assistant coach for one season until 2002.
3.2. Head Coaching Positions
Boško Gjurovski's career as a head coach includes several significant and challenging tenures.
In 2002, Gjurovski took on his first head coaching role at FK Radnički Obrenovac, a club he had previously guided to promotion. However, his tenure was brief, lasting only four months before his dismissal. Following this, he became the coach of FK Rad in 2002, but resigned with three matches remaining in the 2002-03 season, citing differences with the club board and the team's seemingly inevitable relegation.
He was appointed head coach of Red Star Belgrade in March 2007, succeeding Dušan Bajević. Gjurovski immediately found success, leading the team to a 2006-07 Serbian SuperLiga title and a 2006-07 Serbian Cup victory in his inaugural season as senior coach, securing a domestic double. However, the subsequent 2007-08 season began poorly. The team struggled and narrowly managed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, defeating Levadia 1-0 at home but losing 1-2 away in Tallinn. Following this difficult qualification match, Gjurovski was sacked by then-Red Star president Dragan Stojković, with Milorad Kosanović taking over. Despite his dismissal as head coach, Gjurovski remained within the Red Star organization, moving into the position of the club's chief scout.
In 2008, Gjurovski reunited with Dragan Stojković, who targeted him for the assistant coach role at J1 League club Nagoya Grampus. It was rumored that Stojković specifically wanted Gjurovski as his second-in-command for Nagoya. As assistant coach, Gjurovski primarily focused on defensive tactics, while Stojković handled the offensive strategy. This partnership proved highly successful, as they guided Nagoya to its first-ever J-League championship in the 2010 season, a long-awaited achievement for the club. Gjurovski also served as interim manager for three matches when Stojković faced touchline bans. He left Nagoya at the end of the 2013 season concurrently with Stojković.
On November 26, 2013, Gjurovski was appointed as the head coach of the North Macedonia national football team, with his tenure officially beginning on January 1, 2014. However, his time with the national team was marked by poor results, including only two wins in eleven matches. Consequently, he was sacked on April 7, 2015.
On May 7, 2017, Gjurovski temporarily returned to Red Star Belgrade as "internal coach" (interim manager) after Miodrag Božović's departure, following a crucial loss against FK Voždovac that saw Red Star lose the first place to FK Partizan.
His career then took him back to Japan, where on January 9, 2018, he joined Kyoto Sanga FC as a physical coach and assistant coach. By May 2018, he was promoted to head coach of Kyoto Sanga. His managerial stint there, however, also faced challenges, and he resigned on November 18, 2018, taking responsibility for the team's poor performance, which saw them drop to their lowest-ever 19th position in the J2 League.
In 2021, Gjurovski managed RFK Grafičar in Serbia, also serving as the club's vice president. Most recently, on March 20, 2022, he signed a contract to become the manager of Algerian club Paradou AC.
3.3. Managerial Statistics
The following table details Boško Gjurovski's managerial record by team:
| Team | From | To | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macedonia | November 2013 | April 2015 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 16.67% |
| Nagoya Grampus | August 2016 | December 2016 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 37.5% |
| Red Star Belgrade | May 8, 2017 | May 27, 2017 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% |
| Kyoto Sanga FC | May 2018 | December 2018 | 29 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 34.48% |
| Total | 54 | 18 | 9 | 27 | 33.33% | ||
4. Honours
Boško Gjurovski accumulated numerous titles both as a player and as a manager throughout his distinguished career.
4.1. Player Honours
Red Star Belgrade
- Yugoslav First League:
- 1979-80
- 1980-81
- 1983-84
- 1987-88
- Yugoslav Cup:
- 1981-82
- 1984-85
Servette
- Swiss Super League:
- 1993-94
4.2. Manager Honours
Servette
- Swiss Super League:
- 1998-99
Radnički Obrenovac
- Second League of FR Yugoslavia:
- 2001-02
Red Star Belgrade
- Serbian SuperLiga:
- 2006-07
- Serbian Cup:
- 2006-07
5. Political Career
In 2020, Boško Gjurovski decided to enter the political arena in Serbia. He publicly stated his motivations were to advocate for agrarian rights, protect the natural environment, and promote the development of sport within Serbia. He participated in the 2020 Serbian parliamentary election, where he was placed thirteenth on a combined electoral list representing the right-wing parties Healthy Serbia and Better Serbia.
Gjurovski has also expressed Yugo-nostalgia, indicating a fondness for the era of former Yugoslavia. He was notably present at the historic football match between Hajduk Split and Red Star Belgrade when the death of Josip Broz Tito was announced. Reflecting on that period, Gjurovski commented that "life was nice in the time of Broz."
6. Personal Life
Boško Gjurovski was born on December 28, 1961, in Tetovo, which was then part of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia within Yugoslavia. His family background is deeply rooted in the region's history; his father, Cvetko Gjurovski (originally named Cvetko Stojanović), was an ethnic Serb from Belgrade who moved to Macedonia at the onset of World War II. Gjurovski has shared that his paternal grandfather fought for the Royal Serbian Army during World War I and was part of the retreat of the Serbian Army to Corfu. According to Gjurovski, his father's original surname, Stojanović, was changed to Gjurovski following the establishment of the new communist regime in Macedonia and Yugoslavia.
Beyond his personal history, Gjurovski is part of a prominent footballing family. He is the elder brother of Milko Djurovski, a former professional footballer and manager, and the uncle of Mario Djurovski, who is also a professional footballer. Boško Gjurovski currently holds Serbian nationality.