Željko Petrović

Petrović made his professional debut with Budućnost in 1987 under coach Stanko Poklepović. In Petrović's second season at Budućnost, the team included the likes of Niša Saveljić, Anto Drobnjak, Dejan Savićević, and Predrag Mijatović.[1] During Petrović's time at Budućnost, the team finished in ninth place in the 1987–88 season, fourteenth in the 1988–89 season, and tenth in the 1989–90 season.

Petrović moved to Dinamo Zagreb in 1990, where he played as a right back. In June 1991, Dinamo changed their name to HAŠK Građanski.[2] In HAŠK Građanski's short 1991–92 UEFA Cup campaign, Petrović scored all three of HAŠK Građanski's goals over two legs played against Trabzonspor.[3] He scored two penalties in the first leg played on 17 September 1991, which HAŠK lost 2–3 to Trabzonspor.[4] He scored another goal in the second leg played on 2 October 1991, which HAŠK tied 1-1.[5] In spite of Petrović's goalscoring form, HAŠK were eliminated from the UEFA Cup losing to Trabzonspor on aggregate.

Petrović joined Sevilla in November 1991,[6] with his transfer from HAŠK Građanski costing the Spanish team 500,000 DM.[7] HAŠK Građanski had agreed on Petrović's transfer as part of a package with Davor Šuker, who joined Sevilla simultaneously.[8] At the time, La Liga teams could field only up to four foreigners on the pitch, and Sevilla already had two foreign starters in Iván Zamorano and Pablo Bengoechea.[9] With the addition of Šuker, Petrović was meant to be Sevilla's fourth foreign starter, although he initially enjoyed little playing time.[9] Gradually, coach Víctor Espárrago began bringing him off the bench, and in a breakthrough performance, Petrović made an assist in Sevilla's 1–0 win against Real Murcia in the 1992 Copa del Rey Round of 16.[10] On 22 March 1992, Petrović scored his only goal in a league match with Real Burgos, with Sevilla winning 3–2.[9] However, after the departure of coach Espárrago, a markedly dry spell followed, especially when Sevilla signed Diego Maradona in the summer of 1992.[9] Therefore, he was quick to sign for Dutch club FC Den Bosch that summer.

Petrović joined FC Den Bosch in 1992 while his father was living in nearby Heusden as a guest worker.[11] This circumstance seemed to be a deciding factor in his move to Den Bosch, as it was widely regarded that he could have easily played for a more competitive team.[11] Den Bosch director Chris van der Laar commented that Petrović was "too good for Den Bosch".[11] In spite of Petrović's good reception, Den Bosch struggled in the 1992–93 season and ended up relegated back to the second tier at the end of the season. After a 5–0 loss against Feyenoord in May 1993, Den Bosch coach Hans van der Pluijm noted that "[Petrović] is playing three classes better than the rest of the team."[11] He was eager to join RKC Waalwijk in 1994. It was at this club which he excelled as an attacking right-back, and he scored 13 goals in total of 2 seasons before joining Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in 1996.

Petrović joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1996. He was a regular starter during the 1996–97 season, when PSV won the Eredivisie that season under coach Dick Advocaat.[12] In his second season at the club, however, he proved a difficult player to manage and he was also involved in a spat with team captain Arthur Numan. Towards the end of Petrović's time at PSV, coach Advocaat was critical of his smoking habits.[13] In the fall of 1997, Petrović accepted a lucrative offer from the Urawa Red Diamonds, which estranged him from the rest of the club.[13] He insisted that he did not wish to leave PSV, but that the offer could not be ignored since ten of his relatives were living off of his money in Yugoslavia.[12] Petrović played a total of 35 games for PSV.[12] He played his last game for PSV on 5 November 1997, in a Champions League match against Newcastle United at St James' Park.[12]

In 1997, he moved to Japan to play for Urawa Red Diamonds[14] before returning to RKC Waalwijk in 2000 where he finished his playing career.

Petrović was a regular of the Yugoslav national team throughout the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 28 October 1997, the night before the first leg of the qualifying play-off against Hungary, Petrović received a death threat by an anonymous phone caller.[16] The caller gave Petrović twelve hours to leave Yugoslavia before being killed.[17] In the time preceding the death threat, Petrović had been subject to a whispering campaign that suggested he once played for the Croatian national team during the breakup of Yugoslavia, before Croatia became an official FIFA member.[17] Petrović strongly denied this,[17] and teammate Savo Milošević accused some journalists of jeopardizing Petrović's life by spreading fake news about him.[16] Petrović went on to play for Yugoslavia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[18]

After the rumors were spread, Petrović took several opportunities to explain how the media identified him. When a Dutch journalist asked Petrović about his nationality considering the breakup of Yugoslavia, Petrović insisted on his identity as a Yugoslav. He explained himself with the following:

"I'm not going to change...I'm Montenegrin, as you are Brabantian and he is Frisian. But here [in the Netherlands] are all Dutch people. That's not what we are after, after the war [in Yugoslavia]. But if you're Yugoslav, you're Yugoslav."[13]

In the beginning of June 2019, Botev Plovdiv introduced Petrović as the new head coach of the club.[25] Following his recommendations the club signed Marko Pervan, Philippe van Arnhem and Rodney Klooster. After a long run of poor results, on 16 October, Petrović was sacked.[26] Shortly after that Philippe van Arnhem and Rodney Klooster were also released. In 12 games under his guidance Botev Plovdiv won only twice, achieved 3 draws and lost 7 matches, last 4 of which in a row.

In the beginning of January 2020, Inter Zaprešić introduced Petrović as the new head coach.[27] On 10 April 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Petrović terminated the contract with the club.[28]

He was appointed assistant to Advocaat again at Feyenoord in summer 2020.[29]