Branko Petrović came to Novi Bečej as an already well-trained footballer. Before the Second World War, he played in the youth team of Vojvodina from Novi Sad, where he was regarded as one of the club's most talented prospects.
It is almost impossible to begin his biography without saying one thing: he was an exceptional man. The way he was in everyday life and in private was exactly the way he was on the football field – calm, quiet, modest, and above all, kind-hearted. One cannot help but wonder how such a character could possess so much talent and energy for hard work, enabling him, at a relatively young age, to achieve and master almost everything that could be known in football at that time.
I do not know whether he was more popular among his teammates or among the spectators. He was respected not only by the Zvezda players who came from Novi Bečej, but also by all those who played for Zvezda at the time and who had previously established themselves as outstanding footballers in Pančevo, Belgrade and Kikinda.
His noble character and exceptional footballing ability earned him an indispensable place at left half, not only in Zvezda's strongest team of that period, but also in the Banat representative team. In 1943, he took part with the Banat team in a jubilee tournament organized by Belgrade's Jugoslavija on the occasion of the club's thirtieth anniversary. During the occupation, Jugoslavija was known as SK 1913.
I do not have enough space to express everything I think and feel about Branko Petrović, but I will nevertheless dare to say that it would be a long time before another sportsman like him appeared in Novi Bečej. For Novi Bečej, he meant what Rajko Mitić meant to the people of Belgrade – and not only to them.
Branko was a player against whom Zvezda supporters almost never protested or held anything against him, even when he was not in the best form. He was the darling of Novi Bečej, and everyone understood him and forgave him, even when he was not the player on the field whom the public had come to love.
As a footballer, he possessed exceptional skill. Any ball he received had to be brought completely under control, and as quickly as possible, before being passed accurately to a teammate. He knew how to receive and immediately release the ball in the smallest of spaces, making it easy for his teammate to continue the attack toward the opposing goal, or simply to “walk” the ball into the net.
He was a master at creating opportunities for his forwards, and in that respect few could match him. But Branko did not merely create scoring chances for others. His powerful and accurate shot surprised many goalkeepers, including some of the best from the Belgrade clubs.
As long as he played, he was indispensable. He never came into conflict with his teammates, nor with opposing players. Even his opponents respected him. If someone happened to attack him roughly, Branko would disarm him with his good nature, and it would almost invariably end with a sincere, friendly apology.
Branko was an excellent teammate, beloved by his fellow players and a favorite of the spectators. His footballing skill, but even more so his character and humanity, made him one of the most beloved figures in the football history of Novi Bečej.
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