Preki

Predrag Radosavljević (Serbian Cyrillic: Предраг Радосављевић; born June 24, 1963), better known by the nickname Preki (/ˈprɛki/), is a former soccer player and coach.

[5] In the summer of 1985, the Tacoma Stars head coach Bob McNab spotted Preki at an indoor tournament in Belgrade and sent him to the United States.

During the summer of 1989, Preki began to consider becoming a U.S. citizen and returning to the outdoor game in order to make himself eligible for the U.S. national team.

In June 1994, Preki signed with the San Jose Grizzlies of the Continental Indoor Soccer League where he rejoined Bob McNab from his Tacoma days.

[14] He was named to the MLS All-Star for five straight years between 1996 and 2000, being the MVP of the 1999 match after scoring a first-half brace to lead his side to a 6–4 win.

[2] On 9 September 1998, Preki scored a hat-trick and made two assists against San Jose Earthquakes, tying a league record with eight points in a single game.

[16] On 15 October, the 37-year-old Preki started in the 2000 MLS Cup, again against Chicago Fire, which ended in a 1–0 victory, being one of only three players, along with Mo Johnston and Uche Okafor, to have been a member of the inaugural Wizards team.

[2] After spending the 2001 campaign with the Miami Fusion, Preki was able to rejoin his former club in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft, but only after every other team in the league had passed on selecting him.

[2][18] On 21 February 2004, Preki suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated left ankle during a preseason exhibition match and missed four months of the season, returning only in a 1–2 loss to Columbus Crew on 18 August.

[2] On 10 September, he underwent a arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle that ended his season, so he did not participate in Kansas' triumphant campaign in the 2004 U.S. Open Cup.

[20] Preki is still widely regarded as the greatest player in Kansas City's history, as he ranks first on career charts for both goals (79), and assists (112).

[1] Originally from Yugoslavia, Preki was living and working in the U.S. in 1985 but when he was offered a spot on the U.S. national team he applied for U.S. citizenship which was granted on October 25, 1996.