Yugoslavia had many great teams throughout its history in basketball, football, water polo, and handball, but only the handball players of Metaloplastika earned the nickname “The Aliens.” Athletes who conquered the world and brought joy to the people from the Vardar to the Triglav instantly won the hearts of all sports fans, not only within the borders of the former SFRY.
In April 1985, Metaloplastika from Šabac wrote the most beautiful chapter in its history. In front of 14,000 spectators in the second leg of the final in Madrid, Metaloplastika defeated Atlético 30:20, showing a level of superiority never before seen in a European Champions Cup final.
The team from Šabac won the trophy for the best team in Europe without a single defeat and by breaking several records: they achieved the largest goal difference across the two final matches (17) and scored the highest number of goals in a single final match (30). Many said at the time: “Only the boys from Šabac can do that.”
The first European champion title in the 1984/1985 season was won by: Bašić, Isaković, Vujović, Vuković, Mrkonja, Portner, Cvetković, Milošević, Ignjatović, Tanasić, Lukić, Spasojević, and Đukanović. Coach Pavlović was assisted by Živković and Fajfrić. The club president was Dušan Maričić.
That they were unrivaled in Europe, the “Šabac Aliens” confirmed again on this very day, in the 1985/1986 season. On their way to the final, they eliminated Borac from Banja Luka, Magdeburg, and Steaua from Bucharest. In the two final matches, they were more successful than the team Vibžeže from Gdańsk.
Their popularity and fame were global, and the moves that amazed the handball world are remembered to this day.
