In the 1970s, the New York Cosmos were one of the most high-profile, glamorous soccer teams anywhere. The team’s deep-pocketed media owners had brought in Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer – among the biggest names the sport has ever known -- in the hopes of raising the profile for both the team and the nascent North American Soccer League. The move worked, the team attracted a loyal following, its games were televised, and a number of international soccer players joined the star roster.

One of those players was Vitomir “Vito” Dimitrijević, who was born in Serbia but had previously spent some time playing for Ljubljana’s Olimpija. For two years (1977 and 1978), he played for the Cosmos, sharing the field with Pelé, Beckenbauer, and Chinaglia, and scoring five goals. For the 1979 season, he moved to Los Angeles, where he played for the Aztecs, another NASL team (of which Elton John was a part owner).

After his retirement, Dimitrijević settled in Slovenia. He now owns a bar in Ljubljana’s “Skyscraper” building. His bar is known as “Bar 3” – after the original jersey number he had when playing for the New York Cosmos.

The New York Cosmos, however, did not fare as well as Dimitrijević. The popularity of both the team and the North American Soccer League began to decline in the 1980s. The league folded in 1984, and the team was dissolved one year later.