Rajko Mitic (Dol, Bela Palanka, November 19, 1922 - Belgrade, March 29, 2008) was a Yugoslav footballer. Although born in the small village of Dol near Bela Palanka, he quickly started playing for big clubs. He played for Belgrade-based BSK and Red Star, where he became famous. He was the captain of that team and was named the first "Star of the Star". He played in the position of the right halfback.

He played 59 games for the Yugoslav national team and scored 32 goals. He participated in the World Championships in Brazil in 1950 and in Switzerland in 1954. Due to his fair play, he was remembered as a great gentleman of football.

Mitic started playing football in the meadows of Belgrade's Kosutnjak, and continued in the club of the same name, which competed in Belgrade's third grade. In the summer of 1938 he became a member of the BSK youth team, and two years later, in the middle of 1940, made his debut for the first team in the position of forward leader.

World War II halted his sporting development, but since 1944, as a fighter in the Engineering Brigade of Yugoslav Army (along with Djajic and Jezerkic), he has continued to play, and subsequently became the first captain since the founding of the Red Star on March 4, 1945. Since then, he has worn a "red and white" jersey as one of the best players in Red Star history in 14 championship seasons. He played a total of 572 games (of which 220 championships and 39 in the Cup) and scored 116 goals (74 championships and 22 in the Cup).

As captain, Mitic led the "red and white" five times when they won the Yugoslav champions title: 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957 and 1959. In the Football Cup of Yugoslavia, Mitic also won the trophy four times with Red Star: 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1958.

Apart from rehabilitation after meniscus surgery in 1947, Mitic was rarely absent from the team. After 13 years of active playing, he said goodbye to the Red Star jersey on November 29, 1958 in the Cup final against Mostar Velez (4: 0) in Belgrade.

When he quit playing, from 1960 to 1966 he was a senior sports coach at the head of the Red Star professional staff, at the end of 1966 he became a member of the FSJ National Team, and from April 23, 1967 to November 18, 1970, as a coach, he has gathered 34 Yugoslav national teams.

As an active player, he was a commentator in Belgrade's Sport, and later devoted himself entirely to sports journalism, and for many years was a commentator in the Tempo newspaper, in which he remained active even after retirement in 1983.

Otherwise, the story in Bela Palanka does not end only with what is written in books and on the Internet. Various stories are heard because most people from Bela Palanka have some family ties to grandpa Rajko, as some call him. So, an interesting anecdote is that when Zvezda traveled to Bulgaria, Sofia to a match with CSKA Sofia, the bus with players stopped in Bela Palanka for a short break. Of course, the people gathered and eagerly awaited the players to get off the bus. Some players came out, greeting fans, most of whom were children. One of the older people called out to one of the players to call Rajko, his relatives were waiting to see him, his cousins, some children. When the teammate came out again, he said that Rajko was sleeping, tired and unable to go out now. The man turned to the children and said, "Right? Kids, from now on no more cheering for the Star". And there are really people who have stopped cheering for the Red Star since that day, maybe not because of that, but the story remains.

As a memorial to him and his contribution to sports and Serbian football, the people from Bela Palanka made a monument in cooperation with the Red Star Sports Club.