Tomislav Ivić

Tomislav Ivić

Ivić shortly after taking over as the new coach of Ajax in July 1976.
Personal information
Date of birth	30 June 1933
Place of birth	Split, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Date of death	24 June 2011 (aged 77)
Place of death	Split, Croatia
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
	RNK Split
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1953–1957	RNK Split	125
1957–1963	Hajduk Split	11
Total		136	(?)
Teams managed
1967–1968	RNK Split
1968–1972	Hajduk Split (youth)
1972–1973	Šibenik
1973–1974	Yugoslavia
1973–1976	Hajduk Split
1976–1978	Ajax
1978–1980	Hajduk Split
1980–1983	Anderlecht
1983–1984	Galatasaray
1984–1985	Dinamo Zagreb
1985–1986	Avellino
1986	Panathinaikos
1986–1987	Hajduk Split
1987–1988	Porto
1988–1990	Paris Saint-Germain
1990–1991	Atlético Madrid
1991–1992	Marseille
1992–1993	Benfica
1993–1994	Porto
1994	Croatia (caretaker)
1995	Fenerbahçe
1995–1996	United Arab Emirates
1996	Al Wasl
1997	Hajduk Split
1997–1998	Persepolis
1997–1998	Iran
1998–1999	Standard Liège
2000	Standard Liège
2001	Marseille
2003–2004	Al-Ittihad
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Tomislav Ivić (30 June 1933 – 24 June 2011) was a Croatian football player and manager. Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game. In April 2007 the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport proclaimed him as the most successful football manager in history, due to his 8 league titles won in 6 different countries.^[1]

Ivić managed teams in 14 different countries along with 4 national teams,^[2][3][4] and he won titles and cups in seven countries (Yugoslavia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Spain and France).

He won eight top flight championships (3 in Yugoslavia, and 1 each in The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Portugal and France), 6 national cups (4 in Yugoslavia and 1 each in Spain and Portugal), an UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.^[5]

In Croatia, he coached RNK Split, Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb and the national team; in the Netherlands, he coached Ajax; in Belgium, Anderlecht and Standard Liège; in Turkey, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe; Avellino was his only experience in Italy; Panathinaikos in Greece; in Portugal, he coached FC Porto and Benfica; in France, he managed Paris Saint Germain and Olympique de Marseille (this one, his last club before retiring, in 2002); in Spain, Atlético Madrid; in United Arab Emirates, Al Wasl FC and the national team; and, in Iran, Persepolis and the national selection.

He died on 24 June 2011, six days before his 78th birthday, in his hometown of Split. He was reportedly suffering from cardiac troubles, as well as diabetes.^[6]

Statistics

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	Win %
Yugoslavia		Nov 1973	Mar 1974	11	3	3	5	27.27
Ajax		1 July 1976	30 June 1978
Anderlecht		1980	1982
Galatasaray		June 1983	June 1984	40	19	12	9	47.50
Porto		July 1987	June 1988	54	40	11	3	74.07
Paris SG		July 1988	1990	86	41	21	24	47.67
Marseille		July 1991	October 1991
Porto		Aug 1993	30 Jan 1994	28	18	8	2	64.29
Iran		Dec 1997	Apr 1998	5	1	2	2	20.00
Marseille		October 2001	November 2001
Total				184	103	45	36	55.98

Honours

National

• Yugoslav First League: 3

1974, 1975, 1979 (all with Hajduk Split)

• Yugoslav Cup: 4

1972, 1973, 1974, 1976 (all with Hajduk Split)

• Dutch Eredivisie: 1

1977 (with Ajax)

• Belgian First Division: 1

1981 (with Anderlecht)

• Greek Championship: 1

1986 (with Panathinaikos)

• Portuguese Liga: 1

1988 (with FC Porto)

• Portuguese Cup: 1

1988 (with FC Porto)

• French Championship: 1

1992 (with Olympique de Marseille)^[7]

International

• UEFA Super Cup: 1

1987 (with FC Porto)

• Intercontinental Cup: 1

1987 (with FC Porto)

References

1. Staff (22 April 2007). "Il primatista è Ivić: 8 titoli in 6 nazioni". La Gazzetta dello Sport. Milan. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
2. Maxim Olenev (19 July 1999). "Yugoslavia national team coaches (before 1979)". rsssf.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
3. Staff. "United Arab Emirates". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
4. Staff (1 December 2004). "Al Ittihad win Asian Champions League". espnfc.com. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
5. Staff (25 June 2011). "Notice of death of Tomislav Ivić". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
6. Legendarische trainer Tomislav Ivić overleden, De Standaard], 24 June 2011; retrieved 26 June 2011.
7. Staff. "Palmarès Championnat de France". lequipe.fr. L'Équipe. Retrieved 18 April 2015.

Further reading

• Holiga, Aleksandar (7 October 2013). "A Man for all Seasons". The Blizzard. Sunderland: Blizzard Media (10): 102–109.