Tomislav Ivić

Ivić, the coach of FC Porto, following the European Super Cup first leg in Amsterdam in November 1987
Personal information
Date of birth	(1933-06-30)30 June 1933
Place of birth	Split, Yugoslavia (now Croatia)
Date of death	24 June 2011(2011-06-24) (aged 77)
Place of death	Split, Croatia
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	RNK Split
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1953–1957	RNK Split	125
1957–1963	Hajduk Split	11
Managerial career
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
1980–1982	Anderlecht
1983–1984	Galatasaray
1984–1985	Dinamo Zagreb
1985–1986	Avellino (caretaker)
1986	Panathinaikos
1987	Hajduk Split (caretaker)
1987–1988	Porto
1988–1990	Paris Saint-Germain
1990–1991	Atlético Madrid
1991–1992	Marseille (caretaker)
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 (caretaker)
1997–1998	Iran
1998–1999	Standard Liège
2000	Standard Liège
2001	Marseille
2003–2004	Al-Ittihad
Medal record Men's football Representing  United Arab Emirates (as manager) AFC Asian Cup Runner-up 1996 UAE
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tomislav Ivić (Croatian pronunciation: [tǒmislaʋ ǐːʋitɕ];^[1][2] 30 June 1933 – 24 June 2011) was a Croatian professional 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, Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport proclaimed him as the most successful football manager in history, due to his seven league titles won in five countries.^[3]

Managerial career

Ivić managed teams in 14 countries along with four national teams,^[4][5][6] and he won titles and cups in seven countries: Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and France. Ivić never won the league title in Greece.^[7]

Ivić won seven top flight championships (three in Yugoslavia and one each in the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and France); six national cups (four in Yugoslavia and one each in Spain and Portugal); an UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.^[8]

In Croatia, Ivić coached RNK Split, Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb and (in one match replacing suspended Miroslav Blažević) the Croatia national team; in the Netherlands, Ajax; in Belgium, Anderlecht and Standard Liège; in Turkey, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe; in Italy, Avellino; in Greece, Panathinaikos; in Portugal, Porto and Benfica; in France, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille (the latter, his last club before retiring in 2002); in Spain, Atlético Madrid; in the United Arab Emirates, Al Wasl and the UAE national team; and in Iran, Persepolis and the Iran national selection.^[9]

European and international club competitions

He took Hajduk Split to the European Cup quarter final two times: 1975–76 and in 1979–80, he also reached it with Ajax in 1977–78. His biggest achievement in the European Cup was reaching the semi-finals during the 1981–82 season with Anderlecht. With Porto he won the 1987 European Super Cup and the 1987 Intercontinental Cup.

Ivić has one of the best Champions League win ratios, having won 29 out of 46 matches with a ratio of 63.0%.^[10]

International career

He was national team head coach of Yugoslavia, Iran, United Arab Emirates and even Croatia for one match as caretaker manager subbing in for Miroslav Blažević.^[11]

While UAE head coach, Ivić lost the 1996 AFC Asian Cup final against Saudi Arabia on penalties.^[12]

Retirement

In 2001, under the advisement of his doctor Ivić retired from coaching so he could be under less stress. Three years later he coached Al-Ittihad Club for a season before taking up the youth selections of Standard Liège.^[13]

Death

Ivić 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.^[14]

Managerial statistics

Club

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