Tomislav Ivić

Tomislav Ivić ( 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.

Managerial career
Ivić managed teams in 14 countries along with four national teams,  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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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

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.

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.

Club

 * *Dates of first and last games under Ivić not dates of official appointments

National teams

 * *Dates of first and last games under Ivić; not dates of official appointments

Manager
Hajduk Split (Youth)
 * Yugoslav Youth Cup: 1970, 1971, 1972

Hajduk Split
 * Yugoslav First League: 1973–74, 1974–75, 1978–79
 * Yugoslav Cup: 1971–72, 1973, 1974, 1975–76

Ajax
 * Eredivisie: 1976–77

Anderlecht
 * Belgian First Division: 1980–81

Porto
 * Primeira Liga: 1987–88
 * Taça de Portugal: 1988
 * European Super Cup: 1987
 * Intercontinental Cup: 1987

Marseille
 * French Division 1: 1991–92

Al-Ittihad
 * Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2004

United Arab Emirates
 * AFC Asian Cup runner-up: 1996

Individual

 * Hajduk Split golden badge: 1975
 * Golden badge and charter by the city of Paris awarded by Jacques Chirac: 1990
 * Croatian Olympic Committee trophy: 2003
 * Most successful manager in history by La Gazzetta dello Sport: 2007
 * Split sports house hall of fame: 2009
 * Heart of Hajduk Award: 2011 (postmortem)
 * World Soccer 36th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013
 * France Football 42nd Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019

Orders

 * Order of DH Franjo Bučar.jpg Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar – 1995