Miljenko Mihić
Encyclopedia
Miljenko Mihić was a Serbia
n football coach. He was born in Mostar
, Littoral Banovina
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(today Bosnia and Herzegovina
) and died in Belgrade
, Serbia
.
Mihić has worked as a coach in the youth categories of Red Star Belgrade
, and he became the head coach of the first team in May 1974, at the end of the 1973–74 Yugoslav First League season, following the departure of the long time coach Miljan Miljanić
to Real Madrid
. In the season 1974-75 Mihić led Red Star to the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals. During the competition, Red Star eliminated PAOK, Avenir Beggen
and, most notably, Real Madrid
, that was coached by Miljan Miljanić
, Mihić's predecessor at the Red Star bench. After a 2-0 loss in Madrid, Red Star won by the same result in the return leg, and the match was decided when goalkeeper Ognjen Petrović
saved Santillana's kick in the penalty shootout. In the semi-finals, Red Star got eliminated by the Hungarian side Ferencváros, but the reported attendance of 110,000 spectators at the return match at the Red Star Stadium
remains the largest one at any game in the history of Serbian and Yugoslav football. The score of the first match was 2-1 for Ferencváros, and in the return leg the Hungarians scored from the last minute penalty kick, thus eliminating Red Star, 4-3 on aggregate. Although it was one of the biggest international successes in the club history that far, at the end of the season Red Star came third in the national championship, and that wasn't seen as good enough for Mihić to keep his job. After 11 years in the club, Mihić left Red Star.
After that, during his coaching career, Mihić has coached several Yugoslav First League
clubs, such as Borac Banja Luka, Osijek
, Napredak Kruševac
and Galenika
. Notably, he contributed to the first European cup appearance of Borac Banja Luka, when the club reached the second round of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated by the eventual competition winner, Anderlecht
. Anderlecht suffered their only defeat of the competition in the second leg 1-0 loss against Borac, but Anderlecht still went through 3-1 on aggregate.
Mihić was the coach of Israel national football team
from 1986 to 1988. He has also coached Yugoslavia national under-21 football team
for several years and was an assistant coach of Yugoslavia national football team
.
Mihić has published a book of his poetry entitled Mostar u srcu (Mostar in the Heart).
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n football coach. He was born in Mostar
Mostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Littoral Banovina
Littoral Banovina
The Littoral Banovina or Littoral Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1939. This province consisted of much of the historical region of Dalmatia, now in Croatia, and parts of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and was named for its coastal location...
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
(today Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
) and died in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
Mihić has worked as a coach in the youth categories of Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
, and he became the head coach of the first team in May 1974, at the end of the 1973–74 Yugoslav First League season, following the departure of the long time coach Miljan Miljanić
Miljan Miljanic
Miljan Miljanić is a retired Yugoslav football player, coach and administrator....
to Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. In the season 1974-75 Mihić led Red Star to the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals. During the competition, Red Star eliminated PAOK, Avenir Beggen
FC Avenir Beggen
Football Club Avenir Beggen is a football club, based in Beggen, a quarter of Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg.The club were founded in 1915 as FC Daring Beggen but changed their name to FC Avenir Beggen a year later...
and, most notably, Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, that was coached by Miljan Miljanić
Miljan Miljanic
Miljan Miljanić is a retired Yugoslav football player, coach and administrator....
, Mihić's predecessor at the Red Star bench. After a 2-0 loss in Madrid, Red Star won by the same result in the return leg, and the match was decided when goalkeeper Ognjen Petrović
Ognjen Petrovic
Ognjen "Olja" Petrović is a Serbian goalkeeper who played at Euro 76 for SFR Yugoslavia.-References:* *...
saved Santillana's kick in the penalty shootout. In the semi-finals, Red Star got eliminated by the Hungarian side Ferencváros, but the reported attendance of 110,000 spectators at the return match at the Red Star Stadium
Stadion Crvena Zvezda
The Red Star Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Red Star Belgrade. The stadium is all-seated and the capacity is 51,328. It was opened in 1963 after construction which had started three years...
remains the largest one at any game in the history of Serbian and Yugoslav football. The score of the first match was 2-1 for Ferencváros, and in the return leg the Hungarians scored from the last minute penalty kick, thus eliminating Red Star, 4-3 on aggregate. Although it was one of the biggest international successes in the club history that far, at the end of the season Red Star came third in the national championship, and that wasn't seen as good enough for Mihić to keep his job. After 11 years in the club, Mihić left Red Star.
After that, during his coaching career, Mihić has coached several Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
clubs, such as Borac Banja Luka, Osijek
NK Osijek
NK Osijek is a Croatian football club, from Osijek in eastern Croatia.- History :NK Osijek's early roots are found in club called NK Udarnik that was formed in 1945 under FPR Yugoslavia's new communist authorities on the ashes of dissolved HŠK Slavija...
, Napredak Kruševac
FK Napredak Kruševac
FK Napredak is a football club based in the city of Kruševac, Serbia. The club was founded on December 8, 1946, through a fusion of three local area clubs: Zakić, Badža and 14. Oktobar...
and Galenika
FK Zemun
FK Zemun is a football club located in Zemun, a municipality of Belgrade, in Serbia.- History :Immediately after the end of the Second World War the sports activities in Zemun are restored...
. Notably, he contributed to the first European cup appearance of Borac Banja Luka, when the club reached the second round of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated by the eventual competition winner, Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
. Anderlecht suffered their only defeat of the competition in the second leg 1-0 loss against Borac, but Anderlecht still went through 3-1 on aggregate.
Mihić was the coach of Israel national football team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
from 1986 to 1988. He has also coached Yugoslavia national under-21 football team
Yugoslavia national under-21 football team
The Yugoslavia national under-21 football team existed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the state's dissolution in 1992, the following teams were formed:*Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team...
for several years and was an assistant coach of Yugoslavia national football team
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
.
Personal life
Miljenko Mihić has spent his last years in Belgrade with his wife Roza, with whom he had a son, Dragan. He died in Belgrade after a long illness, December 17, 2009. He was buried December 23, 2009 at the Smrčenjaci cemetery in his hometown Mostar on his own wish.Mihić has published a book of his poetry entitled Mostar u srcu (Mostar in the Heart).