Miroslav Blaževic
Encyclopedia
Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević (born 10 February 1935) is a Bosnian Croat football manager. He is the current head coach of Mes Kerman in Iran Pro League.
His most successful period was with Croatia national football team
, which he led to quarter-finals in the 1996 European championship and with whom he won third place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
.
Parallel to his coaching, Blažević also maintains an off-and-on political career in Croatia where he is known as trener svih trenera (the coach of all coaches).
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
. His career as a player was, by his own admission, average; therefore, he began his coaching career at a relatively early age. He started as a coach where he ended his playing days—in Switzerland
. He first led FC Vevey
(1968–71) then his former team FC Sion
(1971–76), FC Lausanne-Sport (1976–79) and finally Switzerland's national team
(as interim
coach for two games in 1976).
in 1979 to coach NK Rijeka
. After winning solid 10th place with Rijeka in a strong Yugoslav Football Championship
in 1978–79, Blažević went to NK Dinamo Zagreb
, one of Yugoslavia's big four (the other three were Crvena Zvezda
, Partizan Belgrade
and Hajduk Split) in 1980. After a mediocre first season, where Dinamo finished in 5th place, Ćiro became an instant club legend in 1982, winning the Yugoslav league title for the Zagreb outfit following a 24-year drought.
Next year, Dinamo won the Yugoslav Cup
and led a long battle with Partizan and Hajduk in the league. Partizan became 1983 champions and Blažević left Dinamo for the first time. He claimed that he had to escape because he was about to be arrested as one of the leading Croatian nationalists; while Ćiro was by no means popular with the authorities, many see this as pure self-propaganda.
However, Ćiro went back to Switzerland, winning the Swiss Championship with Grasshopper-Club Zurich
in 1984. After that he briefly coached Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki in 1985. In 1986, Ćiro was once again in Yugoslavia, this time as manager of Kosovo
's Pristina FC
. Under Ćiro's command Pristina achieved First Division
status.
In the same year he became Dinamo Zagreb's coach for second time; during this period he failed to accomplish any significant results and therefore left again in 1988. His next team was FC Nantes of France
; Ćiro was there until 1990.
gaining independence, Ćiro joined the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and became President Tuđman's admirer and close friend. For the third time he became Dinamo (then named NK Croatia Zagreb) coach and president at the same time. Ćiro won the 1993 Croatian Championship and 1994 Croatian Cup, but then left his favorite club once more, citing his reasons for doing so as needing to focus on managing the Croatian national team
.
Ćiro was national team manager from 1994 on a part-time basis, but only a year later it became a full-time job as Croatia faced its first qualifying ciclus for the European Championship. Croatia won the first place in qualifying group, sensationally ahead of Italy
and directly entered Euro 96
in England
. Blažević was about to gain some worldwide fame.
Croatia passed group stage with wins against Turkey
and current European champions Denmark
and loss to Portugal
, to face Germany
in quarter-finals. Germany won 2–1 and went on to win the event, but Ćiro and Croatians claimed that the Swedish
referee Leif Sundell
was somewhat biased towards the Germans.
However, greatest things lay ahead, as Croatia was trying to qualify to the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
. They won second place in the qualifying group behind Denmark and ousted Ukraine
in a play-off for the tournament.
, Davor Šuker
and Slaven Bilić
, and they were well led by Blažević. In France they created one of the greatest all-time World Cup sensations by winning the third place play-off. In the group stage, Croatia eliminated Japan
and Jamaica
, suffering a non-significant loss to Argentina
in the final game. In the knockout stages they passed by Romania
, winning 1–0 from a penalty kick. This prepared them for a quarter-final against Germany. Ćiro and the Croatians got their revenge with a shocking 3–0 win that stunned the world. However, Croatia were stopped by the hosts France
in semis; a somewhat undeserved 2–1 defeat to the eventual champions. It should be noted that Blažević made a critical coaching decision in that semi-final as he failed to insert his most talented player Robert Prosinečki
when the game was in the balance at 1–1. Instead he opted for Silvio Marić
to replace the injured Boban after halftime and Croatia eventually lost the game 2–1. In the third-place match, Prosinečki started and immediately made his presence felt by scoring the first goal and delivering a wonderful defence splitting pass which resulted in Croatia's second goal. Croatia won against Holland
2–1 to claim the bronze. Just like in 1982, Ćiro was again the national hero and number one.
The rest of his stint as Croatian manager was not so successful. Croatia failed to qualify for Euro 2000
, after finishing a disappointing third in a qualifying group behind FR Yugoslavia and Ireland
. Ćiro retained his position and began to build a new team, filled with younger players for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. However, after Croatia opened the qualifiers with two draws, he was forced to resign in autumn 2000.
midway through the 2002 World Cup qualification
process. Coming in ahead of the final qualifying round, he quickly developed a following among many of the Iranian fans. Ćiro kept the 3–5–2 formation that Iran had played with previously in the 96 Asian Cup, in which Iranian national team
had won third place. He also introduced new players to Team Melli such as Rahman Rezaei
, Javad Nekounam
, and Ebrahim Mirzapour
. Known as loudmouth and showman, Blažević stayed true to form by claiming he would hang himself from the goalposts if Iran failed to beat Ireland
in the deciding qualification playoff for the 2002 World Cup
. Ireland won 2–1 on aggregate, the defeat that marked the end of Blažević's time in Iran as his assistant Branko Ivanković
took over.
Ćiro then came back in Croatia, first saving NK Osijek
from relegation and then again in Dinamo. In his fourth term as Dinamo coach, Blažević won the Croatian Championship in 2003, but left again same year after clashing with his long-time friend, Dinamo's vice president Zdravko Mamić
.
Ćiro then led Slovenian NK Mura
for few months before becoming the coach of Croatian side NK Varteks, a post he held until the end of the season.
Those expectations weren't met; Hajduk under Ćiro's leadership immediately got eliminated from European competitions, following an 8–0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Hungarian
side Debreceni VSC
; the 5–0 second leg drubbing being the most humiliating result for the Split club at Poljud stadium. The opening stages of the new league campaign brought about another series of humiliations, finally forcing Ćiro to resign on September 18, followed by Igor Štimac
, former Hajduk player and one of his main supporters in club administration.
, replacing Alain Geiger
in an attempt to save the club from relegation after they had won just one out of their first 10 games of the season. Although Ćiro achieved some memorable victories with Neuchâtel against Swiss powerhouses FC Basel
and FC Zurich, they finished the season in 9th place (in a 10-club league) and went to relegation playoff. They were eventually relegated after losing to another Swiss team Ćiro had managed 35 years earlier, FC Sion
, 3–0 on aggregate, and his tenure there ended in June 2006.
Once again, he returned to Croatia, this time to take over NK Zagreb
. The club experienced a successful 2006–07
season which saw them finish third behind Dinamo and Hajduk and earned them a spot in Intertoto Cup 2007. However, in the following season
the team made for an early exit, losing against their first Intertoto opponent Vllaznia
on away goals
. After Ivica Vrdoljak
and Mario Mandžukić
were transferred to city rivals Dinamo Zagreb
at the beginning of the season, the team saw a string of mediocre results before finishing the season sixth. Immediately after the last game of the season, Ćiro announced that his stint at NK Zagreb had come to an end by mutual consent between him and the club's chairman.
replacing Meho Kodro
who was dismissed two months earlier by the Bosnian FA
officials after refusing to take charge of the national team for a friendly against Iran
. Since Kodro's dismissal was seen by many fans as the latest in a series of problematic decisions by the much-maligned FA leaderhip, Blažević was thus, by proxy, not welcomed with open arms by certain sections of the public upon his arrival. With the national team in complete disarray and many players refusing to even answer callups by interim head coach Denijal Pirić, the appointment of Blažević was seen by many fans as FA's desperate makeshift solution designed to appease the public in the wake of the ongoing two-month fiasco by bringing in a fairly established name. However, combining his carefully crafted showman public persona with some decent initial results on the pitch, Blažević quickly managed to charm most of the public into getting behind him. By his own admission, Blažević was already close to getting the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team job years earlier in 2002, but ended up not getting hired due to then influential FA member Jusuf Pušina who considered Blažević unsuitable for the job because of the coach's association with the Croatian wartime president Franjo Tuđman and his party.
Staying true to all the staples of his coaching style from his previous places of employment, 74-year-old Blažević quickly became the media favourite in Sarajevo. Always ready for a sound bite, he gave bombastic interviews, cheekily delivering bold statements and sweeping promises.
Bosnia under Blažević has qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
qualifier playoffs, playing a game against Portugal.
In Lisbon, Portugal, Bosnia lost 1–0, with a goal scored by Bruno Alves
. In Zenica, Bosnia lost 1–0 against Portugal, with a goal scored by Raul Meireles. He was appointed as manager to the Bosnia-Herzegovina team
on 10 July 2008 and announced on 11 December 2009 his demission. His dismissal was preceded by criticism from Bosnian fans and journalists following Blažević's attack on fan-favorite Zvjezdan Misimović
, blaming him for the defeat against Portugal.
signed one day later on 12 December 2009 for Shanghai Shenhua
.
in 30 November 2010. He was resigned from his position in June 2011 after failed to qualified to the 2012 Summer Olympics
.
who had resigned two days earlier. On 31 August 2011, he returned to Iran
after ten years and signed a one year contract with Mes. On 9 September 2011, his side plays a match against Damash Gilan
with a 1-1 draw.
HDZ leader Ivo Sanader
. Because of this, Ćiro left the party in 2000 shortly after Tuđman's death, and then decided to run for President of Croatia
as an independent candidate. Polls predicting the 2005 presidential election results usually gave him 1–2% of the vote. In the end he got 17,847 votes (0.80%) and was eliminated in the first round of the election.
Following the presidential elections debacle he quit politics, until appearing once again four years later at the 2009 Zagreb local elections
where he successfully ran as HDZ candidate for the city council. He claimed that prime minister Ivo Sanader
had talked him into re-joining the party and running for office. He is currently the oldest serving member of the Zagreb city council and is a member of the city board for naming streets and squares.
His most successful period was with Croatia national football team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, which he led to quarter-finals in the 1996 European championship and with whom he won third place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
Parallel to his coaching, Blažević also maintains an off-and-on political career in Croatia where he is known as trener svih trenera (the coach of all coaches).
Early career
Blažević was born to a Bosnian Croat family in TravnikTravnik
Travnik is a city and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, 90 km west of Sarajevo. It is the capital of the Central Bosnia Canton, and is located in the Travnik Municipality. Travnik today has some 27,000 residents, with a metro population that is probably close to 70,000 people...
, 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...
. His career as a player was, by his own admission, average; therefore, he began his coaching career at a relatively early age. He started as a coach where he ended his playing days—in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He first led FC Vevey
Vevey
Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District...
(1968–71) then his former team FC Sion
FC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
(1971–76), FC Lausanne-Sport (1976–79) and finally Switzerland's national team
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
(as interim
Interim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
coach for two games in 1976).
Success with Dinamo
Blažević returned to the former YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
in 1979 to coach NK Rijeka
NK Rijeka
HNK Rijeka is a Croatian football club, from Rijeka on the Croatian coast.-History:The club was founded as NK Kvarner in 1946, after Rijeka passed from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. During its early period in Yugoslavia, the club had moderate success in various Yugoslav...
. After winning solid 10th place with Rijeka in a strong Yugoslav Football Championship
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
in 1978–79, Blažević went to NK Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
, one of Yugoslavia's big four (the other three were Crvena Zvezda
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...
, Partizan Belgrade
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
and Hajduk Split) in 1980. After a mediocre first season, where Dinamo finished in 5th place, Ćiro became an instant club legend in 1982, winning the Yugoslav league title for the Zagreb outfit following a 24-year drought.
Next year, Dinamo won the Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
and led a long battle with Partizan and Hajduk in the league. Partizan became 1983 champions and Blažević left Dinamo for the first time. He claimed that he had to escape because he was about to be arrested as one of the leading Croatian nationalists; while Ćiro was by no means popular with the authorities, many see this as pure self-propaganda.
However, Ćiro went back to Switzerland, winning the Swiss Championship with Grasshopper-Club Zurich
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
in 1984. After that he briefly coached Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki in 1985. In 1986, Ćiro was once again in Yugoslavia, this time as manager of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
's Pristina FC
KF Prishtina
Football Club Prishtina is a football club based in Prishtina, Kosovo. The club was founded in 1922 and currently plays in the Raiffeisen Football Superleague of Kosovo.- History :...
. Under Ćiro's command Pristina achieved First Division
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
status.
In the same year he became Dinamo Zagreb's coach for second time; during this period he failed to accomplish any significant results and therefore left again in 1988. His next team was FC Nantes of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; Ćiro was there until 1990.
Croatia tenure
In the 1990s, with CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
gaining independence, Ćiro joined the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) and became President Tuđman's admirer and close friend. For the third time he became Dinamo (then named NK Croatia Zagreb) coach and president at the same time. Ćiro won the 1993 Croatian Championship and 1994 Croatian Cup, but then left his favorite club once more, citing his reasons for doing so as needing to focus on managing the Croatian national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
.
Ćiro was national team manager from 1994 on a part-time basis, but only a year later it became a full-time job as Croatia faced its first qualifying ciclus for the European Championship. Croatia won the first place in qualifying group, sensationally ahead of Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and directly entered Euro 96
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Blažević was about to gain some worldwide fame.
Croatia passed group stage with wins against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
and current European champions Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and loss to Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, to face Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in quarter-finals. Germany won 2–1 and went on to win the event, but Ćiro and Croatians claimed that the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
referee Leif Sundell
Leif Sundell
Leif Sundell is a retired Swedish association football referee. Sundell refereed a total of 262 Allsvenskan games, the Swedish top tier in football, in 22 years. He also refereed 100 international games during his career; two of those were matches played during the 1996 UEFA European Football...
was somewhat biased towards the Germans.
However, greatest things lay ahead, as Croatia was trying to qualify to the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They won second place in the qualifying group behind Denmark and ousted Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
in a play-off for the tournament.
1998 World Cup
The Croatian squad of 1998 was full of accomplished players who played for top European clubs, including the likes of Zvonimir BobanZvonimir Boban
Zvonimir Boban is a Croatian former football midfielder who played most of his professional career for Serie A club Milan, with whom he won four Serie A titles and the Champions League. He was a member of the Croatia national team which attained third place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, with Boban...
, Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
and Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilić is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatia national team. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany and England...
, and they were well led by Blažević. In France they created one of the greatest all-time World Cup sensations by winning the third place play-off. In the group stage, Croatia eliminated Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
and Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
, suffering a non-significant loss to Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in the final game. In the knockout stages they passed by Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, winning 1–0 from a penalty kick. This prepared them for a quarter-final against Germany. Ćiro and the Croatians got their revenge with a shocking 3–0 win that stunned the world. However, Croatia were stopped by the hosts France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in semis; a somewhat undeserved 2–1 defeat to the eventual champions. It should be noted that Blažević made a critical coaching decision in that semi-final as he failed to insert his most talented player Robert Prosinečki
Robert Prosinecki
Robert Prosinečki is a Croatian football manager and former football midfielder. Prosinečki is regarded by many as the player with best technique that ever played in and for Croatia. Former national squad teammate Zvonimir Boban, humbly, also agreed with this. His dribbling is considered...
when the game was in the balance at 1–1. Instead he opted for Silvio Marić
Silvio Marić
Silvio Marić is a retired Croatian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.- Club career :Born in Zagreb, Marić began his professional career at Dinamo Zagreb in 1992. In the autumn of 1998, he appeared for Dinamo Zagreb in all of their six group matches in the UEFA Champions League and...
to replace the injured Boban after halftime and Croatia eventually lost the game 2–1. In the third-place match, Prosinečki started and immediately made his presence felt by scoring the first goal and delivering a wonderful defence splitting pass which resulted in Croatia's second goal. Croatia won against Holland
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
2–1 to claim the bronze. Just like in 1982, Ćiro was again the national hero and number one.
The rest of his stint as Croatian manager was not so successful. Croatia failed to qualify for Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
, after finishing a disappointing third in a qualifying group behind FR Yugoslavia and Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. Ćiro retained his position and began to build a new team, filled with younger players for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. However, after Croatia opened the qualifiers with two draws, he was forced to resign in autumn 2000.
Iran tenure and return to Croatia
Well known throughout the football world for his 1998 World Cup sensation, Ćiro accepted an offer to lead the Iranian national teamIran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
midway through the 2002 World Cup qualification
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....
process. Coming in ahead of the final qualifying round, he quickly developed a following among many of the Iranian fans. Ćiro kept the 3–5–2 formation that Iran had played with previously in the 96 Asian Cup, in which Iranian national team
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
had won third place. He also introduced new players to Team Melli such as Rahman Rezaei
Rahman Rezaei
Rahman Rezaei is an Iranian football player who currently plays for Paykan in the Iran Pro League. He is also a former member of the Iran national football team and usually plays in the centre back position.-Club career:...
, Javad Nekounam
Javad Nekounam
Javad Nekounam is an Iranian footballer who plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga.Usually playing as a central midfielder, he is known for his passing ability, defensive acumen, ball distribution and powerful long-range shots. He represented his national team over 120 times.-Early years / UAE:Having...
, and Ebrahim Mirzapour
Ebrahim Mirzapour
Ebrahim Mirzapour is an Iranian football goalkeeper, currently playing for Shahrdari Tabriz in the IPL.-Club career:He started his professional IPL career, playing for Foolad F.C., and was a member of the team until August 2006. He also made it to the national team while playing for Foolad,...
. Known as loudmouth and showman, Blažević stayed true to form by claiming he would hang himself from the goalposts if Iran failed to beat Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
in the deciding qualification playoff for the 2002 World Cup
2002 World Cup
2002 World Cup may refer to:*Alpine skiing – 2002 Alpine Skiing World Cup*Athletics – 2002 IAAF World Cup*Field Hockey:** 2002 Men's World Hockey Cup** 2002 Women's World Hockey Cup...
. Ireland won 2–1 on aggregate, the defeat that marked the end of Blažević's time in Iran as his assistant Branko Ivanković
Branko Ivankovic
Branko Ivanković is a Croatian football coach and former player. After a 12-year playing career at Varteks Varaždin, Ivanković started his coaching career at the same club in 1991. He led the Iranian national football team at the 2006 World Cup...
took over.
Ćiro then came back in Croatia, first saving NK 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...
from relegation and then again in Dinamo. In his fourth term as Dinamo coach, Blažević won the Croatian Championship in 2003, but left again same year after clashing with his long-time friend, Dinamo's vice president Zdravko Mamić
Zdravko Mamic
Zdravko Mamić is a Croatian football administrator and football manager. Since 2003 he is the executive manager of Dinamo Zagreb, the most successful football club in Croatia....
.
Ćiro then led Slovenian NK Mura
NK Mura
Nogometni Klub Mura was a Slovenian association football club based in Murska Sobota. The club was founded on 16 August 1924 as one of the first clubs in the Prekmurje region. Through its history Mura was widely considered one of the giants of Slovenian football and had one of the biggest fan bases...
for few months before becoming the coach of Croatian side NK Varteks, a post he held until the end of the season.
Short stint at Hajduk
Ćiro controversially announced that he was going to coach Hajduk Split in 2005–06, having expressed his desire to coach the southern Croatian side for decades; many fans were sceptical due to his association with Hajduk's arch-rival Dinamo. Not surprisingly, his arrival caused a great deal of controversy; Hajduk fans had differing opinions, with a significant number seeing Ćiro as a miracle worker that would help Hajduk regain its former glory.Those expectations weren't met; Hajduk under Ćiro's leadership immediately got eliminated from European competitions, following an 8–0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
side Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC or just Debrecen or DVSC is a football club from the city of Debrecen in Hungary. They are best known for reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League 2009–10 season. Debreceni VSC has been the most successful Hungarian club since 2000. The club has won the Hungarian...
; the 5–0 second leg drubbing being the most humiliating result for the Split club at Poljud stadium. The opening stages of the new league campaign brought about another series of humiliations, finally forcing Ćiro to resign on September 18, followed by Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac is a retired Croatian football player. He is now a football agent and a manager...
, former Hajduk player and one of his main supporters in club administration.
Neuchâtel and NK Zagreb
In October 2005 he went back to Switzerland and coached Neuchâtel XamaxNeuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
, replacing Alain Geiger
Alain Geiger
Alain Geiger is a retired Swiss international football defender and current manager. He is currently the head coach manager of Al-Masry in the Egyptian Premier League....
in an attempt to save the club from relegation after they had won just one out of their first 10 games of the season. Although Ćiro achieved some memorable victories with Neuchâtel against Swiss powerhouses FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
and FC Zurich, they finished the season in 9th place (in a 10-club league) and went to relegation playoff. They were eventually relegated after losing to another Swiss team Ćiro had managed 35 years earlier, FC Sion
FC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
, 3–0 on aggregate, and his tenure there ended in June 2006.
Once again, he returned to Croatia, this time to take over NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
. The club experienced a successful 2006–07
Prva HNL 2006-07
The 2006-07 Prva HNL season , the 16th since its establishment, started on July 29, 2006 and finished on May 19, 2007...
season which saw them finish third behind Dinamo and Hajduk and earned them a spot in Intertoto Cup 2007. However, in the following season
Prva HNL 2007-08
The 2007-08 Prva HNL season was the seventeenth since its establishment, and started on 20 July 2007...
the team made for an early exit, losing against their first Intertoto opponent Vllaznia
KS Vllaznia Shkodër
Klub Futboll Vllaznia Shkodër is an Albanian football club based in Shkodër. KF Vllaznia have been Albanian champions nine times and won the National Cup six times, the last success coming at the end of the 2007–08 season, after a long 21 year drought in the competition...
on away goals
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
. After Ivica Vrdoljak
Ivica Vrdoljak
Ivica Vrdoljak is a Croatian professional footballer, currently playing for Legia Warsaw.-Club career:Vrdoljak started playing football at his home—club; Serbian top league club FK Vojvodina, where he played for the youth teams until 1999, when he moved to Zagreb, Croatia, and settled in the youth...
and Mario Mandžukić
Mario Mandžukic
Mario Mandžukić is a Croatian professional footballer playing for VfL Wolfsburg and Croatian national team.-Club career:Mandžukić was born in Slavonski Brod, at the time in SFR Yugoslavia....
were transferred to city rivals Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
at the beginning of the season, the team saw a string of mediocre results before finishing the season sixth. Immediately after the last game of the season, Ćiro announced that his stint at NK Zagreb had come to an end by mutual consent between him and the club's chairman.
Coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina
On July 10, 2008 Ćiro was appointed head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina national football teamBosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
replacing Meho Kodro
Meho Kodro
Mehmed "Meho" Kodro Sejtanić , known as Kodro, is a retired Bosnian footballer who played as a striker, and a current manager....
who was dismissed two months earlier by the Bosnian FA
Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |football]] in Bosnia and Herzegovina based in Sarajevo.It operates the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team, Bosnia and Herzegovina...
officials after refusing to take charge of the national team for a friendly against Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
. Since Kodro's dismissal was seen by many fans as the latest in a series of problematic decisions by the much-maligned FA leaderhip, Blažević was thus, by proxy, not welcomed with open arms by certain sections of the public upon his arrival. With the national team in complete disarray and many players refusing to even answer callups by interim head coach Denijal Pirić, the appointment of Blažević was seen by many fans as FA's desperate makeshift solution designed to appease the public in the wake of the ongoing two-month fiasco by bringing in a fairly established name. However, combining his carefully crafted showman public persona with some decent initial results on the pitch, Blažević quickly managed to charm most of the public into getting behind him. By his own admission, Blažević was already close to getting the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team job years earlier in 2002, but ended up not getting hired due to then influential FA member Jusuf Pušina who considered Blažević unsuitable for the job because of the coach's association with the Croatian wartime president Franjo Tuđman and his party.
Staying true to all the staples of his coaching style from his previous places of employment, 74-year-old Blažević quickly became the media favourite in Sarajevo. Always ready for a sound bite, he gave bombastic interviews, cheekily delivering bold statements and sweeping promises.
Bosnia under Blažević has qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifier playoffs, playing a game against Portugal.
In Lisbon, Portugal, Bosnia lost 1–0, with a goal scored by Bruno Alves
Bruno Alves
Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia and the Portuguese national team, as a central defender....
. In Zenica, Bosnia lost 1–0 against Portugal, with a goal scored by Raul Meireles. He was appointed as manager to the Bosnia-Herzegovina team
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
on 10 July 2008 and announced on 11 December 2009 his demission. His dismissal was preceded by criticism from Bosnian fans and journalists following Blažević's attack on fan-favorite Zvjezdan Misimović
Zvjezdan Misimovic
Zvjezdan Misimović is a German-born Bosnian footballer who plays for FC Dynamo Moscow...
, blaming him for the defeat against Portugal.
Shanghai Shenhua
After his recession as head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football teamBosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
signed one day later on 12 December 2009 for Shanghai Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua is a professional Chinese football club currently playing in Chinese Super League. The club is currently owned by Zhu Jun , Shanghai SVA Group, SMEG and Huangpu Investment Ltd. . The current head coach is Dražen Besek...
.
China Olympic
He was appointed manager of the Chinese Olympic teamChina national under-23 football team
The China national under-23 football team, also known as the China Olympic team , represents the People's Republic of China in international football competitions in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, as well as any other under-23 international football tournaments...
in 30 November 2010. He was resigned from his position in June 2011 after failed to qualified to the 2012 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in London and several other cities in the United Kingdom, from 25 July to 11 August. The finals will be played at Wembley Stadium. Associations affiliated with FIFA are invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23...
.
Mes Kerman
On 28 August 2011, Iran Pro League side Mes Kerman announced that they will sign a contract with Blažević to replace Samad MarfaviSamad Marfavi
Abdolsamad Marfavi is an Iranian football coach, manager, and former player.-Club career:He played his whole player career for IPL giants Esteghlal.-International career:...
who had resigned two days earlier. On 31 August 2011, he returned to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
after ten years and signed a one year contract with Mes. On 9 September 2011, his side plays a match against Damash Gilan
Damash Gilan F.C.
Sports Club Damash Gilan is an Iranian football club based in Rasht, Gilan. They compete in the Iran Pro League. Damash Football Club is owend by mineral water company Damash Iranian....
with a 1-1 draw.
National teams record
| Team | Tenure* | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Points per game | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland Switzerland national football team The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland... |
Sep 1976 – Oct 1976 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Croatia Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
Mar 1994 – Oct 2000 | 73 | 36 | 22 | 15 | 49.31 | 1.78 | 1996 Euro – Quarter-final 1998 World Cup 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... – Third place |
| Iran Iran national football team The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran... |
Apr 2001 – Nov 2001 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 53 | 1.78 | |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina... |
Aug 2008 – Dec 2009 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 71.43 | 2.14 | |
| Totals | 106 | 53 | 27 | 26 | 50 | 1.75 | ||
- *Dates of first and last games under Blažević; not dates of official appointments
- Last updated: Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina national football teamThe Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
2:1 Belgium , 1 April 2009.
Club
- Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
: 1- 1981–82
- Yugoslav CupYugoslav CupThe Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
: 1- 1983
- Croatian First League: 2
- 1992–93Prva HNL 1992-93The Prva HNL 1992–93 season was the second season of the top football league in Croatia snce its establishment after Croatia fained independence from Yugoslavia. Games were played from 23 August 1992 to 12 June 1993....
, 2002–03Prva HNL 2002-03-Teams:The league format was changed from the previous 2001–02 season and the number of teams were reduced from sixteen to twelve for the 2002–03 Prva HNL. Because of this, the four bottom-placed teams were automatically relegated to Druga HNL at the end of the season, while the 11th placed Šibenik...
- 1992–93
- Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
: 1- 1994
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 1- 1983–84Swiss Super League 1983-84-League standings:-Spareggio scudetto:-References:...
- 1983–84
- Swiss Cup: 1
- 1974
International
- 1996 Euro: Quarter-finals
- 1998 World Cup1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
: Third place
Political engagement
Ćiro is an admirer of Franjo Tuđman with whom he maintained a friendship as well. Ćiro was even a member of late Croatian president Tuđman's party HDZ, but he publicly disagreed with his successor, the pro-EuropeanEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
HDZ leader Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...
. Because of this, Ćiro left the party in 2000 shortly after Tuđman's death, and then decided to run for President of Croatia
President of Croatia
The President of Croatia , officially styled the President of the Republic represents the Republic of Croatia in the country and abroad as the head of state, maintains the regular and coordinated operation and stability of the national government system, and safeguards the independence and...
as an independent candidate. Polls predicting the 2005 presidential election results usually gave him 1–2% of the vote. In the end he got 17,847 votes (0.80%) and was eliminated in the first round of the election.
Following the presidential elections debacle he quit politics, until appearing once again four years later at the 2009 Zagreb local elections
Zagreb local elections, 2009
On May 17, 2009, local elections were held in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.The incumbent mayor was Milan Bandić , a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia , also the leading party in the previous city council....
where he successfully ran as HDZ candidate for the city council. He claimed that prime minister Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader |Split]]) is a Croatian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009.Sanader obtained his education in comparative literature in Austria, where he also later worked in the 1980s. He worked as a journalist, in marketing, publishing and also as a private...
had talked him into re-joining the party and running for office. He is currently the oldest serving member of the Zagreb city council and is a member of the city board for naming streets and squares.