Preki
Encyclopedia
Predrag Radosavljević (commonly known by the nickname Preki) (born June 24, 1963 in Belgrade
) is a former American
international soccer player of Serbia
n extraction. He was most recently the head coach of Toronto FC
in Major League Soccer
, until September 14, 2010.
During his playing career he played for English clubs Everton
and Portsmouth
, and was an 'MLS original' upon the formation of Major League Soccer
in 1996, playing for the Kansas City Wizards
and Miami Fusion
. He is a two-time winner of the Major League Soccer MVP Award
, and represented the United States
at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 2010.
, Preki played briefly for Red Star Belgrade
in the old Yugoslav First League
after coming from FK Čukarički Stankom
where he played in their youth team. In the summer of 1985, the Tacoma Stars head coach Bob McNab
spotted Preki at an indoor tournament in Belgrade
. McNab signed Preki. He played five seasons for the Stars. During those years, he was a three-time First Team All Star, the 1988 and 1989 All Star Game MVP, led the league in assists in 1988 and scoring in 1989 and was the 1989 MISL MVP. During the summer of 1989, Preki began to consider becoming a U.S. citizen and returning to the outdoor game in order to make himself eligible for the U.S. national team
. He played one season for Råslätts SK
in Sweden
in 1990. The Stars released Preki in July 1990 as part of a salary reduction move. In August, he signed with the St. Louis Storm
. He played two seasons in St. Louis before being bought by Everton
manager Howard Kendall
for a fee of £100,000 in the summer of 1992 following a trial. He made 53 appearances for the Blues, 28 of those as a substitute. In June 1994, Preki signed with the San Jose Grizzlies
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
where he rejoined Bob McNab from his Tacoma days. He played eight games, scoring sixteen goals, before returning to England in August 1994 to play for Portsmouth
. On July 5, 1995, the Grizzlies purchased Preki's contract from Portsmouth. He was the CISL's second leading scorer and league MVP.
. The league allocated him to the Wiz on February 6, 1996. He played every season for the Wizards, except for one season with the Miami Fusion
in 2001. After the Fusion were contracted, the Wizards re-acquired Preki in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft
, but only after every other team in the league had passed on selecting him. Preki is the only player to have won the MLS MVP Award and the MLS Scoring Champion Award twice, winning in 1997 and 2003, and is also the current all-time league leader in points scored (270 on 79 goals and 112 assists, plus another 25 points on 10 goals and 5 assists in the playoffs). He won the 2000 MLS Cup
with the Wizards. Preki retired following the 2005 season, scoring a goal in the last minute of his final game with Kansas City. He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI
after the season, and was 42 years old when he played his final competitive game.
after acquiring U.S. citizenship in 1996. He made his debut for the U.S. on November 3, 1996 against Guatemala
. Preki played a total of 28 games for the U.S., scoring four goals, one of them to beat Brazil
at the 1998 Gold Cup
. Two of those games, including one against his native Yugoslavia (now Serbia
), came in the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. He made his last appearance for the national team in a 2-0 loss away to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying on September 5, 2001.
as the United States national team manager, Preki was promoted as head coach of Chivas USA for the 2007 Major League Soccer
season and was named MLS Coach of the Year in his first season.
Preki left Chivas "by mutual consent" on November 12, 2009, following Chivas' failure to progress to the latter stages of the MLS playoffs, in which they were defeated by Los Angeles Galaxy
. He became head coach of Toronto FC
on November 19, 2009. However, Preki didn't last the 2010 MLS season with Toronto, being fired along with General Manager Mo Johnston
on September 14, 2010. Under Preki, Toronto qualified for the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League after winning the 2010 Canadian Championship
.
Kansas City Wizards
Miami Fusion
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...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
international soccer player of 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...
n extraction. He was most recently the head coach of Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, until September 14, 2010.
During his playing career he played for English clubs Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, and was an 'MLS original' upon the formation of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in 1996, playing for the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
and Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
. He is a two-time winner of the Major League Soccer MVP Award
Major League Soccer MVP Award
The Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
, and represented the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
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...
. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
in 2010.
Professional
Ethnically SerbianSerbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Preki played briefly for 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...
in the old Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
after coming from FK Čukarički Stankom
FK Cukaricki Stankom
FK Čukarički Stankom is a Serbian football club from Belgrade that plays in the Serbian SuperLiga.- History :...
where he played in their youth team. In the summer of 1985, the Tacoma Stars head coach Bob McNab
Bob McNab
Robert "Bob" McNab is an English former footballer.McNab started out at his local club, Huddersfield Town, playing nearly seventy times in three seasons...
spotted Preki at an indoor tournament 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...
. McNab signed Preki. He played five seasons for the Stars. During those years, he was a three-time First Team All Star, the 1988 and 1989 All Star Game MVP, led the league in assists in 1988 and scoring in 1989 and was the 1989 MISL MVP. During the summer of 1989, Preki began to consider becoming a U.S. citizen and returning to the outdoor game in order to make himself eligible for the U.S. national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He played one season for Råslätts SK
Råslätts SK
Råslätts SK is a Swedish football club located in Jönköping. -Background:Råslätts Sportklubb is a sports club from the residential area of Råslätt in south Jönköping. The club was founded on the 31st January 1970 and specialises in football although in their years they also had an ice-hockey section...
in Sweden
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....
in 1990. The Stars released Preki in July 1990 as part of a salary reduction move. In August, he signed with the St. Louis Storm
St. Louis Storm
The St. Louis Storm were a soccer team based out of St. Louis that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1989 to 1992. Their home arena was St...
. He played two seasons in St. Louis before being bought by Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
manager Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
for a fee of £100,000 in the summer of 1992 following a trial. He made 53 appearances for the Blues, 28 of those as a substitute. In June 1994, Preki signed with the San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies were a professional indoor soccer team based in San Jose, California. The team was founded on November 24, 1993 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After playing in the 1994 and 1995 CISL seasons, the Grizzlies folded following the 1995 season. The team played...
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
where he rejoined Bob McNab from his Tacoma days. He played eight games, scoring sixteen goals, before returning to England in August 1994 to play for Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. On July 5, 1995, the Grizzlies purchased Preki's contract from Portsmouth. He was the CISL's second leading scorer and league MVP.
Major League Soccer
Preki resumed outdoor play beginning with MLS's inaugural season in 1996 when he joined the Kansas City WizardsKansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. The league allocated him to the Wiz on February 6, 1996. He played every season for the Wizards, except for one season with the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
in 2001. After the Fusion were contracted, the Wizards re-acquired Preki in the 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft
2002 MLS Dispersal Draft
The 2002 MLS Dispersal Draft was held by Major League Soccer on January 11, 2002, following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny to distribute the two teams' players that were not selected in the 2002 MLS Allocation Draft.-Round 1:...
, but only after every other team in the league had passed on selecting him. Preki is the only player to have won the MLS MVP Award and the MLS Scoring Champion Award twice, winning in 1997 and 2003, and is also the current all-time league leader in points scored (270 on 79 goals and 112 assists, plus another 25 points on 10 goals and 5 assists in the playoffs). He won the 2000 MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
with the Wizards. Preki retired following the 2005 season, scoring a goal in the last minute of his final game with Kansas City. He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI
MLS All-Time Best XI
In 2005, as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, Major League Soccer, the United States' top soccer league, named its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best eleven players in the history of the league...
after the season, and was 42 years old when he played his final competitive game.
International
Though originally from Yugoslavia, Preki played for the American national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
after acquiring U.S. citizenship in 1996. He made his debut for the U.S. on November 3, 1996 against Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. Preki played a total of 28 games for the U.S., scoring four goals, one of them to beat Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
at the 1998 Gold Cup
1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
. Two of those games, including one against his native Yugoslavia (now Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
), came in 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...
. He made his last appearance for the national team in a 2-0 loss away to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying on September 5, 2001.
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Preki became an assistant coach with Chivas USA, and upon the appointment of Bob BradleyBob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
as the United States national team manager, Preki was promoted as head coach of Chivas USA for the 2007 Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
season and was named MLS Coach of the Year in his first season.
Preki left Chivas "by mutual consent" on November 12, 2009, following Chivas' failure to progress to the latter stages of the MLS playoffs, in which they were defeated by Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. He became head coach of Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on November 19, 2009. However, Preki didn't last the 2010 MLS season with Toronto, being fired along with General Manager Mo Johnston
Mo Johnston
Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...
on September 14, 2010. Under Preki, Toronto qualified for the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League after winning the 2010 Canadian Championship
2010 Canadian Championship
The 2010 Canadian Championship was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in 2010...
.
Player
Red Star BelgradeRed 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...
- Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
: 1983-1984 - 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...
: 1984-1985
Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
: 2000 - MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
: 2000Major League Soccer 2000 season-Final standings:*Top eight teams with the highest points clinch play-off berth, regardless of conference.s = Supporters Shieldx = Clinched Playoff berth.- Overall :Source:... - U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
: 20042004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Eight PDL and eight USASA teams start.-----Second round:Six PSL and two A-League teams enter....
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
- MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
: 2001Major League Soccer 2001 seasonThis is a summary of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The MLS season was shortened due to 9/11 attacks, with the final weeks' regular season's matches canceled.-Final standings:...
Individual
- MISL MVP: 1989
- Major League Soccer MVPMajor League Soccer MVP AwardThe Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
: 1997, 2003 - Major League Soccer Coach of the YearMLS Coach of the Year AwardThe MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
: 2007 - National Soccer Hall of FameNational Soccer Hall of FameThe National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
: 2010
External links
- Preki profile at United States National Soccer Players
- MISL stats
- Preki at National-Football-Teams.com