Zoran Filipovic
Encyclopedia
Zoran Filipović is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia) was a player of great success in the 1970s and 1980s 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...
and SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
. He is an active football coach.
Playing
Zoran Filipović made his name in Yugoslavia as a potent striker with 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...
, during more than ten seasons at the club (05.06.1969 to 29.06.1980). He played a total of 520 games for the club scoring 302 goals. He was the Yugoslav First League top scorer in 1976/77 season
Yugoslav First League 1976/77
1976-77 Yugoslav First League competition was the 49th top league season since 1923 in various incarnations of Yugoslavia...
with 21 goals. He also still holds the club record for most goals in European competitions - scoring 28 goals for Red Star in European Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup.
His first stop abroad was a season at Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
In the summer of 1981, 28-year-old Filipović joined the reigning Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
champions SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
where over the following three seasons he scored 28 goals in 54 league matches. Zoran Filipović also guided the club Benfica to the 1983 UEFA Cup Final
1983 UEFA Cup Final
The 1983 UEFA Cup Final was played on 4 May 1983 and 18 May 1983 between R.S.C. Anderlecht of Belgium and SL Benfica of Portugal. Anderlecht won 2–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:* *...
against Anderlecht, being the top scorer of that season's competition and scoring memorable goals for the Portuguese in the quarterfinal against AS Roma.
Filipović ended his career with Boavista FC
Boavista FC
Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista , is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903, it is one of the oldest clubs in the country, and currently plays in the third division...
(1984–1986) when he became the assistant coach at the same club.
On the International level, Zoran Filipović played 13 matches for the Yugoslav national 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...
scoring 2 goals. His debut for Yugoslavia was at the age of 17.
Coaching
Zoran Filipović began his coaching career with in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
as an assistant coach in Boavista FC
Boavista FC
Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista , is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903, it is one of the oldest clubs in the country, and currently plays in the third division...
.
He got his first head coaching job at S.C. Salgueiros in 1988 and stayed with the club for five seasons. He orchestrated the club's most notable moments in history by becoming Second League Champion and achieving UEFA Cup participation through best placement in club’s history immediately in the next season.
In 1993 he moved to S.C. Beira-Mar where he coached for a season.
In 1994 he returned to SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
for a two year spell where he was the assistant coach and interim head coach winning one Portuguese Cup and participating in the Champions League.
From mid 1990s Zoran Filipović was on the FR Yugoslavia national team coaching staff as an assistant to head coach Slobodan Santrač
Slobodan Santrac
Slobodan Santrač is a retired Serbian football player and currently manager of Chinese Super League side Shaanxi Renhe Commercial Chanba F.C.....
. He was part of Yugoslav coaching staff at the World Cup 1998, leaving the post together with Santrač right after the tournament.
After joining Boavista FC
Boavista FC
Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista , is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903, it is one of the oldest clubs in the country, and currently plays in the third division...
again this time as their head coach for a short spell in 1997, he worked as part of Sampdoria coaching staff as their head coach under the tutelage of Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov is a retired Serbian football player and coach.Boškov was born in the village of Begeč near Novi Sad, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia). He played with FK Vojvodina for most of his career...
during the second part of the 1998 season.
Zoran Filipović's next stop was Vitória S.C. in the Portuguese league.
However, Zoran Filipović re-joined the FR Yugoslavia national team in 1999 continuing his collaboration with Vujadin Boškov when he took over. Filipović was the assistant at the Euro 2000.
In 2001 Zoran Filipović returned to coach 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 Serbia until 2003 with which he won the Serbian Cup title and is remembered for launching young players such as Nemanja Vidić
Nemanja Vidic
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian footballer who captains English Premier League club Manchester United. He was part of the Serbia national football team from 2002 to 2011....
, Boško Janković
Boško Jankovic
Boško Janković is a Serbian football player currently a free agent playing for the Serbia national football team. He is at his best going forward and is equally at home playing in the centre or either wing...
, Aleksandar Luković
Aleksandar Lukovic
Aleksandar Luković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left back or centre back for Zenit St. Petersburg and the Serbian national team. He is known for his aggressive style of play.-Biography:...
amongst others.
In 2003 Zoran Filipović went to the United Arab Emirates when coaching Al-Shaab with which he was defeated in the Cup finals.
After the Emirates experience, he became the Technical Director of the Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro
Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro
The Football Association of Serbia and Montenegro was the governing body of football in Serbia and Montenegro, based in Belgrade. It organized the football league, the national team, the cup tournament as well as the Second Leagues of both republics....
A and u21 squads participating in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the u21 European Championship in Portugal in 2006.
On 1 February 2007 he was appointed the first coach of the newly created Montenegro national team
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
. His first game in charge was a friendly against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
on 24 March 2007 where the they won their debut match with 2-1. The record in the newly formed Montenegro national team
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
was more than positive for a team rated always as underdogs - of a total of 23 matches played, 8 victories were achieved, 8 draws and 7 defeats. The FA president Dejan Savićević
Dejan Savicevic
Dejan Savićević , is a Montenegrin former football player and is the president of the Montenegrin FA....
commented when Zoran Filipović's contract expired in January 2010 - "Filipović did an enormously good job. He formed a great group of players and worked with great enthusiasm." Zoran Filipović left the Balkan newcomers in an astonishing 73rd position in the FIFA ranking when he departed from this historical role.
Only two months after leaving the helm of Montenegro national team
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
he assumed a 3 month coaching job contract in Romanian Club FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ.
In July 2010 he was hired by South African club Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows are a South African football club based in Durban that participates in the Premier Soccer League.-History:Originally founded in 1943 in the dusty streets of Lamontville, a township in Durban, the club played in the defunct National Professional Soccer League in the 1970s until they...
from Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Languages and Studies
Zoran Filipović's native language is Montenegrin. However, he speaks just as well both English and Portuguese. He also uses Spanish and Italian. During his playing years and despite his popularity following him everywhere, this was never an impediment for him to attend high school and the Law University in Belgrade. He took his professional coaching degree in Portugal and conducted his specialization through the Scottish Football Association at the same course as Jose Mourinho.Honours And Awards
- AS A PLAYER:
Yugoslavia - Red Star Belgrade Top Goalscorer Yugoslav League (1976/77), 3x Yugoslav League Winner, 1x Yugoslav Cup Winner. Portugal - SL Benfica UEFA Cup Top Goalscorer (1982/83), 2x Portuguese Liga Winner, 1x Portuguese Cup Winner, 1x Portuguese Super
- AS A MANAGER:
SC Salgueiros Portuguese Second League Winner, SL Benfica Manager/Assistant-Manager: 1995/96 Portuguese Cup Winner , Red Star Belgrade Manager: 2001/02 Serbia and Montenegro Cup Winner
Trivia
- Zoran still has the goal record in European competitions for Red Star BelgradeRed Star BelgradeRed 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...
- 28 goals. - Filipovic is ranked the 3º Top goalscorer for Red StarRed Star BelgradeRed 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...
- 502 games/302 goals. - In Season 1982/1983 he contributed to Benfica's European good campaign - 12 games/8 goals (hattrick against AS Roma, and also the decisive goal against U.CraiovaFC Universitatea CraiovaFotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...
)