Blaž Slišković

Blaž "Baka" Slišković (pronounced [blâːʒ slîʃkoʋitɕ];[1] born 30 May 1959) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers.[2]

Blaž Slišković
Slišković as Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach during UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
Personal information
Date of birth (1959-05-30) 30 May 1959
Place of birth Mostar, FPR Yugoslavia
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1981 Velež Mostar 123 (25)
1981–1986 Hajduk Split 101 (21)
1986–1987 Marseille 29 (6)
1987–1989 Pescara 23 (8)
1989–1990 Lens 15 (1)
1990–1991 Mulhouse 27 (8)
1991–1992 Rennes 22 (0)
1992–1993 Pescara 18 (2)
1993–1995 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 5 (0)
1996–1997 Zrinjski Mostar
Total 363 (71)
International career
1978–1986 Yugoslavia 26 (3)
1993 Bosnia and Herzegovina XI 3 (0)
Managerial career
1997–1998 Hrvatski Dragovoljac
1998–1999 Zrinjski Mostar
1999–2000 Brotnjo
2002–2006 Bosnia and Herzegovina
2004–2005 Hajduk Split
2005–2007 Zrinjski Mostar
2008 Tirana
2010 Unirea Alba Iulia
2011 Široki Brijeg
2011 Al-Ansar
2012 Qingdao Jonoon
2015 Široki Brijeg
2017–2018 Zrinjski Mostar
2018–2019 Zrinjski Mostar
2019–2020 Kitchee
2021 Željezničar
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Yugoslavia
UEFA Euro U-21 Championship
Gold medal – first placeUEFA U-21 Euro1978
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place1979 SplitTeam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

As a player, Slišković was capped 26 times for Yugoslavia in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After retiring from playing, he became a successful manager. In July 2011, French football manager and former player, Zinedine Zidane, named Slišković as one of his idols while growing up and included him in his "All Time Best 11" of Marseille.

Club career

During his playing days, Slišković was considered one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. In 1985, he was named the Yugoslav Footballer of the Year. He had the most success while playing for hometown club Velež Mostar and Croatian club Hajduk Split. With Velež, Slišković won the 1980–81 Yugoslav Cup and the 1980–81 Balkans Cup, while with Hajduk he won the 1983–84 Yugoslav Cup and was also part of the Hajduk team that made it all the way to the semi-finals of the 1983–84 UEFA Cup.

Slišković was most famous while playing for French Ligue 1 club Marseille. After Marseille, Slišković played in Italy with Pescara, before returning to France and playing for Lens, Mulhouse and Rennes. In 1992, he returned to Italy and came back to Pescara. In 1993, Slišković left Italy and joined Croatian club Hrvatski Dragovoljac, where he stayed until 1995. Finally, in 1996 he joined Bosnian club Zrinjski Mostar, where he eventually finished his career in 1997 at the age of 38.

In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of Hajduk Split, Slišković was chosen in the "Hajduk Split Best 11 of all-time".[3]

International career

Although most experts expected Slišković to make a great international career, he was only capped 26 times for Yugoslavia. He scored three goals in the process.[4] Slišković was prevented from playing in the 1982 FIFA World Cup due to an injury, sustained in the second half during a 1981–82 Yugoslav First League match between OFK Beograd and Hajduk Split. He then lost his place in the UEFA Euro 1984 Yugoslav squad after, allegedly, a Yugoslav-printed newspaper journalist quoted Slišković incorrectly after an interview after a friendly game between Yugoslavia and Switzerland (0–2) and caused the national team head coach, Todor Veselinović, to drop him from the squad. His final international was a November 1986 European Championship qualification match away against England.[5]

Slišković began to play for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team after the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. He played three unofficial friendly games for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993 as the captain in all three games.[6][7]

Managerial career

Right after ending his playing career, Slišković became the new manager of Hrvatski Dragovoljac in 1997. He managed Dragovoljac until 1998, after which he joined Zrinjski Mostar. In January 1999, Slišković joined Brotnjo and won the Herzeg-Bosnia Cup with the club in May of that same year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina squad during UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying

In the winter of 2000, he left Brotnjo and became an assistant manager to Mišo Smajlović in the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Slišković became the head coach of the national team in March 2002, after Smajlović left the team because of his contract expiring. Slišković stayed as the head coach until 2006.[8] In 2004, he won the award "Best Bosnia and Herzegovina Coach" by Dnevni avaz and the "Bosnia and Herzegovina Man of the Year" also in 2004. While Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach, on 24 August 2004, Slišković replaced Ivan Katalinić and simultaneously became the new Hajduk Split manager.[9] On 10 April 2005, he got sacked at Hajduk.[10]

From 2005 until 2007, Slišković once again managed Zrinjski Mostar, making decent results. By the summer of 2008, he was appointed manager of Albanian Superliga club Tirana, but shortly after left the club in December of that year. In March 2010, Romanian club Unirea Alba Iulia hired Slišković until the end of the season, replacing Adrian Falub.[11] In April 2011, he again came back to Bosnia and Herzegovina taking the manager position at Bosnian Premier League club Široki Brijeg, reaching the fourth position in the 2010–11 Bosnian Premier League season and qualifying for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.

On 19 January 2012, Chinese Super League side Qingdao Jonoon announced that they signed a contract with Slišković to replace South Korean manager Chang Woe-ryong.[12] From April to June 2015, he once again managed Široki Brijeg.

In March 2017, Slišković again took the manager position at Zrinjski Mostar for the third time in his career,[13] eventually leading the team to win the Bosnian Premier League in the 2016–17 season. In the 2017–18 season, he won his second league title in a row with Zrinjski. After winning two league trophies, Slišković left Zrinjski in June 2018.[14] However, after the sacking of new manager Ante Miše, the club asked Slišković to return, which he agreed to on 13 August 2018.[15] After the end of the 2018–19 Bosnian Premier League season, it was announced on 7 June 2019 that Slišković did not come to an agreement with the board of directors of Zrinjski on a contract extension and that he was leaving the club.[16]

Shortly after leaving Zrinjski, on 3 July 2019, Slišković became the new manager of Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee, signing a two-year contract.[17] On 23 March 2020, he stepped down and transitioned to a consultancy role with the club.[18]

After Amar Osim got sacked as manager by Bosnian Premier League club Željezničar on 11 April 2021 due to poor results, three days later, on 14 April, Slišković was named as its new manager.[19] In his first game as manager, Željezničar drew against Radnik Bijeljina on 18 April 2021.[20] Slišković oversaw his first loss as Željezničar manager on 25 April 2021, in a league game against Olimpik.[21] In his first ever Sarajevo derby, Slišković's Željezničar lost against FK Sarajevo away in a league match on 1 May 2021.[22] Slišković left Željezničar after his contract with the club expired in June 2021.

Personal life

Slišković was born in Mostar, FPR Yugoslavia, present day Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 30 May 1959 to Bosnian Croat parents. He was married to Bosnian Serb handball player Svetlana Kitić. Slišković's father Vladko played for Velež Mostar for 15 years.[23] Blaž's son Vladimir is also a professional football manager, most recently managing China League Two club Hunan Billows in 2017.

Career statistics

International goals
Scores and results list Yugoslavia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sušić goal.
List of international goals scored by Blaž Slišković
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 16 September 1979 Marakana, Belgrade, Yugoslavia  Argentina 4–1 4–2 Friendly
2 31 October 1979 Gradski Stadion, Kosovska Mitrovica, Yugoslavia  Romania 2–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
3 25 March 1981 Gradski Stadion, Subotica, Yugoslavia  Bulgaria 2–1 2–1 Friendly

Managerial statistics
As of 7 May 2021[24]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Bosnia and Herzegovina 27 March 2002 11 October 2006 37 11 11 15 44 56 −12 029.73
Hajduk Split 24 August 2004 10 April 2005 23 14 3 6 41 23 +18 060.87
Zrinjski Mostar 2 August 2005 14 October 2007 82 41 13 28 146 94 +52 050.00
Unirea Alba Iulia 12 March 2010 25 June 2010 14 4 0 10 14 30 −16 028.57
Široki Brijeg 24 March 2011 4 June 2011 12 8 2 2 25 10 +15 066.67
Al-Ansar 1 July 2011 31 October 2011 3 0 0 3 2 6 −4 000.00
Qingdao Jonoon 20 January 2012 13 March 2012 1 0 1 0 0 0 +0 000.00
Široki Brijeg 19 April 2015 30 June 2015 11 3 5 3 19 18 +1 027.27
Zrinjski Mostar 23 March 2017 11 June 2018 45 26 11 8 76 40 +36 057.78
Zrinjski Mostar 13 August 2018 7 June 2019 34 19 9 6 52 26 +26 055.88
Kitchee 3 July 2019 22 March 2020 20 11 5 4 44 22 +22 055.00
Željezničar 14 April 2021 1 June 2021 4 0 1 3 4 9 −5 000.00
Total 286 137 61 88 467 334 +133 047.90

Honours

Player

Velež Mostar

Hajduk Split

Yugoslavia U21

Yugoslavia

Individual

Manager

Brotnjo

Zrinjski Mostar

Individual

References
  1. "Blȃž". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. E.K. (1 December 2017). "Ko su najtrofejniji treneri iz BiH?". sportske.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  3. "IZBOR SLOBODNE DALMACIJE Jedanaest veličanstvenih hajduka; I Grgur Ninski - hajdukovac! (FOTOGALERIJA) > Slobodna Dalmacija > Hajduk". Slobodna Dalmacija. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  4. Mamrud, Roberto (16 December 2020). "Yugoslavia (Serbia (and Montenegro)) - Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  5. "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  6. "Sušić, Slišković, Škoro i drugi počeli stvaranje reprezentacije". Sarajevo-x.com. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  7. "Čudesni Mostarac koji je bio idol Zinedineu Zidaneu" (in Bosnian). sport.ba. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  8. "Blaz Sliskovic - A Talented Coach With One Job Too Many". Soccerphile.com. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  9. "Blaž Slišković novi trener Hajduka" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 24 August 2004. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. "Blaž Slišković više nije trener Hajduka" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. "Ziarul Unirwa - Unirea are antrenor nou - bosniacul Blaz Sliskovic". Ziarulunirea.ro. 27 January 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  12. 青岛中能足球俱乐部主教练公告 Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine (in Chinese)
  13. "Blaž Slišković spašava Plemiće". bljesak.info. 23 March 2017.
  14. "Blaž Slišković više nije trener Zrinjskog" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  15. "Miše više nije trener Zrinjskog, Slišković se vraća na klupu Plemića" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  16. "Blaž Slišković više nije trener Zrinjskog, klub mu ponudio novu funkciju" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  17. Chan, Kin-wa (3 July 2019). "Former Yugoslavia great Blaz Sliskovic appointed Kitchee boss". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  18. "KITCHEE MADE CHANGES TO COACHING TEAM". Kitchee. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  19. N.K. (14 April 2021). "Blaž Slišković je novi trener FK Željezničar" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  20. H.H. (18 April 2021). "Željezničar remizirao protiv Radnika na debiju Blaža Sliškovića" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  21. H.H. (25 April 2021). "Očajni Željezničar izgubio od Olimpika i produbio veliku krizu" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  22. N.K. (1 May 2021). "Sarajevo uvjerljivo pobijedilo Željezničar i vratilo se na lidersku poziciju" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  23. "Slišković: Da mogu vratiti vrijeme, više bih se koncentrirao na karijeru". Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  24. "Blaž Slišković". Sofascore (in Croatian). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
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