Stanko Poklepović

Stanko "Špaco" Poklepović (19 April 1938 – 24 December 2018) was a Croatian professional football player and manager.

Stanko Poklepović
Personal information
Date of birth (1938-04-19)19 April 1938
Place of birth Split, Yugoslavia
Date of death 24 December 2018(2018-12-24) (aged 80)
Place of death Split, Croatia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1976 RNK Split
Managerial career
1969 RNK Split
1971–1972 RNK Split
1984–1986 Hajduk Split
1987–1989 Budućnost Titograd
1989–1990 Borac Banja Luka
1990–1991 APOEL
1991–1993 Hajduk Split
1992–1993 Croatia
1994 HNK Dubrovnik
1994–1995 Iran
1995–1997 Persepolis
1997–1998 Publikum Celje
1998–1999 Osijek
1999–2000 Ferencváros
2001–2002 Sepahan
2002–2003 Osijek
2005 Sepahan
2009 Damash Gilan
2010 Hajduk Split
2015 Hajduk Split
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Poklepović managed a number of teams over 46 years, including Hajduk Split on four occasions.[1] He was also the first manager to win the Croatian First Football League with Hajduk Split, in its inaugural season, in 1992.

Playing career

Throughout his whole career, Poklepović played for RNK Split, between 1956 and 1976, and won the Yugoslav Second League twice, first in the 1956–57 (Zone I) season, and then after in the 1959–60 (West) season.

Coaching career

He made his impact in the 1984–85 Yugoslav First League as a manager of Hajduk Split when he took over the Yugoslav powerhouse at the time when a lot of important players left the club and a lot of young players like Asanović, Andrijašević and Španjić joined the club with no experience. Poklepović almost won the league but finished 2nd because of match-fixing that was popular with other clubs in the league. Hajduk broke the record and scored 2 or more goals in every match that season.

In the 1985–86 UEFA Cup, Poklepović lead Hajduk to the quarter-finals. Poklepović won the first leg match against Waregem 1–0 on Poljud but he was then sacked from Hajduk for under-performing in the league so he didn't manage the second leg game against Waregem which Hajduk lost on penalties after a 0–1 defeat.

In 1991, he returned to Hajduk, winning the 1992 Prva HNL which was Poklepović's first league trophy in his career. In 1992, he took over the Croatia national football team, but after 4 games and only 1 win, he left the team.

In 1994, he went to manage the Iran national football team and Persepolis. He won the 1995–96 Azadegan League and the 1996–97 Azadegan League with Persepolis.

In 1998, he took over Osijek and won the 1998–99 Croatian Cup which is Osijek's first and only trophy till today. He also finished 4th in the Prva HNL the same season and secured a place in European competitions for Osijek. He returned again to Iran in 2005 and 2009, but unsuccessfully.

In February 2010, he returned to Hajduk Split for the third time.[2] He won the 2009–10 Croatian Cup and finished 2nd in the Prva HNL the same season. He qualified with Hajduk for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League after defeating Dinamo București and Unirea Urziceni in the qualifying rounds. In the 2010–11 Prva HNL, he controlled the 1st position for a while and became a favorite of the fans and the media. In the Europa League, he defeated Anderlecht 1–0 on Poljud, which was Hajduk's biggest European victory since the mid 1990s.[3] After losing a cup game against Istra 1961 in the round of 16 and losing the 1st position in the league, he was sacked by Hajduk chairman Joško Svaguša on 27 October 2010.[4]

In February 2015, five years later, Poklepović returned again to Hajduk Split for the fourth time in his career,[1] but later in April, he was sacked because of underperforming in the league.

Death

Poklepović died on 24 December 2018, at Split Hospital, after a long battle with health issues, aged 80.[5]

Quotes
  • Look at this, they call me funnel, then they said, the Špaco funnel. Go to hell you and that funnel. You don't know what is a funnel or what is a defense.
    • After being asked by a reporter to elaborate his defense tactics which Poklepović compared to a funnel[6]
  • I asked Ahmad what is a penetration and he looks at me confused. I elaborate to him that penetration is a process in which the male penis enters the female vagina, and when I asked him what is ecstasy, half of the dressing room started laughing on the floor. I am a coach that educates, I speak about everything, even sex.
    • When asked about Ahmad Sharbini's limited playing time[7]
  • Excuse me?! Please don't ask me that! What bunker, we had 8 chances to score while they had 10. Where is the bunker there?! What are you talking about, you should quit journalism.
    • When accused by a reporter of using bunker tactics after winning the 2010 Croatian Cup against NK Šibenik[8]
  • I feel great, mentally and physically. I may be too old for sex, but not for football.
    • After becoming manager of Hajduk Split for the fourth time in his career at the age of 77[9]
  • In Croatian, there are no attributes which can describe the greatness of Hajduk Split. Hajduk is not only immortal, Hajduk is indestructible
    • When asked to describe what is Hajduk Split

Managerial statistics
As of 4 November 2017[10]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
PWDLWin %
Hajduk Split 1984 1986 68 33 19 16 048.5
Budućnost Titograd 1987 1989 57 24 17 16 042.1
Borac Banja Luka 1989 1990 19 12 3 4 063.2
APOEL 1990 1991 34 15 10 9 044.1
Hajduk Split 1991 1993 69 42 18 9 060.9
Croatia 1992 1993 4 1 1 2 025.0
Dubrovnik 1994 1994 13 3 3 7 023.1
Iran 1994 1996 4 1 2 1 025.0
Istra 1995 1995 7 1 0 6 014.3
Persepolis F.C. 1995 1997 54 31 8 15 057.4
Poblikum Celjea 1997 1998 39 16 7 16 041.0
Mladost 127 1998 1999 11 4 1 6 036.4
Osijek 1998 1999 12 6 4 2 050.0
Ferencvárosi TC 1999 2000 33 14 8 11 042.4
NK Osijek 2002 2003 17 5 6 6 029.4
Hajduk Split 2010 2010 39 23 10 6 059.0
Hajduk Split 2015 2015 9 2 3 4 022.2
Total 489 233 120 136 047.6

Honours

Player

Split

Manager

Hajduk Split

Persepolis

Osijek

References
  1. Rupnik, Borna (19 February 2015). "Edoardo Reja otpao, Stanko Poklepović preuzima Hajduk". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  2. Jurišić, Bernard; Attias, Vedran (12 February 2010). "Stanko Poklepović novi trener Hajduka". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  3. Babić, Vedran (30 September 2010). "Video: Vukušić za pobjedu i ludilo!". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. Jurišić, Bernard (28 October 2010). "Poklepović smijenjen, zasad Španjić". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. Alfirević, Slaven (24 December 2018). "Preminuo je Stanko Poklepović". slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  6. H, V (24 December 2018). "Izjave Poklepovica". index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  7. H, V (24 December 2018). "Izjave Poklepovica". index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  8. H, V (24 December 2018). "Izjave Poklepovica". index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  9. H, V (24 December 2018). "Izjave Poklepovica". index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  10. "Stanko Poklepović Managerial statistics". hrnogomet.com.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Iran Pro League Winning Manager
1995–96, 1996–97		 Succeeded by
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