Ante Šimundža facts for kids
Šimundža in 2022 with Ludogorets Razgrad
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 September 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Maribor, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
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Śląsk Wrocław (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Železničar Maribor | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1996 | Maribor | 170 | (64) |
| 1997 | Brummell Sendai | 22 | (11) |
| 1997 | Maribor | 2 | (0) |
| 1998 | Young Boys | 8 | (0) |
| 1998 | Malmö FF | 3 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | Maribor | 56 | (14) |
| 2001 | → La Louvière (loan) | 12 | (5) |
| 2002 | Aluminij | 15 | (11) |
| 2002–2003 | Šmartno | 28 | (9) |
| 2005–2007 | SV Wildon | 56 | (17) |
| 2008–2009 | SV Straß | 23 | (10) |
| International career | |||
| 1992 | Slovenia U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 1993–1999 | Slovenia | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2011 | Maribor (assistant) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Mura 05 | ||
| 2012 | Grazer AK | ||
| 2013 | Mura 05 | ||
| 2013 | Aluminij | ||
| 2013–2015 | Maribor | ||
| 2017–2021 | Mura | ||
| 2022–2023 | Ludogorets Razgrad | ||
| 2023–2024 | Maribor | ||
| 2024– | Śląsk Wrocław | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ante Šimundža (born 28 September 1971) is a well-known Slovenian football manager and a former football player. He is currently the manager of the Polish club Śląsk Wrocław.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Šimundža began his football journey at age eleven. He joined his hometown club, Železničar Maribor. After Slovenia became independent in 1991, he moved to NK Maribor.
Success at Maribor
He played for Maribor for six seasons. During this time, he scored 64 goals in 170 league games. He was a very important player for the team.
Between 1997 and 1998, Šimundža played for several clubs outside Slovenia. However, he faced many ankle injuries. Because of this, he soon returned to Maribor.
He played a key role in Maribor reaching the UEFA Champions League in the 1999–2000 season. This is a very big competition for European clubs. He scored the winning goal in a group stage match against Dynamo Kyiv. Maribor won 1–0. This was the first and only win for a Slovenian club in this part of the Champions League.
Later Career as a Player
In 2001, he played abroad again for La Louvière in Belgium. After that, he came back to Slovenia. He finished his professional playing career with Aluminij and Šmartno ob Paki.
Overall, Šimundža played 256 games in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, scoring 87 goals. Many people consider him a legend at Maribor. He shares the record for most games played for the club in the 1990s with Gregor Židan.
International Matches
Šimundža played three games for the Slovenian national team. These matches took place between 1993 and 1999.
Coaching Career Journey
Šimundža started his coaching career with youth teams. He coached at his first club, Železničar Maribor. In 2007, he became an assistant coach at Celje.
Early Senior Coaching Roles
In 2008, he became an assistant coach for Darko Milanič at Maribor. He worked in Maribor's sports department until 2011. Then, he became the head coach of Mura 05.
His first season with Mura 05 was very impressive. He helped the team go from possibly being moved to a lower league to qualifying for UEFA competitions. Mura 05 finished third in the 2011–12 Slovenian PrvaLiga season. He was even nominated for the best coach in the league that year.
In 2012, he moved to Austria to coach GAK. However, the club faced financial problems and closed down a few months later. Šimundža returned to Mura 05 in early 2013. After the 2012–13 season, Mura 05 also had financial issues. Šimundža then took over Aluminij in June 2013.
Leading Maribor to Success
In September 2013, Šimundža was chosen as the new manager of Maribor. This was the club he played for and was a legend at. With Maribor, he won two national titles: in 2013–14 and 2014–15. He also led them to the group stages of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League.
He left Maribor in August 2015. This happened after they lost 3–0 at home to their biggest rivals, Olimpija Ljubljana.
Triumphs with Mura
In June 2017, Šimundža became the coach of Mura again. With Mura, he won the Slovenian Football Cup in 2019–20. This was the club's first major trophy in 25 years.
The next year, Mura became the Slovenian champion for the first time ever. They won the 2020–21 Slovenian PrvaLiga season. In the final game, Šimundža's team beat his former club, Maribor, to win the title. He left Mura in December 2021 after four successful years.
Coaching in Bulgaria and Poland
On 3 January 2022, Šimundža joined Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad. He led them to their eleventh league title in a row in the 2021–22 season. He was later let go in March 2023.
On 3 October 2023, Šimundža returned to Maribor for a third time. He signed a contract to stay until the end of the 2025–26 season.
On 24 December 2024, he was named manager of the Polish club Śląsk Wrocław. His job is to help the team avoid being moved to a lower league.
About Ante Šimundža
Ante Šimundža was born in Maribor, Slovenia. He is the younger of two children. His sister is six years older than him. His father was from Split, Croatia, and his mother was from Kidričevo, Slovenia. He is married and has two sons, Luka and Jure. They are named after their grandfathers.
Honours
Manager
Maribor
- Slovenian First League: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Slovenian Supercup: 2014
Mura
- Slovenian First League: 2020–21
- Slovenian Second League: 2017–18
- Slovenian Cup: 2019–20
Ludogorets Razgrad
- Bulgarian First League: 2021–22
- Bulgarian Supercup: 2022
Individual
- Slovenian First League Manager of the Year: 2018–19, 2023–24
