Ante Covic facts for kids
Covic as goalkeeper for the Wanderers in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ante Covic | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.93 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995 | Hurstville Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1997 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 23 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Marconi Stallions | 46 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | PAOK | 8 | (0) |
| 2000 | → AO Kavala (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Dinamo Zagreb | 0 | (0) |
| 2002–2007 | Hammarby IF | 121 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle Jets | 54 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | IF Elfsborg | 59 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Melbourne Victory | 24 | (0) |
| 2012–2015 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 78 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Perth Glory | 28 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Rockdale City Suns | 49 | (0) |
| 2018 | Wellington Phoenix | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 505 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2008 | Australia | 2 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018–2023 | Marconi Stallions (goalkeeping coach) | ||
| 2024– | Bankstown City (Women) | ||
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Ante Covic (born 13 June 1975) is an Australian football manager and former goalkeeper. He is currently the manager of Bankstown City (Women) in NSW League One. Covic was part of the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played for Australia twice. In 2014, he was named the best player in the AFC Champions League. He helped his team, the Western Sydney Wanderers, win the final by not letting the other team score in 8 out of 12 games.
Contents
About Ante Covic's Life
Covic comes from a Croatian background. He is married to Vanessa Covic. They have two children, named Emelie and Christopher.
Ante Covic's Club Career
Ante Covic played for many football clubs during his career. In Australia, he played for teams like Marconi Stallions and Sydney Olympic. He also played in Europe for clubs in Greece and Croatia.
Playing for Hammarby IF
After playing in Australia in 1999, Covic moved to Europe. He joined Hammarby IF, a Swedish club in Stockholm, in 2002. He quickly became the main goalkeeper for the team. Covic played 121 games for Hammarby. This is a big achievement, as only three other goalkeepers have played more games for the club. He left Hammarby in 2006.
Time with Newcastle Jets
Covic started playing in Australia's top league, the A-League, in December 2006. He joined the Newcastle Jets. He was the main goalkeeper when the Jets won the A-League championship in the 2007-08 season. In 2009, Covic left the Jets to play for a Swedish club called IF Elfsborg.
Playing for Melbourne Victory
On 4 October 2011, Covic joined Melbourne Victory for one year. He filled in for another injured goalkeeper. Covic played his first game for Melbourne Victory against Sydney FC. He became a fan favourite right away by saving a penalty kick. He was named the best player of the match in that game. He also won the Player's Player of the Year award for Melbourne Victory.
Success with Western Sydney Wanderers
On 2 July 2012, Covic moved to the new A-League team, Western Sydney Wanderers. The Wanderers did much better than expected in their first season. They won the Premier's Plate, which means they finished first in the regular season. Covic was also chosen for the first-ever A-League All-Star team.
He helped his team win the AFC Champions League in 2014. This is a very important competition for clubs in Asia. Covic kept 8 clean sheets (meaning the other team didn't score) in 12 matches. The Wanderers beat Al-Hilal in the final. After this amazing win, Covic was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
Later Career and Retirement
After his time with the Wanderers, Covic joined Perth Glory in 2015. In June 2016, he left Perth Glory to be closer to his family. He then joined Rockdale City Suns in January 2017. Covic retired from playing football in November 2018. After retiring, he became a goalkeeping coach for Marconi Stallions. He also briefly helped Wellington Phoenix as a temporary goalkeeper.
Playing for Australia
Covic was part of the Australian national team squad for the 2006 World Cup. He was the third-choice goalkeeper for Australia at the finals in Germany.
He played his first game for Australia against Bahrain on 22 February 2006. This was an Asian Cup qualifying match. On 22 March 2008, he played his second and last game for Australia against Singapore. He was even the captain for part of that game.
Career Statistics
CS = Clean Sheets (games where the goalkeeper did not let the other team score)
| Club | Season | Division | League1 | Cup | International2 | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | |||
| Marconi Stallions | 1997–98 | National Soccer League | 25 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 14 |
| 1998–99 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 | ||
| Total | 46 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 21 | ||
| PAOK | 1999–2000 | Alpha Ethniki | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
| 2000–01 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 4 | ||
| AO Kavala (loan) | 1999–2000 | Alpha Ethniki | 15 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Total | 15 | ? | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2001–02 | Prva HNL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Hammarby IF | 2002 | Allsvenskan | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 2003 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 12 | ||
| 2004 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2005 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2006 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 9 | ||
| Total | 121 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 127 | 39 | ||
| Newcastle Jets | 2006–07 | A-League | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2007–08 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2008–09 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 5 | ||
| Total | 54 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 18 | ||
| IF Elfsborg | 2009 | Allsvenskan | 29 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 14 |
| 2010 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 7 | ||
| 2011 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | ||
| Total | 59 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 76 | 29 | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2011–12 | A-League | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Total | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2012–13 | A-League | 29 | 11 | – | – | – | – | 29 | 11 |
| 2013–14 | 28 | 10 | – | – | 12 | 8 | 40 | 18 | ||
| 2014–15 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 5 | ||
| Total | 78 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 97 | 34 | ||
| Career Total | 405 | 121 | 13 | 4 | 42 | 21 | 460 | 145 | ||
1 – includes A-League final series statistics
2 – includes continental tournaments and FIFA Club World Cup; AFC Champions League statistics are included in season ending during group stages (i.e. ACL 2014 and A-League season 2013–14 etc.)
National Team Statistics
| Australia national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Clean sheets |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 |
Honours and Awards
Club Trophies
- Greek Football Cup: 2000–01 (a major cup competition in Greece)
- A-League Championship: 2007–08 (winning Australia's top league)
- A-League Premiership: 2012–13 (finishing first in the regular A-League season)
- AFC Champions League: 2014 (winning the biggest club competition in Asia)
Individual Awards
- Melbourne Victory Victory Medal: 2011–12 (best player for his club)
- A-League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2012–13 (best goalkeeper in the A-League)
- PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2012–13 (chosen as one of the best players in the league)
- A-League All Star: 2013 (selected to play in a special all-star game)
- AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2014 (best player in the AFC Champions League tournament)
Records
- Oldest Western Sydney Wanderers player: 39 years, 326 days
- Oldest Perth Glory player: 40 years, 309 days
See also
In Spanish: Ante Covic para niños
