Bora Milutinović Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Bora Milutinović

Milutinovic in 2012

Personal information

Full name

Velibor Milutinović

Date of birth

7 September 1944 (age 80)

Place of birth

Bajina Bašta, Yugoslavia

Height

1.77 m (5 ft 91⁄2 in)

Playing position

Midfielder

Youth career

1954–1958

Bor

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1958–1960

OFK Beograd

(2)

1960–1966

Partizan

(3)

1965–1966

→ OFK Beograd (loan)

(3)

1966–1967

Winterthur

(1)

1967–1969

Monaco

(3)

1969–1971

Nice

(0)

1971–1972

Rouen

(0)

1972–1976

UNAM

(12)

Total

270

(24)

Teams managed

1977–1983

1983–1986

1987

1987

1988

1988–1989

Tecos UAG

1990

1991–1995

1995–1997

1997–1998

1998–1999

2000–2002

2003–2004

2004–2005

Al Sadd

2006–2007

Jamaica

2009

Iraq

2014

China (advisor)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Mexico (as manager)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner	1996 United States	Team
Copa América
Third	1997 Bolivia	Team
Representing United States (as manager)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner	1991 United States	Team
Runner-up	1993 United States-Mexico	Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third	1992 Saudi Arabia	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Velibor "Bora" Milutinović (born 7 September 1944) is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager. He is famous for coaching five different national teams in five consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments. This is a record he shares with another manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira.

Bora Milutinović led four of these five teams past the first round of the World Cup. Because of his amazing ability to help teams do better than expected, he earned the nickname Miracle Worker. He has managed a total of eight national football teams in his career.

Bora Milutinović's Coaching Career
About Bora Milutinović
What Bora Milutinović Achieved
- As a Player
- As a Manager
See also

Bora Milutinović's Coaching Career

His World Cup Adventures

Bora Milutinović is best known for his incredible record at the FIFA World Cup. He coached five different teams in five World Cups in a row!

Mexico (1983–1986)

Bora Milutinović coached the Mexican team for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. This World Cup was held in Mexico. He led them to the quarter-finals, which was their best result ever at the time. Mexico lost to West Germany in a penalty shootout.

Costa Rica (1990)

Just 90 days before the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Milutinović became the coach of Costa Rica. Many people didn't expect much from them. However, Costa Rica surprised everyone by beating Scotland and Sweden. They made it to the second round of the tournament.

United States (1991–1995)

The U.S. national team hired Bora Milutinović in 1991. They wanted a coach who could help their team perform well on the international stage. Bora was known for getting the most out of his players.

He was a strict coach. For example, he told player Alexi Lalas to get a haircut or leave the team! Bora coached the U.S. team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted in the United States. The team won a World Cup game for the first time since 1950. They also reached the knockout round for the first time since the 1930s. This was seen as a huge success for soccer in the U.S.

Nigeria (1997–1998)

Bora Milutinović coached the Nigerian team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Nigeria won their group, which included a big 3–2 win against Spain. They also reached the knockout rounds. This was the fourth team Bora had taken to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. This set a new coaching record!

China (2000–2002)

Under Bora Milutinović's coaching, the Chinese national team qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup for the very first time. This was a huge moment for China, ending a 44-year wait. He was seen as a hero in China and was often called Milu. However, the Chinese team was new to the World Cup stage. They could not get past the first round.

Coaching Other National Teams

Bora Milutinović also coached other national teams besides his World Cup teams.

Honduras (2003–2004)

In 2003, Bora Milutinović decided to coach the Honduras national team. He led them through the first round of their World Cup qualifying games. However, he left the team in 2004. He said there was a "bad atmosphere" caused by comments from officials and the press.

Jamaica (2006–2007)

In 2006, Bora Milutinović became the head coach of Jamaica. He was fired in 2007 after the team lost several friendly matches in a row.

Iraq (2009)

Bora Milutinović also coached the Iraq national football team in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. His team had two draws and one loss in the group stage. They did not make it to the knockout stage.

Coaching Club Teams

Bora Milutinović has also coached several club teams. His longest time with one club was with UNAM in Mexico, from 1977 to 1983. Many of his players from UNAM later played for Mexico in the 1986 World Cup.

He also had short coaching jobs with other clubs. These included Udinese in Italy and the MetroStars in the United States. He also coached Al-Sadd in Qatar.

About Bora Milutinović

The Milutinović brothers (left to right): Milorad, Miloš and Bora

Bora Milutinović comes from a family that loves football. His two brothers, Miloš and Milorad, also played football. They even played together for the team Partizan.

Bora grew up without his parents. His father died in World War II, and his mother passed away shortly after. He was raised by his aunt and started playing football at a young age.

Today, Bora Milutinović is married to a Mexican woman. He lives in Qatar. Besides his native language, he can speak English, Spanish, Italian, and French.

What Bora Milutinović Achieved

Bora Milutinović has won several awards and championships as both a player and a manager.

As a Player

UNAM

Copa MX: 1974–1975
Campeón de Campeones: 1975

As a Manager