Ilija Petković facts for kids
Petković in 2006
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 September 1945 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Knin, Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 27 June 2020 (aged 74) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Belgrade, Serbia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Dinara Knin | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1964–1973 | OFK Beograd | 212 | (37) | |||||||||||||
| 1973–1976 | Troyes | 122 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 1976–1983 | OFK Beograd | 171 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 505 | (60) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1974 | Yugoslavia | 43 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1993 | OFK Beograd | |||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Servette | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | FR Yugoslavia (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Aris Thessaloniki | |||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | FR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Shanghai Shenhua | |||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Sichuan Guancheng | |||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Serbia and Montenegro | |||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Incheon United | |||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Al Ahli Doha | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Gyeongnam FC | |||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Serbia U20 | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Ilija Petković (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Петковић; 22 September 1945 – 27 June 2020) was a famous Serbian football player and manager. He was known for his skills as a midfielder.
Petković played 43 games for the Yugoslavia national team. He took part in the 1968 European Football Championship and the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In the 1974 World Cup, he scored a goal in a big 9–0 win against Zaire. He spent most of his playing career with OFK Beograd, and also played for Troyes in France.
After retiring as a player, he started coaching in 1990 with OFK Beograd. He later coached the national team from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2006. This included leading the team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Ilija Petković started his football journey in his hometown of Knin. When he moved to Belgrade, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a professional footballer. He trained with OFK Beograd while also studying economics at college.
Time with OFK Beograd
Petković signed his first professional contract with OFK Beograd in 1964. Even though OFK Beograd was often overshadowed by bigger clubs like Red Star Belgrade and Partizan, they still had many successful seasons. They even won the 1965–66 Yugoslav Cup by beating Dinamo Zagreb 6–2 in the final.
In 1972, Petković played as a guest for a team called Peñarol in Uruguay. During a game, he suffered a broken bone because of a tackle from a defender.
Playing in France with Troyes
Back then, players from Yugoslavia were not allowed to play for clubs outside the country until they were 28 years old. So, Petković had to wait until 1973 to join Troyes AF in France. He played there for three seasons.
Return to OFK Beograd
Petković came back to OFK Beograd in 1976 when he was 31 years old. Even though he was nearing the end of his career, he was still a very important player for the team. He continued to play until 1983, retiring at almost 38 years old.
During his second time at OFK Beograd, the team didn't perform as well as before. They often struggled and were even moved down to the Yugoslav Second League in the 1979–80 season. However, they quickly earned promotion back to the top league the next year. Petković played two more seasons in the top flight before the team was relegated again in his final playing season, 1982–83.
Representing Yugoslavia
Petković played his first game for Yugoslavia on 24 April 1968. He was 22 years old. Yugoslavia was playing against France in a qualifying match for the European Championship. Petković scored two goals in that game, helping Yugoslavia win 5–1.
He then played for Yugoslavia in the final tournament in Italy. He also played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany. In that tournament, he scored a goal in a huge 9–0 victory against Zaire.
Coaching Career Highlights
After his playing days, Ilija Petković moved into coaching.
Coaching FR Yugoslavia
In 1997, Petković became an assistant coach for the FR Yugoslavia national team before the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After the team was knocked out of the tournament, the coaching staff, including Petković, resigned.
In July 2000, Petković became the main coach of FR Yugoslavia. He started well with a friendly win against Northern Ireland and a win against Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier. He later resigned in January 2001.
Coaching Serbia and Montenegro
In July 2003, Petković was chosen to be the head coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national team. He did a great job leading the team through the qualifying rounds for the 2006 World Cup. The team only let in one goal in twelve matches, which was very impressive!
However, the team's performance at the World Cup in Germany was not good. They lost all three of their matches, including a 0–6 defeat to Argentina. Before the tournament, there was some discussion when Petković chose his son, Dušan, to join the team after another player got injured. This caused some controversy. His son later left the squad, which meant the team played with 22 players instead of the usual 23.
Death
Ilija Petković passed away on 27 June 2020, in Belgrade. He had been in the hospital for a stomach problem and also became sick with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia. He is buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens in Belgrade.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
OFK Beograd
- Yugoslav Cup: 1965–66
As a Manager
Servette
- Swiss National League A: 1993–94
Individual Awards
- Serbian Coach of the Year: 2005
See also
In Spanish: Ilija Petković para niños
