Ivica Osim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivica Osim
Osim giving an interview in 1999
President of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina normalization committee
In office 18 April 2011 – 13 December 2012
Preceded by	Sulejman Čolaković Bogdan Čeko Iljo Dominković (as Members of the Presidency)
Succeeded by	Elvedin Begić (as sole President)
Personal details
Born	Ivan Osim (1941-05-06)6 May 1941 Sarajevo, Independent State of Croatia (modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Died	1 May 2022(2022-05-01) (aged 80) Graz, Austria
Nationality	Bosnian
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Spouse	Asima Osim ​ (m. 1965)​
Children	3, including Amar
Parents	Karolina Osim (mother) Mihail Osim (father)
Ivica Osim Personal information Playing position Midfielder Youth career 1954–1959 Željezničar Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1959–1968 Željezničar 166 (56) 1968 Zwolsche Boys 2 (0) 1969–1970 Željezničar 54 (9) 1970–1972 Strasbourg 58 (16) 1972–1975 Sedan 105 (16) 1975–1976 Valenciennes 30 (1) 1976–1978 Strasbourg 32 (4) Total 447 (102) National team 1964–1969 Yugoslavia 16 (8) Teams managed 1978–1986 Željezničar 1986–1992 Yugoslavia 1991–1992 Partizan 1992–1994 Panathinaikos 1994–2002 Sturm Graz 2003–2006 JEF United Chiba 2006–2007 Japan Honours Men's Football Representing  Yugoslavia European Championship Silver 1968 Italy Team Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ivica Osim (born Ivan Osim) was a famous Bosnian football player and coach. He was born on May 6, 1941, and passed away on May 1, 2022. Osim was known for his skills both on the field and as a leader from the sidelines.

As a player, he was part of the Yugoslavia national team. He even played in the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Later, as a coach, Osim helped Yugoslavia win a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also led the Yugoslav national team to the quarterfinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He guided his hometown club, Željezničar, to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1985.

Osim also coached the Japan national team. He had to leave this role in November 2007 after he suffered a stroke. In 2011, he became the president of a special committee for the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was after the country's football association was temporarily suspended from international games. He served in this role until 2012.

Ivica Osim died in May 2022, after dealing with health issues for many years.

Early Life and Family

Ivica Osim was born in Sarajevo during World War II. His father, Mihail, was a machinist, and his mother, Karolina, was from a Polish-Czech background. Both of his parents were also born in Sarajevo.

After the war, he started playing football in the youth teams of Željezničar. He also studied mathematics at the University of Sarajevo.

Osim was married to Asima, and they had three children: two sons named Selmir and Amar, and a daughter named Irma. His son Amar also became a football player and a successful coach. Since 1994, Osim and his wife mostly lived in Graz, Austria.

Playing Career Highlights

Osim started his professional football journey with his local club, Željezničar, in 1959. He was known as a very skilled dribbler. He played in Yugoslavia until 1968 because players under 28 were not allowed to transfer to foreign clubs back then.

In December 1968, he briefly played for Zwolsche Boys in the Netherlands. However, a knee injury cut this short after only three months. In 1970, he moved to France and played for clubs like Strasbourg, Valenciennes, and Sedan. He finished his playing career back at Strasbourg.

International Matches

Osim (upper row, second from right) with Yugoslavia at UEFA Euro 1968

Ivica Osim played for the Yugoslavia national team. His first game was in October 1964 at the 1964 Olympic Games against Morocco. He played a total of 16 games for his country and scored eight goals.

He also played in the UEFA Euro 1968 tournament. Yugoslavia reached the final but lost to Italy. His last international game was in April 1969, a World Cup qualification match against Spain.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing in 1978, Osim became a coach. He led several teams, both clubs and national teams, to success.

Coaching Željezničar

Osim started his coaching career at his old club, Željezničar, in 1978. He coached them until 1986. During this time, the team finished third in the Yugoslav championship once. They also reached the final of the Yugoslav Cup and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Coaching Yugoslavia

In 1984, Osim was an assistant coach for the Yugoslav Olympic team. They won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

In 1986, he became the head coach of the Yugoslav national team. His team did very well in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifications, finishing ahead of strong teams like France. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Yugoslavia reached the quarterfinals. They beat Spain 2–1 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, they faced Diego Maradona's Argentina. Even though one of their players received a red card, Osim's team managed to hold on through the whole game and extra time. They unfortunately lost on penalty kicks.

Yugoslavia qualified for UEFA Euro 1992. However, Osim resigned on May 23, 1992. This was because his family in Sarajevo was facing difficult times during the Bosnian War. He famously said, "My country doesn't deserve to play in the European Championship." Yugoslavia was then not allowed to play in the tournament.

Coaching Partizan

In the summer of 1991, Osim also became the manager of Partizan, while still coaching the Yugoslav national team. He won the 1991–92 Yugoslav Cup with Partizan.

Coaching Panathinaikos

After leaving Yugoslavia, Osim coached Panathinaikos in Greece from 1992 to 1994. He won the Greek Cup in 1993 and helped the team finish second in the league that year.

Coaching Sturm Graz

From 1994 to 2002, Osim managed the Austrian club Sturm Graz. He led them to win the Austrian Bundesliga in 1998 and 1999. They also won the Austrian Cup three times (1996, 1997, 1999) and the Austrian Supercup three times (1996, 1998, 1999). Under Osim, Sturm Graz also played in the UEFA Champions League from 1998 to 2000.

Coaching JEF United Ichihara

From 2003 to 2006, Osim coached JEF United Chiba in Japan. He helped this club, which didn't have a huge budget, become a strong contender. In 2005, the club won its first major title, the J. League Cup, with Osim as their coach.

Coaching Japan

On July 21, 2006, Osim was chosen to be the head coach of the Japan national team. His first game as coach was a 2–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago.

At the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Japan did not win the title. Osim was known for his honest and sometimes funny comments. For example, he once said, "I don't want to die while I coach Japan's national team. I want to die in my hometown, Sarajevo." His remarks became very popular with Japanese fans. A book of his quotes, called Words of Osim, sold many copies and became a bestseller in Japan.

Football Administration Work

Osim with other football figures during his work for the Bosnian Football Association in 2012

On April 18, 2011, FIFA announced that Ivica Osim would lead a special committee. This committee was set up to manage the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This happened after the country's football association was suspended from all international competitions for two months by FIFA. He served as the head of this committee until December 13, 2012.

Health and Passing

On November 16, 2007, Osim suffered a stroke at his home in Japan while watching a football match. He was in a coma for almost three weeks. Many important people from the world of football, like Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter, visited him. He woke up on December 3, 2007, and famously asked his wife, "What's the score?" of the game he was watching.

On December 7, 2007, the Japan FA announced that Takeshi Okada would replace Osim as Japan's head coach.

Ivica Osim passed away on May 1, 2022, at his home in Graz, Austria. He was five days short of his 81st birthday. He had been dealing with health issues since his stroke. After his death, many football figures and leaders from the region shared their tributes. They remembered him as a great player, a brilliant coach, and a wonderful person.

Coaching Statistics

Achievements and Awards

As a Player

Željezničar

• Yugoslav Second League: 1961–62 (West)

Strasbourg

• Ligue 2: 1976–77

Yugoslavia

• UEFA European Championship Runner-up: 1968

As a Manager

Partizan

• Yugoslav Cup: 1991–92

Panathinaikos

• Greek Cup: 1992–93, 1993–94

Sturm Graz

• Austrian Bundesliga: 1997–98, 1998–99
• Austrian Cup: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99
• Austrian Supercup: 1996, 1998, 1999

JEF United Chiba

• J. League Cup: 2005

Special Awards

Osim received the Sixth April Award of Sarajevo in 1990, which is a significant honor from his hometown. In 2016, he was also awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette, from Japan.