Ned Zelic facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nedjeljko Zelic | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 4 July 1971 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1987 | Canberra FC | |||||||||||||||
| 1988 | AIS | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Sydney Croatia | 36 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Sydney Olympic | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Borussia Dortmund | 72 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Queens Park Rangers | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 20 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Auxerre | 18 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2001 | 1860 Munich | 102 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2002 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Urawa Reds | 23 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Wacker Tirol | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Newcastle Jets | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Helmond Sport | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 34 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 372 | (16) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Australia U-20 | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Australia U-23 | 16 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1999 | Australia | 46 | (7) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Nedjeljko "Ned" Zelic, born on July 4, 1971, is a famous Australian former footballer. He was known for playing as a centre-back, which is a defender, or sometimes as a defensive midfielder. Ned Zelic had a long and successful career playing for many different clubs around the world.
Contents
Ned Zelic's Club Journey
Ned Zelic started his football journey in Australia. He played for clubs like Sydney Croatia and Sydney Olympic in the old Australian National Soccer League. He also played for Croatia Deakin when he was younger.
Playing in Europe
Ned spent most of the 1990s playing football in Europe. This is where he became very well known.
Success with Borussia Dortmund
One of his most important teams was Borussia Dortmund in Germany. In his first year there, his team reached the final of the UEFA Cup, which is a big European competition. They lost to Juventus from Italy. But in 1995, Ned and Borussia Dortmund won the German Bundesliga title, which is a huge achievement!
Other European Teams
After Dortmund, Ned had a short time playing in England for QPR. He then moved back to Germany to play for Eintracht Frankfurt. Later, he joined AJ Auxerre in France. At Auxerre, he even played in the UEFA Champions League, another very important European competition. In 1996, Ned was chosen to play for a special World All-Star team against Brazil in New York City. He played alongside famous footballers like Jürgen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthäus. In 1998, Ned went back to Germany and played 102 games for 1860 Munich in the Bundesliga.
Adventures in Asia and Austria
In 2002, Ned Zelic moved to Japan to play in the J1 League. He stayed there for two years and even won the Japanese Cup with his club, Urawa Red Diamonds. After Japan, he played for FC Wacker Tirol in Austria for one season.
Back to Australia: The A-League
In 2005, Ned Zelic returned to Australia to play in the A-League. He joined the Newcastle Jets as their captain. He played as a central defender for the whole season. The Jets finished fourth in the league that year. After the season, Ned had knee surgery.
Final Years in Europe
Ned decided to go back overseas again. In 2006, he signed with Helmond Sport in the Netherlands. However, he left after only two months because of his knee problems and thought about retiring. But he didn't stop there! In 2007, Ned joined FC Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia. He played there until May 2008, when he finally retired from football after winning the Georgian Championship with his team.
Ned Zelic was recognized as one of the Top 25 Australian Footballers of All-Time by Four Four Two magazine.
Ned Zelic's International Career
Ned Zelic also played for Australia's national football teams. He represented his country at different levels:
- He played for the Australian youth team.
- He was the captain of the Australian Olympic team that finished fourth at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
- He also played for the senior Australian national team.
Ned Zelic's Personal Life
Ned Zelic went to Wanniassa High School in Canberra, Australia. He comes from a family of talented people. His older brother, Ivan Zelic, is a former footballer who became an actor. His sister, Lucy Zelic, is a well-known presenter.
Ned Zelic's Trophies and Awards
Ned Zelic won several important titles during his career:
- Dinamo Tbilisi
- Umaglesi Liga: 2007–2008 (Georgian Championship)
- Urawa Reds
- J.League Cup: 2003 (Japanese Cup)
- Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 1994–1995 (German League Title)
- UEFA Cup: Runners-up in 1992–1993
- Australia
- FIFA Confederations Cup: Runners-up in 1997
See also
In Spanish: Ned Zelić para niños
