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Otto Barić
Personal information
Full name Otto Barić
Date of birth (1933-06-19)19 June 1933
Place of birth Eisenkappel, Austria
Date of death 13 December 2020(2020-12-13) (aged 87)
Place of death Zagreb, Croatia
Youth career
1946–1952 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1952–1958 Metalac Zagreb
1958–1963 Lokomotiva Zagreb
Teams managed
1964–1967 Lokomotiva Zagreb
1967–1969 Opel Rüsselsheim
1969–1970 Germania Wiesbaden
1970–1972 Wacker Innsbruck
1972–1974 LASK Linz
1974–1976 NK Zagreb
1974–1979 Yugoslavia (amateurs)
1976–1979 Dinamo Vinkovci
1980–1982 Sturm Graz
1982–1985 Rapid Vienna
1985–1986 VfB Stuttgart
1986–1988 Rapid Vienna
1988–1989 Sturm Graz
1990–1991 Vorwärts Steyr
1991–1995 Casino Salzburg
1995–1996 Croatia (assistant)
1996–1997 Croatia Zagreb
1997–1998 Fenerbahçe S.K.
1998–1999 LASK Linz
1999–2001 Austria
2002–2004 Croatia
2006–2007 Albania
Honours
Representing  Yugoslavia (as manager)
Mediterranean Games
Gold 1979 Split
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Otto Barić (born June 19, 1933 – died December 13, 2020) was a famous Croatian football player and manager. He was known for leading many teams to victory.

Coaching Career Highlights

Early Coaching Years (1970s to 1980s)

Otto Barić began his coaching journey in 1969 in Germany. He then moved to Austria, where he coached Wacker Innsbruck. There, he won two league championships in a row.

After that, he coached LASK Linz and then returned to Croatia to lead NK Zagreb. He also coached the Yugoslav amateur national team. This team was made up of players from a lower league. He helped them win several regional and one big continental title.

In 1980, Barić went back to Austria to coach Sturm Graz. Later, he joined Rapid Vienna in 1982. This was a very successful time for him. He led Rapid Vienna to win the Austrian Bundesliga three times. They also won the Austrian Cup four times. In 1985, his team reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. However, they lost to Everton.

He briefly coached VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Then, he returned to Rapid Vienna for two more seasons. He won another Austrian Cup title with them. After leaving Rapid, he coached Sturm Graz again for a short period.

Success in the 1990s

In 1991, Otto Barić took over Austria Salzburg. He guided them to win the Austrian Bundesliga championship twice. These wins were in 1994 and 1995.

He also made history by leading Austria Salzburg to the UEFA Champions League in 1994. This was the first time an Austrian club had done this. In the 1993–94 season, his team also reached the final of the UEFA Cup. They played against Inter Milan but lost the title.

After leaving Austria Salzburg, he became an assistant coach for the Croatia national team. In 1996, he became the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb. In just one season, he led them to win both the Croatian First League and the Croatian Cup.

He then moved to Turkey to coach Fenerbahçe. From 1999 to 2001, he coached the Austria national team. He left after they did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

Leading National Teams (2000s)

Croatia National Team

In July 2002, Otto Barić became the head coach of the Croatia national team. His main goal was to help them qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. His first match was a friendly game against Wales, which ended in a draw.

Croatia had a tough start in the Euro 2004 qualifying games. They drew with Estonia and lost to Bulgaria. To qualify, they needed to win many more matches.

In 2003, their performance improved. They had a big 4–0 win against Belgium. They also won against Andorra and Estonia. Croatia secured second place in their group. This meant they would play in the play-offs. They beat Slovenia in the play-offs and made it to the finals in Portugal.

At the Euro 2004 finals, Croatia was in a very difficult group. They played against champions France, England, and Switzerland. They drew their first match against Switzerland. The game against France ended in a 2–2 draw. Croatia needed to win against England to move forward. They scored first, but England won the match 4–2. This meant Croatia was out of the tournament. After the tournament, Barić's contract with Croatia was not extended.

Albania National Team

After a break, Barić returned to coaching in June 2006. He became the head coach of the Albania national team. He hoped to lead Albania to their first major tournament. Unlike some coaches, he lived in Tirana to watch local players closely.

His first game with Albania was a 2–2 draw against Belarus. They later lost to Romania. However, they had good draws against Bulgaria and Slovenia. They also won both games against Luxembourg.

Barić focused on bringing new, young talent into the team. He gave debuts to several young players. However, the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign ended with some big losses. After these results, Barić decided to leave his position.

Death

Otto Barić passed away on December 13, 2020, at the age of 87. He died from COVID-19 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Honours

Wacker Innsbruck

NK Zagreb

  • Yugoslav Second League: 1975–76

Yugoslavia

  • Mediterranean Games: 1979

Rapid Vienna

Casino Salzburg

  • Austrian Bundesliga: 1993–94, 1994–95
  • Austrian Supercup: 1994, 1995
  • UEFA Cup runner-up: 1994

Croatia Zagreb

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Otto Barić para niños

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