Radomir Antić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Radomir Antić

Antić in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth	(1948-11-22)22 November 1948
Place of birth	Žitište, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia
Date of death	6 April 2020(2020-04-06) (aged 71)
Place of death	Madrid, Spain
Playing position	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1967–1968	Sloboda Užice
1968–1977	Partizan	181	(9)
1977–1978	Fenerbahçe	28	(2)
1978–1980	Real Zaragoza	58	(7)
1980–1984	Luton Town	100	(9)
Total		367	(27)
National team
1973	Yugoslavia	1	(0)
Teams managed
1985–1988	Partizan (assistant)
1988–1990	Real Zaragoza
1991–1992	Real Madrid
1992–1995	Real Oviedo
1995–1998	Atlético Madrid
1999	Atlético Madrid
2000	Atlético Madrid
2000–2001	Real Oviedo
2003	Barcelona
2004	Celta Vigo
2008–2010	Serbia
2012–2013	Shandong Luneng
2015	Hebei China Fortune
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Radomir Antić was a famous Serbian football manager and player. He was born on November 22, 1948, and passed away on April 6, 2020.

He played as a defender for 17 years, mostly for Partizan, where he won the Yugoslav First League. After his playing days, Antić became a coach.

He is one of only two people to have managed both Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are big rivals in football. He also led Atlético Madrid to win both La Liga and the Copa del Rey in the 1995–96 season. He is the only person to have coached all three of these major Spanish clubs.

Early Life and Childhood

Antić was born in Žitište, Serbia. His family moved to Titovo Užice when he was six years old. He grew up there and always thought of it as his hometown.

Playing Career Highlights

Antić started playing football for Sloboda Titovo Užice from 1967 to 1968. Then, he moved to Partizan, where he played for most of his career (1968–1976). With Partizan, he helped them win the national championship in 1976.

In 1976, Antić joined Fenerbahçe in Turkey for two seasons. After that, he played for Real Zaragoza in Spain.

In 1980, Antić moved to England to play for Luton Town. This team was in the Second Division, which was the second-highest league at the time. Fans in England called him "Raddy." He helped Luton win the Second Division title in 1982. He stayed with the club for two more seasons in the top division. In the 1982–83 season, he scored a winning goal in the last game against Manchester City, which saved Luton from being moved down to a lower league. Manchester City was relegated instead.

Even while playing, Antić was already thinking about becoming a coach. He studied and completed coaching college in Belgrade. He often said that his manager at Luton, David Pleat, influenced his coaching style. He retired from playing in 1984 at age 36.

Antić played one game for the Yugoslavia national team in 1973.

Managerial Career Journey

After retiring as a player, Antić started coaching.

Early Coaching Steps

He began as an assistant coach at Partizan from 1985 to 1987. During this time, Partizan won the league title twice.

Leading Real Zaragoza

Antić's first job as a head coach was with Real Zaragoza. He had played for them before. He took over a team that wasn't very well known. He helped them finish fifth in the league in the 1988–89 season, which meant they could play in the UEFA Cup. He managed Real Zaragoza for two seasons.

Time at Real Madrid

In March 1991, Antić became the coach of Real Madrid. The club was struggling at the time, and he was their third coach that season.

Turning Things Around

Antić took over when Real Madrid was in seventh place in the league. He helped the team improve a lot. They won eight out of their last eleven league matches. By the end of the 1990–91 season, Real Madrid finished third in the league, which qualified them for the UEFA Cup.

Success and Surprising Dismissal

For the 1991–92 season, Antić brought in new players like Robert Prosinečki and Luis Enrique. His team started the season incredibly well, winning five straight league games and taking the top spot. They even had another winning streak of seven games. A player named Fernando Hierro, who was usually a defender, scored many goals under Antić's coaching.

However, in January 1992, after 19 league matches, Antić was surprisingly fired. At that point, Real Madrid was seven points clear at the top of La Liga and doing well in the UEFA Cup. The club said his team's style of play wasn't "attractive" enough. After he left, Real Madrid lost their lead and the league title to their rivals, Barcelona.

Coaching Real Oviedo

Antić became the coach of Real Oviedo in 1993. The team was close to being relegated, but he helped them stay in the top league. He stayed there for two more seasons.

He signed Slaviša Jokanović and later reunited with Robert Prosinečki at Oviedo. Despite a small budget, his team finished ninth in the league twice, which was a great achievement for the club.

Great Success at Atlético Madrid

Antić had his biggest coaching successes with Atlético Madrid. He coached them three different times.

He joined Atlético in 1995. The team had good players but often didn't perform well. In the season before he arrived, they barely avoided being relegated.

Winning the Double in 1995–96

Antić made some important changes to the team. He brought in players like Milinko Pantić, who became a key player, and Luboslav Penev.

Under Antić's leadership, Atlético Madrid had an amazing 1995–96 season. They won both La Liga (the Spanish league title) and the Copa del Rey (the Spanish cup). This was a historic "double" for the club. They started the league season very strong and stayed at the top until the end. They also had a very strong defense, letting in fewer goals than any other team.

Winning these two trophies made Antić very popular with Atlético fans and the club president, Jesús Gil. Gil was known for changing coaches often, but he kept Antić for three full seasons, which was a record for him.

Champions League and Spending

In the 1996–97 season, Atlético played in the Champions League for the first time under Antić. They reached the quarter-finals but were knocked out by Ajax after a very close match.

For the 1997–98 season, the club spent a lot of money on new star players like Christian Vieri and Juninho. However, the team struggled with injuries and didn't perform as well in the league. Antić left the club at the end of that season.

Returning to Atlético (Twice)

Antić came back to Atlético Madrid twice more.

His second time was in 1999, for the last part of the season. He helped the team reach the Copa del Rey final, but they lost.

His third time coaching Atlético was in 2000. This was a very tough period for the club. They were in financial trouble and struggling badly in the league. Despite his efforts, Atlético Madrid was relegated from La Liga that season. He left before the very last game.

Coaching FC Barcelona

After a break, Antić took over Barcelona in January 2003. The team was in 15th place in the league, very close to the relegation zone. His main goal was to keep them in the top league.

He helped stabilize the team and led them to a sixth-place finish, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the Champions League, Barcelona did very well under him, winning many games in a row. However, they lost in the quarter-finals. Antić's contract was not extended after that season.

Short Stint at Celta de Vigo

In January 2004, Antić became the coach of Celta Vigo. The team was also near the relegation zone. He stayed for only two months, then left.

Leading the Serbian National Team

In August 2008, Antić became the head coach of the Serbia national football team. This was his return to coaching after four years.

2010 World Cup Qualification

Antić led Serbia to qualify directly for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They finished first in their group, which was a great success. He was praised for his attacking style of play.

2010 World Cup Performance

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Serbia was in a tough group.

• In their first game, they lost 1–0 to Ghana.
• In their second game, they had a big win, beating powerhouse Germany 1–0. This gave them hope of moving forward.
• In their final group game against Australia, Serbia needed just one point to reach the next stage. However, they lost 2–1. They finished last in their group and did not advance.

Euro 2012 Qualifiers and Departure

After the World Cup, Serbia's performance dropped. A frustrating 1–1 draw with Slovenia at home led to Antić's departure in September 2010.

Coaching in China

Antić then coached in China.

• From 2012 to 2013, he managed Shandong Luneng Taishan. He led them to a second-place finish in the league.
• In 2015, he coached Hebei China Fortune but left after not getting the team into the promotion zone.

Personal Life

Radomir Antić was married to Vera. They had two children, a daughter named Ana and a son named Dušan. He also had four grandchildren.

Antić lived in Madrid and Marbella in Spain.

Death and Legacy

Radomir Antić passed away on April 6, 2020, in Madrid, at the age of 71. He had been ill for several years.

To honor him, the stadium of FK Sloboda Užice, one of his former clubs, was officially renamed the Radomir Antić Stadium on August 12, 2021.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Partizan

• Yugoslav First League: 1975–76

Fenerbahçe

• 1. Lig: 1977–78

Luton Town

• Second Division: 1981–82

As a Manager

Atlético Madrid

• La Liga: 1995–96
• Copa del Rey: 1995–96

Individual Awards

• Don Balón Award: Best Coach 1995–96
• Serbian Coach of the Year: 2009

See also

In Spanish: Radomir Antić para niños