Ranko Popović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ranko Popović

Popović with St. Pölten in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Ranko Popović
Date of birth	(1967-06-26) 26 June 1967 (age 58)
Place of birth	Peć, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Budućnost Peć
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
198x–198x	Kneževac
1988–1989	Beograd
1989–1991	Partizan	2	(0)
1989–1990	→ Leotar (loan)	13	(0)
1992–1994	Spartak Subotica	58	(11)
1994	Ethnikos Piraeus	10	(0)
1995	Spartak Subotica	14	(2)
1995–1997	Almería	16	(0)
1997–2001	Sturm Graz	74	(9)
2002–2004	TuS FC Arnfels	25+	(6+)
2004–2006	SV Pachern	25+	(4+)
Total		237+	(32+)
Managerial career
2002–2004	TuS FC Arnfels (player-manager)
2004–2006	SV Pachern (player-manager)
2006–2007	Sanfrecce Hiroshima (assistant)
2008	Horgoš
2008–2009	Spartak Subotica
2009	Oita Trinita
2011	Machida Zelvia
2012–2013	FC Tokyo
2014	Cerezo Osaka
2014–2015	Zaragoza
2016–2017	Buriram United
2017–2018	Pune City
2018–2019	St. Pölten
2020–2022	Machida Zelvia
2023	Vojvodina
2024	Kashima Antlers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ranko Popović (born 26 June 1967) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of J1 League team Kashima Antlers.

Playing Career: A Defender's Journey

Ranko Popović started his football journey in his hometown of Peć, Serbia. He played for a local club called Budućnost. In 1985, he moved to Belgrade for military service. While there, he continued playing football for smaller clubs like Kneževac and Beograd.

Playing for Partizan and Loans

In 1989, Popović joined Partizan, a big club in Yugoslavia. He was loaned to Leotar for a season to gain more experience. After returning to Partizan, he played in two matches in the top league.

Moving to Spartak Subotica and Abroad

In 1992, Popović moved to Spartak Subotica. He played there for two and a half years. Then, he went to Greece to play for Ethnikos Piraeus in 1994. Six months later, he returned to Spartak Subotica for a short time.

Success in Spain and Austria

Popović then played for two years in Spain with Almería. In 1997, at 30 years old, he joined the Austrian team Sturm Graz. He had a very successful time there, winning the Austrian league championship twice in a row (1998 and 1999). He also played in the UEFA Champions League 11 times, which is a big achievement for any player.

Managerial Career: Leading Teams to Victory

After his playing career, Ranko Popović became a football manager. He started by being a player-manager for smaller Austrian teams, meaning he played and managed at the same time.

First Steps in Austria and Japan

From 2002 to 2006, he managed TuS FC Arnfels and SV Pachern in Austria. In 2006, he moved to Japan. There, he worked as an assistant manager for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, helping another Serbian coach.

Managing in Serbia

In 2008, Popović returned to Serbia. He took over Serbian League Vojvodina club Zlatibor Voda. He helped them get promoted to a higher league. Later, this team joined with Spartak Subotica.

Return to Japan: A Challenging Start

Popović with FC Tokyo in 2012

In July 2009, Popović went back to Japan to coach J League club Oita Trinita. The team was having a very tough season, losing many games. Popović helped them improve a lot. In his last 10 matches that season, the team did not lose once! This great result earned him an offer to stay. However, the club faced financial problems, and his contract had to be canceled.

After that, Popović managed other well-known Japanese clubs. These included Machida Zelvia, FC Tokyo, and Cerezo Osaka.

Coaching in Spain

On 24 November 2014, Popović became the manager of Zaragoza, a Spanish team. He led them to the play-offs to try and get promoted to the top league. They narrowly missed out on promotion. During his time at Zaragoza, he was even named the best manager in the league for October 2015. He left the club in December 2015.

Adventures in Thailand and India

In August 2016, Popović took charge of Buriram United, a team in Thailand. He left the club in June 2017 after receiving a temporary ban from the Thai Football Association.

In September 2017, he moved to India to manage Pune City in the Indian Super League. He stayed with them until May 2018.

Recent Coaching Roles

After spending three seasons back with Machida Zelvia in Japan, Popović returned to Serbia. On 11 August 2023, he became the manager of Vojvodina, a club in the Serbian SuperLiga.

In December 2023, Popović joined J1 League club Kashima Antlers in Japan. He had a strong start with the team, including an 11-game unbeaten streak. This helped Kashima Antlers climb into the top three of the league. However, results later dropped, and he left the club in October 2024.

Personal Life

Besides his Serbian citizenship, Ranko Popović also holds Austrian citizenship.

Managerial Statistics

Honours: Trophies and Achievements

As a Player

Sturm Graz

• Austrian Bundesliga: 1997–98, 1998–99
• Austrian Cup: 1998–99
• Austrian Supercup: 1998, 1999

As a Manager

Zlatibor Voda

• Serbian League Vojvodina: 2007–08

Buriram United

• Thai League Cup: 2016
• Mekong Club Championship: 2016

See also

In Spanish: Ranko Popović para niños