Safet Sušić facts for kids
Sušić as manager of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 April 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Zavidovići, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Playing position | |||
| Youth career | |||
| 1971–1972 | Krivaja | ||
| 1972–1973 | Sarajevo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1973–1982 | Sarajevo | 221 | (86) |
| 1982–1991 | Paris Saint-Germain | 287 | (67) |
| 1991–1992 | Red Star | 17 | (3) |
| Total | 525 | (155) | |
| National team | |||
| 1977–1990 | Yugoslavia | 54 | (21) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1994–1995 | Cannes | ||
| 1996–1999 | İstanbulspor | ||
| 2001 | Al Hilal | ||
| 2004–2005 | Konyaspor | ||
| 2005–2006 | Ankaragücü | ||
| 2006–2007 | Çaykur Rizespor | ||
| 2007–2008 | Çaykur Rizespor | ||
| 2008 | Ankaraspor | ||
| 2009–2014 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
| 2015–2016 | Évian | ||
| 2017 | Alanyaspor | ||
| 2018 | Akhisarspor | ||
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Safet Sušić, nicknamed "Pape", was born on April 13, 1955. He is a Bosnian professional football manager and a former amazing player. Sušić was known for his incredible dribbling skills and technical ability. Many people think he was one of the best European players of his time.
He played for the Yugoslavia team in two FIFA World Cups, in 1982 and 1990. He also played in the UEFA Euro 1984 tournament. As a manager, he led the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge achievement for his home country!
Sušić mostly played as an attacking midfielder. This role means he was a creative playmaker who helped set up goals. Sometimes, he also played as a second striker. He played for clubs like Sarajevo, Paris Saint-Germain, and Red Star. In 2010, France Football magazine voted Sušić as Paris Saint-Germain's best player ever. They also called him the best foreign player in the French league, Ligue 1, of all time. In 2004, the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina chose Sušić as the greatest player their country has ever had.
After he stopped playing, Sušić became a manager. He coached many different club teams. He also coached the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. In 2018, he won his first trophy as a manager, the 2018 Turkish Super Cup, with Akhisarspor.
Contents
Safet Sušić's Club Career Highlights
Starting His Football Journey
Safet Sušić was born in Zavidovići, which is now in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He began playing football in the youth team of his local club, Krivaja. In 1972, he joined the youth team of Sarajevo.
Playing for Sarajevo
Sušić started playing for Sarajevo's main team in 1973. In the 1979–80 season, he was the top scorer in the Yugoslav First League with 17 goals. In 1979, he was named the Yugoslav Footballer of the Year. He was also chosen as the best athlete from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1981, he received the Sixth April Award of Sarajevo.
Becoming a Star at Paris Saint-Germain
In 1982, Sušić joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. There, he became a very famous player in Europe. In his first season, Sušić helped PSG win the 1982–83 Coupe de France, a big cup competition. He scored important goals in the semi-final and the final.
In the 1985–86 season, Sušić scored ten goals. This helped PSG win their first ever national league title! He played for PSG from 1982 to 1991. During this time, he scored 85 goals and made a record 95 assists. An assist is when a player helps set up a goal for a teammate. He is fifth on PSG's list of players with the most appearances, playing 344 games. On February 5, 2010, France Football magazine named Sušić the best player in PSG's history. He was chosen over other famous players like Ronaldinho and George Weah.
His Final Club: Red Star
After leaving PSG, Sušić played one more year for another Paris-based club, Red Star. He played 17 league games and scored 3 goals. After this season, in 1992, Sušić decided to retire from playing football.
Safet Sušić's International Career
During his playing days, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia. So, Sušić played for the Yugoslavia national team.
Between 1977 and 1990, Sušić played 54 games for Yugoslavia and scored 21 goals. He scored his first goals against Hungary in 1977. A month later, he scored three goals in one game against Romania. In 1979, he scored another three goals against Italy in a friendly match. Later that year, he scored three more goals against the world champions, Argentina!
Sušić was part of the Yugoslav team that played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He scored one goal in a big 5–0 win against Luxembourg. He was also the top scorer for Yugoslavia in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 1984. His two goals against Bulgaria helped Yugoslavia reach the tournament.
At 35 years old, Sušić played in his second World Cup, the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He scored his only World Cup goal in a 4–1 win against the United Arab Emirates. His last international game was in November 1990 against Denmark.
In 2004, UEFA (the European football organization) chose Sušić as the "Golden Player" for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This meant he was their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. His former teammate, Darko Pančev, once said that Sušić was "unsurpassable" and "probably one of the best in the world." He said playing with Pape was a "treasure for every forward."
Safet Sušić's Managerial Career
Early Coaching Years
Sušić started his coaching career with the French club Cannes in 1994. He then managed several clubs in Turkey, including İstanbulspor, Konyaspor, Ankaragücü, and Çaykur Rizespor. He also coached Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Leading Bosnia and Herzegovina
On December 28, 2009, Sušić became the head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. His first game was a friendly match against Ghana, which Bosnia and Herzegovina won 2–1.
Qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
From August 2012 to August 2013, Sušić's Bosnia and Herzegovina team had an amazing nine-game unbeaten run. On October 15, 2013, the country made history by qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil! This was the first time Bosnia and Herzegovina had ever reached a major football tournament as an independent nation.
In their first World Cup match, they played against Argentina and lost 2–1. Even though they lost, the team played well, and Vedad Ibišević scored Bosnia's first ever World Cup goal. In their second game against Nigeria, a goal by Edin Džeko was wrongly disallowed for offside. This was a very controversial moment. Bosnia and Herzegovina won their last game against Iran 3–1. However, they were eliminated from the tournament in the group stage.
After the World Cup
In July 2014, Sušić signed a new two-year contract to continue as coach. But on November 17, 2014, the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sušić decided to part ways. This happened after the team had a tough start in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2016.
Coaching Évian
On July 13, 2015, Sušić became the manager of the French club Évian. However, after a series of poor results, he was sacked on January 11, 2016.
Managing Alanyaspor
On January 27, 2017, Sušić signed a contract with Alanyaspor in Turkey. He was sacked on December 25, 2017, due to a run of bad results.
Winning a Trophy with Akhisarspor
On June 30, 2018, Sušić was named the new manager of Akhisarspor, a team that had just won the Turkish Cup. About a month and a half later, Akhisarspor played against Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup. The game ended 1–1, but Akhisarspor won 5–4 in a penalty shootout! This was Akhisarspor's second major trophy ever, and it was Sušić's first trophy as a manager. However, after only collecting two points in five league games, Sušić was sacked on September 17, 2018.
Safet Sušić's Legacy and Impact
Safet Sušić is so famous that a bestselling novel, Safet Sušić Pape, was written about him in 2007 by Bosnian novelist Zlatko Topčić. He was also featured in a popular TV comedy show, Top Lista Nadrealista, which even had songs dedicated to him.
Safet Sušić's Family Life
Safet Sušić comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Sead Sušić, was also a footballer. Safet's nephew, Tino-Sven Sušić, is also a footballer! Tino-Sven even played for Sarajevo and was part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, just like his uncle Safet. Safet's mother, Paša, passed away in 2018 at the age of 96.
Safet Sušić: Player Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sarajevo | 1973–74 | Yugoslav First League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 1974–75 | 33 | 11 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 | 11 | |||
| 1975–76 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 | 2 | |||
| 1976–77 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 3 | – | 31 | 12 | |||
| 1977–78 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 8 | |||
| 1978–79 | 30 | 15 | 1 | 0 | – | 31 | 15 | |||
| 1979–80 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 1 | – | 38 | 18 | |||
| 1980–81 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1981–82 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 | 11 | |||
| 1982–83 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 13 | ||
| Total | 221 | 86 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 244 | 96 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1982–83 | French Division 1 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 8 | ||||
| 1983–84 | 38 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 9 | |||||
| 1984–85 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 34 | 12 | |||||
| 1985–86 | 37 | 10 | – | 37 | 10 | |||||
| 1986–87 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||||
| 1987–88 | 24 | 3 | – | 24 | 3 | |||||
| 1988–89 | 34 | 7 | – | 34 | 7 | |||||
| 1989–90 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 36 | 8 | |||||
| 1990–91 | 37 | 10 | – | 37 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 287 | 67 | 14 | 4 | 344 | 85 | ||||
| Red Star | 1991–92 | Division 2 | 17 | 3 | – | 17 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 525 | 155 | 20 | 8 | 605 | 184 | ||||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yugoslavia | 1977 | 4 | 5 |
| 1978 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1979 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1980 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1981 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 5 | 3 | |
| 1984 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 10 | 1 | |
| Total | 54 | 21 | |
International Goals Scored
- Scores and results list Yugoslavia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sušić goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 October 1977 | Budapest, Hungary |  Hungary |
1–2 | 3–4 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3–4 | |||||
| 3 | 13 November 1977 | Bucharest, Romania |  Romania |
1–1 | 6–4 | 1978 World Cup qualifier |
| 4 | 3–3 | |||||
| 5 | 4–3 | |||||
| 6 | 13 June 1979 | Maksimir, Zagreb, Yugoslavia |  Italy |
1–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 2–1 | |||||
| 8 | 3–1 | |||||
| 9 | 16 September 1979 | Marakana, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Argentina |
1–0 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 2–0 | |||||
| 11 | 3–0 | |||||
| 12 | 30 March 1980 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia | Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | Balkan Cup |
| 13 | 27 August 1980 | Bucharest, Romania | Romania |
1–3 | 1–4 | Balkan Cup |
| 14 | 10 September 1980 | Luxembourg, Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
1–0 | 5–0 | 1982 World Cup qualifier |
| 15 | 12 October 1983 | JNA, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Norway |
2–0 | 2–1 | Euro 1984 qualifier |
| 16 | 21 December 1983 | Poljud, Split, Yugoslavia |  Bulgaria |
1–1 | 3–2 | Euro 1984 qualifier |
| 17 | 2–1 | |||||
| 18 | 2 June 1984 | Lisbon, Portugal |  Portugal |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 19 | 7 June 1984 | La Línea, Spain |  Spain |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 20 | 19 November 1988 | JNA, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  France |
2–2 | 3–2 | 1990 World Cup qualifier |
| 21 | 19 June 1990 | Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy |  United Arab Emirates |
1–0 | 4–1 | 1990 World Cup |
Safet Sušić: Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Cannes | 1 July 1994 | 11 September 1995 | 52 | 20 | 9 | 23 | 83 | 75 | +8 | 38.46 |
| İstanbulspor | 25 September 1996 | 30 June 1999 | 102 | 45 | 25 | 32 | 178 | 148 | +30 | 44.12 |
| Al Hilal | 1 February 2001 | 30 June 2001 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 33.33 |
| Konyaspor | 1 October 2004 | 30 June 2005 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 58 | 53 | +5 | 35.71 |
| Ankaragücü | 23 September 2005 | 9 February 2006 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 38.46 |
| Çaykur Rizespor | 15 September 2006 | 19 January 2007 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | +0 | 40.00 |
| Çaykur Rizespor | 31 August 2007 | 1 February 2008 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 24 | −6 | 42.86 |
| Ankaraspor | 6 March 2008 | 30 June 2008 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 50.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 29 December 2009 | 17 November 2014 | 49 | 23 | 9 | 17 | 83 | 49 | +34 | 46.94 |
| Évian | 12 July 2015 | 11 January 2016 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 37 | 33 | +4 | 30.43 |
| Alanyaspor | 27 January 2017 | 25 December 2017 | 35 | 13 | 5 | 17 | 62 | 64 | −2 | 37.14 |
| Akhisarspor | 30 June 2018 | 17 September 2018 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13 | −3 | 16.67 |
| Total | 343 | 139 | 75 | 129 | 573 | 498 | +75 | 40.52 | ||
Safet Sušić's Awards and Trophies
As a Player
Paris Saint-Germain
- French Division 1: 1985–86
- Coupe de France: 1982–83
Individual Awards
- Sport Ideal European XI: 1979
- ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 1979, 1984
- Ligue 1 Foreign Player of the Year: 1982–83
- Yugoslav Footballer of the Year: 1979
- UEFA Jubilee Awards – Greatest Bosnian Footballer of the last 50 Years: 2003
- Yugoslav First League Top Goalscorer: 1979–80 (17 goals)
As a Manager
Akhisarspor
- Turkish Super Cup: 2018
Individual Awards
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Manager of the Year: 2013
Other Special Awards
- Sixth April Award of Sarajevo: 1981
See also
In Spanish: Safet Sušić para niños
