Vahid Halilhodžić facts for kids
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Halilhodžić as head coach of Algeria in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vahid Halilhodžić | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 May 1952 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Jablanica, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia | |||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| –1968 | Turbina Jablanica | |||||||||
| 1968–1971 | Velež Mostar | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||
| 1971–1981 | Velež Mostar | 207 | (103) | |||||||
| 1971–1972 | → Neretva (loan) | 18 | (8) | |||||||
| 1981–1986 | Nantes | 163 | (93) | |||||||
| 1986–1987 | Paris Saint-Germain | 18 | (8) | |||||||
| Total | 406 | (211) | ||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||
| 1975–1978 | Yugoslavia U21 | 12 | (12) | |||||||
| 1976–1985 | Yugoslavia | 15 | (8) | |||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Velež Mostar | |||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Beauvais | |||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Raja Casablanca | |||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Lille | |||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Rennes | |||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Paris Saint-Germain | |||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Trabzonspor | |||||||||
| 2006 | Al-Ittihad | |||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Ivory Coast | |||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Dinamo Zagreb | |||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Algeria | |||||||||
| 2014 | Trabzonspor | |||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Japan | |||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Nantes | |||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Morocco | |||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||
Vahid Halilhodžić (born on May 15, 1952) is a famous Bosnian football manager and former player. He is known for successfully coaching many national teams. However, he sometimes had disagreements with his teams and players.
As a player, Halilhodžić was considered one of the best in Yugoslavia. He played for Velež Mostar and French clubs Nantes and Paris Saint-Germain. He also played 15 times for the Yugoslavia national team. He helped Yugoslavia win the 1978 European Under-21 Championship. He also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He was the top scorer in the French league in 1983 and 1985.
After retiring as a player in 1987, Halilhodžić became a coach in the early 1990s. He managed many teams in French-speaking countries. His achievements include winning the 1997 CAF Champions League with Raja Casablanca. He also led Lille from the second division to third place in Ligue 1. He won the 2003–04 Coupe de France with Paris Saint-Germain. In 2011, he won the Croatian league with Dinamo Zagreb.
Halilhodžić also helped several national teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup. He led Ivory Coast to the 2010 World Cup. He also guided Algeria to the 2014 World Cup, where they reached the Round of 16. This was Algeria's best World Cup result ever. Later, he qualified Japan for the 2018 World Cup. Most recently, he led Morocco to the 2022 World Cup. However, he was often let go from these national teams just before the World Cup tournaments.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Football
Vahid Halilhodžić was born in Jablanica. He started playing football as a teenager at a local club called Turbina Jablanica. The club's field was very close to his home. At first, he didn't plan to become a professional player. He moved to Mostar at age 14 to study.
In Mostar, he joined the academy of Velež Mostar when he was 16. His brother, Salem, who was a striker for the club, encouraged him. After playing for two and a half years in the youth teams, he signed a professional contract. He was then loaned to Neretva Metković to gain experience.
Success with Velež Mostar
After his loan, Vahid quickly joined Velež Mostar's main team in the 1972–73 season. He formed a strong attacking duo with Dušan Bajević. They helped Velež finish second in the league that season. Halilhodžić became a key player for Velež throughout the 1970s. He played 376 matches and scored 253 goals for the club. This included 207 league appearances and 103 goals.
In 1981, he helped Velež win their first major trophy, the Yugoslav Cup. He scored two goals in their 3–2 win against Željezničar in the final. After this success, he moved to France in September 1981 to play for Nantes.
Playing in France
At Nantes, Vahid Halilhodžić became a regular player. In the 1982–83 season, he helped Nantes win their sixth French championship. He was also the league's top scorer with 27 goals. He spent five years at Nantes, scoring 92 goals in 163 league matches. He was also the league's top scorer again in the 1984–85 season with 28 goals.
In 1986, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for one year. He played 18 games and scored eight goals for PSG. He decided to retire from football after his mother passed away during that season.
International Football
Vahid Halilhodžić played 15 times for the Yugoslavia national team, scoring eight goals. In 1978, he played for the Yugoslavia under-21 team. He helped them win the 1978 European Under-21 Championship. He was even named the best player in that tournament.
He made his debut for the senior national team in June 1976. He also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in two matches during the tournament. He later shared that he wished he had been given a bigger role in the national team during his playing career.
Managerial Career
Early Coaching Success
In July 1997, Vahid Halilhodžić became the manager of Moroccan club Raja Casablanca. In his first season, he led them to win the 1997 CAF Champions League in December 1997. They also won the Moroccan Championship in May 1998. These wins made him well-known internationally.
In October 1998, he returned to France to coach Lille. The club was struggling in the second French division. In the 1999–2000 season, Halilhodžić's team won the league by a large margin. This earned them promotion to the top French league, Ligue 1.
Lille continued to play well in the next season. They finished third in the 2000–01 French Division 1. This meant they qualified for the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League for the first time ever.
Coaching Paris Saint-Germain
On October 14, 2002, he was hired by another Ligue 1 club, Rennes. He helped them avoid being relegated from the league. After his success with Lille and Rennes, he became a highly sought-after coach. In June 2003, he joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
In his first season at PSG, the club had a very successful year. They won the 2003–04 Coupe de France and finished second in the 2003–04 Ligue 1. This qualified them for the 2004–05 Champions League. However, his second season at PSG was not as successful. He was let go in February 2005.
Coaching National Teams
In May 2008, Halilhodžić was hired to coach the Ivory Coast national team. The team included famous players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré. They had an unbeaten run in African qualifiers for two years. They qualified for both the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2010. Halilhodžić was let go in February 2010, just months before the World Cup.
On August 16, 2010, he became the new manager of Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. He led Dinamo to win the domestic league title in 2011.
On June 22, 2011, the Algerian Football Federation announced that Halilhodžić would manage the Algeria national team. He successfully led Algeria to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. At the World Cup in Brazil, Algeria surprised many by beating South Korea and drawing with Russia. They progressed past the group stage for the first time in their history. In the Round of 16, they faced a strong Germany team. Algeria played very well but lost 1–2 in extra time. This was Algeria's best World Cup performance ever. Despite being offered a new contract, he left the team on July 7, 2014.
On March 12, 2015, Halilhodžić was appointed as the new manager of the Japan national team. He led Japan to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, he was dismissed in April 2018, just before the tournament. The Japan Football Association stated that poor results and a lack of communication with players were the reasons.
In October 2018, Halilhodžić returned to FC Nantes, a club he played for. He helped Nantes achieve a club record of five consecutive Ligue 1 wins in May 2019. He left Nantes in August 2019 due to disagreements with the club's owner.
In August 2019, he became the new manager of the Morocco national team. On March 29, 2022, Halilhodžić qualified Morocco for the 2022 World Cup. However, on August 11, 2022, he was officially let go by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. This was the third time he was dismissed from a national team just before a World Cup after successfully qualifying them.
Personal Life
During the Bosnian War in 1992, Vahid Halilhodžić was injured in Mostar but recovered. He became a French citizen in 1997. He is married and has two children. His main home is in Lille, France, where his family lives.
He speaks both Bosnian and French. In 2004, he was honored as a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French Republic.
Career Statistics
International Goals
- Scores and results table. Yugoslavia's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 October 1978 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Yugoslavia |  Spain |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying |
| 2 | 15 November 1978 | Gradski Stadion, Skopje, Yugoslavia |  Greece |
1–1 | 4–1 | 1977-80 Balkan Cup |
| 3 | 3–1 | |||||
| 4 | 4–1 | |||||
| 5 | 25 March 1981 | Gradski Stadion, Subotica, Yugoslavia |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 29 April 1981 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Yugoslavia | Greece |
2–0 | 5–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 21 November 1981 | Karađorđe Stadium, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia |  Luxembourg |
1–0 | 5–0 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 2–0 |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||||||
| Velež Mostar |  |
1 July 1990 | 30 June 1992 | 73 | 26 | 15 | 32 | 35.62 | ||||
| Beauvais |  |
1 July 1993 | 30 June 1994 | 45 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 26.67 | ||||
| Raja Casablanca |  |
1 October 1997 | 30 June 1998 | 45 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 62.22 | ||||
| Lille | |
1 September 1998 | 30 May 2002 | 160 | 80 | 40 | 40 | 50.00 | ||||
| Rennes | |
14 October 2002 | 30 June 2003 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 38.24 | ||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | |
1 July 2003 | 8 February 2005 | 80 | 37 | 24 | 19 | 46.25 | ||||
| Trabzonspor |  |
7 October 2005 | 30 May 2006 | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 50.00 | ||||
| Al-Ittihad |  |
5 June 2006 | 1 August 2006 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 62.50 | ||||
| Ivory Coast |  |
13 May 2008 | 27 February 2010 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 45.45 | ||||
| Dinamo Zagreb |  |
16 August 2010 | 24 May 2011 | 32 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 75.00 | ||||
| Algeria |  |
22 June 2011 | 7 July 2014 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 60.00 | ||||
| Trabzonspor | |
14 July 2014 | 10 November 2014 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 25.00 | ||||
| Japan |  |
12 March 2015 | 9 April 2018 | 38 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 55.26 | ||||
| Nantes | |
2 October 2018 | 2 August 2019 | 37 | 17 | 6 | 14 | 45.95 | ||||
| Morocco | |
15 August 2019 | 11 August 2022 | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 65.63 | ||||
| Career Total | 678 | 330 | 175 | 173 | 48.67 | |||||||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Velež Mostar
- Yugoslav Cup: 1980–81
Nantes
- Division 1: 1982–83
Yugoslavia U21
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 1978
- Ligue 1 Foreign Player of the Year: 1984, 1985
As a Manager
Raja Casablanca
- CAF Champions League: 1997
- Botola: 1997–98
Lille
- Division 2: 1999–2000
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France: 2003–04
Dinamo Zagreb
- 1. HNL: 2010–11
Individual Awards
- Division 2 Trainer of the Year: 1999
- French Manager of the Year: 2001
Special Recognition
Images for kids
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Halilhodžić greeting Lille supporters
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Halilhodžić with President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo in May 2008
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Algeria players training with Halilhodžić in January 2013
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See also
In Spanish: Vahid Halilhodžić para niños
