Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Igor Jovićević

Igor Jovićević
Jovićević in 2015
Personal information
Full name Igor Jovićević
Date of birth (1973-11-30) 30 November 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Ludogorets Razgrad (manager)
Youth career
1988–1991 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1995 Real Madrid Castilla 79 (15)
1996–1999 NK Zagreb 10 (0)
1999 Yokohama F. Marinos 1 (0)
2000 Guarani 4 (0)
2000–2001 NK Zagreb 0 (0)
2001–2002 Metz 0 (0)
2002 Shenyang Dongjin 24 (2)
2003 Karpaty Lviv 26 (2)
2003 Karpaty-2 Lviv 1 (0)
2004 Zhuhai
Total 145 (19)
International career
1994–1995 Croatia U21 8 (0)
Managerial career
2014–2015 Karpaty Lviv (caretaker)
2015–2016 Karpaty Lviv
2016–2017 Celje
2017–2020 Dinamo Zagreb II
2018–2020 Dinamo Zagreb U19
2020 Dinamo Zagreb
2020–2022 Dnipro-1
2022–2023 Shakhtar Donetsk
2023–2024 Al-Raed
2024– Ludogorets Razgrad
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Igor Jovićević (Croatian pronunciation: [îgor jovǐːtɕevitɕ]; born 30 November 1973) is a Croatian football manager and former professional footballer.

Playing career

After being labeled as the new Zvonimir Boban while playing in the youth team of the most successful Croatian club, Dinamo Zagreb, with only 17 years he signed, in summer of 1991, a contract with Real Madrid. His transfer cost was one million dollars, however, the contract was based on the fact that the Merengues, in case of lining him in the first team, would have to pay a total of five million, being that the probable cause of having him playing in the B squad. There, he was trained by Rafael Benítez, among others, and had an opportunity of playing along some youngsters, like Raúl and Guti.

On 11 June 1995, he gets injured while playing against Ukraine with the Croatia national under-21 team. After having a one-year pause due to injury, he returned to Croatia to play with another club from the Croatian capital, NK Zagreb. After that, he played with J. League Division 1 club Yokohama F. Marinos, Brazilian club Guarani Futebol Clube and a short spell in France with FC Metz before moving to China to play with Shenyang Dongjin, a discrete passage in Ukraine with Karpaty Lviv before finishing his career in China, again, with a new knee ligaments injury, aged 32. After retiring, he returned to Spain, this time to Marbella, where he owns a bar.[1]

Managerial career

Jovićević managing Karpaty Lviv in 2014

Karpaty Lviv

In 2010, Jovićević was named the transfer director of Karpaty Lviv. In the 2012–13 season, he managed the U21 squad, and in the 2013–14 season, he led the U19 squad. Following the dismissal of Oleksandr Sevidov in the summer of 2014, he was appointed, initially as caretaker manager, of the senior squad of the club, while in 2015, he was named the head coach.

Celje

On 10 October 2016, Jovićević took over Slovenian PrvaLiga club Celje.[2] On 19 June 2017, he terminated the contract.

Dinamo Zagreb

On 20 July 2017, Jovićević took over Dinamo Zagreb II as the head coach, while on 1 July 2018, he was named the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb U19.[3] Managing the U19 squad, he won two Croatian league championships, the FIFA Youth Cup, and led the team in the final of the Premier League International Cup, which they lost to Bayern Munich. He also led the team to the quarter-finals in the UEFA Youth League twice.

On 22 April 2020, following the dismissal of Nenad Bjelica, Jovićević was announced as the new head coach of Dinamo Zagreb.[4] He debuted as Dinamo manager in the 3–1 away win against Varaždin.[5] On 6 July 2020, following the 0–2 away defeat against Rijeka, Jovićević and Dinamo came to a mutual agreement on the early termination of his contract.[6]

Dnipro-1

On 22 September 2020, following the dismissal of Dmytro Mykhailenko, Jovićević was announced as the new head coach of Dnipro-1.[7] He debuted as manager in the 4-1 defeat away against FC Oleksandriya.[8]

Shakhtar Donetsk

On 14 July 2022, Jovićević was announced as the new head coach of Shakhtar Donetsk.[9]

Al-Raed

On 9 July 2023, Jovićević was appointed as the manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Raed.[10]

Personal life

His father, Čedomir "Čedo" Jovićević (1952–2020) born in Žabljak, Montenegro, was the famous defender of Dinamo Zagreb, playing ten years with the most successful Croatian club. His mother, Sanja, is from Zagreb.[11][12]

Igor is married and has two sons: Filip and Marcos, both players of the Dinamo Zagreb Academy.

Career statistics

[13]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup Total
1999 Yokohama F. Marinos J1 League 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Managerial statistics

As of 20 December 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Karpaty Lviv 18 June 2014 31 December 2015 46 12 12 22 026.09
NK Celje 10 October 2016 19 June 2017 19 7 8 4 036.84
Dinamo Zagreb II 20 July 2017 22 April 2020 78 35 19 24 044.87
Dinamo Zagreb U19 1 July 2018 22 April 2020 15 10 3 2 066.67
Dinamo Zagreb 22 April 2020 6 July 2020 7 3 2 2 042.86
Dnipro-1 22 September 2020 14 July 2022 46 25 6 15 054.35
Shakhtar Donetsk 14 July 2022 30 June 2023 40 24 10 6 060.00
Al Raed 1 July 2023 1 June 2024 35 9 10 16 025.71
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 26 September 2024 - 18 12 4 2 066.67
Total 267 120 63 84 044.94

Honours

Manager

Shakhtar Donetsk

Dinamo Zagreb U19

Individual

Further reading

  • Tempo (Serbia magazine) (16 October 1991). "Tempo magazine #1338, pgs. 2-3" (in Serbo-Croatian).

References

  1. ^ Interview and short career story at Jutarnji List.
  2. ^ "Jovičević preuzeo Celje: Ne poznajem nogomet u Sloveniji". www.goal.com. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Igor Jovičević novi trener Dinama II". gnkdinamo.hr. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Igor Jovićević - novi trener GNK Dinamo". gnkdinamo.hr. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. ^ Damir Ivančić (6 June 2020). "FOTO Varaždin dobro odigrao drugo poluvrijeme ali Dinamo odnosi bodove". evarazdin.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Dinamo i Igor Jovićević sporazumno raskinuli ugovor". gnkdinamo.hr (in Croatian). 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  7. ^ "ІГОР ЙОВІЧЕВІЧ ОЧОЛИВ "ДНІПРО-1"". SC Dnipro-1 (in Ukrainian). 22 September 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  8. ^ "ВАЖКИЙ ДЕБЮТ". SC Dnipro-1 (in Ukrainian). 26 September 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Igor Jovicevic is Shakhtar's new head coach". Shakhtar Donetsk. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  10. ^ "إيغور جوفيتشفتش مدرباً للرائد السعودي".
  11. ^ Tempo (Serbia magazine) (16 October 1991). "Tempo magazine #1338, pgs. 2-3" (in Serbo-Croatian).
  12. ^ "TUŽNA VELIKA SUBOTA ZA DINAMOVU OBITELJ Preminuo je legendarni bivši branič 'Modrih', čovjek koji je za zagrebački klub odigrao 390 utakmica". sportske.jutarnji.hr. 11 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  13. ^ "横浜F・マリノス外国人選手名鑑". www1.odn.ne.jp. Retrieved 22 October 2018.