 Slišković asBosnia and Herzegovina head coach in 2002 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1959-05-30)30 May 1959 (age 66) | ||
| Place of birth | Mostar,FR Bosnia and Herzegovina,FPR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1976–1981 | Velež Mostar | 123 | (25) |
| 1981–1986 | Hajduk Split | 101 | (21) |
| 1986–1987 | Marseille | 29 | (6) |
| 1987–1988 | Pescara | 23 | (8) |
| 1988–1989 | Lens | 15 | (1) |
| 1989–1990 | Mulhouse | 27 | (8) |
| 1991–1992 | Rennes | 22 | (0) |
| 1992–1993 | Pescara | 18 | (2) |
| 1993–1995 | Hrvatski Dragovoljac | 5 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| Total | 363 | (71) | |
| International career | |||
| 1978–1986 | Yugoslavia | 26 | (3) |
| 1993 | Bosnia and Herzegovina XI | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Hrvatski Dragovoljac | ||
| 1998–1999 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| 1999–2000 | Brotnjo | ||
| 2002–2006 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
| 2004–2005 | Hajduk Split | ||
| 2005–2007 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| 2008 | Tirana | ||
| 2010 | Unirea Alba Iulia | ||
| 2011 | Široki Brijeg | ||
| 2011 | Al-Ansar | ||
| 2012 | Qingdao Jonoon | ||
| 2015 | Široki Brijeg | ||
| 2017–2018 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| 2018–2019 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| 2019–2020 | Kitchee | ||
| 2021 | Željezničar | ||
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Blaž "Baka"Slišković (pronounced[blâːʒslîʃkoʋitɕ];[1] born 30 May 1959) is a Bosnian professionalfootball manager and formerplayer who played as amidfielder. Nicknamed the "BalkanMaradona", he was admired for his composure and flair on the ball.[2]
Slišković is most known for his time playing at hometown clubVelež Mostar,Hajduk Split,Marseille andPescara. He was capped 26 times forYugoslavia in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers,[3] Slišković's most memorable moments were narrowly missing out on qualifyingBosnia and Herzegovina forUEFA Euro 2004, as well as guidingZrinjski Mostar to back-to-backBosnian Premier League titles in 2017 and 2018.
During his playing days, Slišković was considered one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. In 1985, he was named theYugoslav Footballer of the Year. He had the most success while playing for hometown clubVelež Mostar and Croatian clubHajduk Split. With Velež, Slišković won the1980–81 Yugoslav Cup and the1980–81 Balkans Cup, while with Hajduk he won the1983–84 Yugoslav Cup and was also part of the Hajduk team that made it all the way to thesemi-finals of the1983–84 UEFA Cup.
Slišković was most famous while playing for FrenchLigue 1 clubMarseille. After Marseille, Slišković played in Italy withPescara, before returning to France and playing forLens,Mulhouse andRennes. In 1992, he returned to Italy and came back to Pescara. In 1993, Slišković left Italy and joined Croatian clubHrvatski Dragovoljac, where he stayed until 1995. Finally, in 1996 he joined Bosnian clubZrinjski Mostar, where he eventually finished his career in 1997 at the age of 38.
In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of Hajduk Split, Slišković was chosen in the "Hajduk Split Best 11 of all-time".[4]
Although most experts expected Slišković to make a great international career, he was only capped 26 times forYugoslavia. He scored three goals in the process.[5] Slišković was prevented from playing in the1982 FIFA World Cup due to an injury, sustained in the second half during a1981–82 Yugoslav First League match betweenOFK Beograd andHajduk Split. He then lost his place in theUEFA Euro 1984 Yugoslav squad after, allegedly, a Yugoslav-printed newspaper journalist quoted Slišković incorrectly after an interview after afriendly game between Yugoslavia andSwitzerland (0–2) and caused the national team head coach,Todor Veselinović, to drop him from the squad. His final international was a November 1986European Championship qualification match away againstEngland.[6]
Slišković began to play for theBosnia and Herzegovina national team after thebreakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. He played three unofficial friendly games for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993 as thecaptain in all three games.[7][8]
Right after ending his playing career, Slišković became the new manager ofHrvatski Dragovoljac in 1997. He managed Dragovoljac until 1998, after which he joinedZrinjski Mostar. In January 1999, Slišković joinedBrotnjo and won theHerzeg-Bosnia Cup with the club in May of that same year.
In the winter of 2000, he left Brotnjo and became an assistant manager toMišo Smajlović in theBosnia and Herzegovina national team. Slišković became the head coach of the national team in March 2002, after Smajlović left the team because of his contract expiring. Slišković stayed as the head coach until 2006.[9] In 2004, he won the award "Best Bosnia and Herzegovina Coach" byDnevni avaz and the "Bosnia and Herzegovina Man of the Year" also in 2004. While Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach, on 24 August 2004, Slišković replacedIvan Katalinić and simultaneously became the newHajduk Split manager.[10] On 10 April 2005, he got sacked at Hajduk.[11]
From 2005 until 2007, Slišković once again managed Zrinjski Mostar, making decent results. By the summer of 2008, he was appointed manager ofAlbanian Superliga clubTirana, but shortly after left the club in December of that year. In March 2010, Romanian clubUnirea Alba Iulia hired Slišković until the end of the season, replacingAdrian Falub.[12] In April 2011, he again came back to Bosnia and Herzegovina taking the manager position atBosnian Premier League clubŠiroki Brijeg, reaching the fourth position in the2010–11 Bosnian Premier League season and qualifying for the2011–12 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.
On 19 January 2012,Chinese Super League sideQingdao Jonoon announced that they signed a contract with Slišković to replace South Korean managerChang Woe-ryong.[13] From April to June 2015, he once again managed Široki Brijeg.
In March 2017, Slišković again took the manager position at Zrinjski Mostar for the third time in his career,[14] eventually leading the team to win the Bosnian Premier League in the2016–17 season. In the2017–18 season, he won his second league title in a row with Zrinjski. After winning two league trophies, Slišković left Zrinjski in June 2018.[15] However, after the sacking of new managerAnte Miše, the club asked Slišković to return, which he agreed to on 13 August 2018.[16] After the end of the2018–19 Bosnian Premier League season, it was announced on 7 June 2019 that Slišković did not come to an agreement with the board of directors of Zrinjski on a contract extension and that he was leaving the club.[17]
Shortly after leaving Zrinjski, on 3 July 2019, Slišković became the new manager ofHong Kong Premier League clubKitchee, signing a two-year contract.[18] On 23 March 2020, he stepped down and transitioned to a consultancy role with the club.[19]
AfterAmar Osim got sacked as manager by Bosnian Premier League clubŽeljezničar on 11 April 2021 due to poor results, three days later, on 14 April, Slišković was named as its new manager.[20] In his first game as manager, Željezničar drew againstRadnik Bijeljina on 18 April 2021.[21] Slišković oversaw his first loss as Željezničar manager on 25 April 2021, in a league game againstOlimpik.[22] In his first everSarajevo derby, Slišković's Željezničar lost againstFK Sarajevo away in a league match on 1 May 2021.[23] Slišković left Željezničar after his contract with the club expired in June 2021.
In July 2011, French football manager and former player,Zinedine Zidane, named Slišković as one of his idols while growing up and included him in his "All Time Best 11" ofMarseille.[24] Additionally,Gianluigi Buffon, widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, also revealed Slišković as his first idol during the latter's first stint atPescara.[25]
Slišković was born inMostar,FPR Yugoslavia, present day Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 30 May 1959 toBosnian Croat parents. He was married toBosnian Serb handball playerSvetlana Kitić. Slišković's father Vladko played forVelež Mostar for 15 years.[26] Slišković's sonVladimir is also a professionalfootballmanager.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 September 1979 | Marakana,Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Argentina | 4–1 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 31 October 1979 | Gradski Stadion,Kosovska Mitrovica, Yugoslavia |  Romania | 2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying |
| 3 | 25 March 1981 | Gradski Stadion,Subotica, Yugoslavia |  Bulgaria | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 27 March 2002 | 11 October 2006 | 37 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 56 | −12 | 029.73 |
| Hajduk Split | 24 August 2004 | 10 April 2005 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 41 | 23 | +18 | 060.87 |
| Zrinjski Mostar | 2 August 2005 | 14 October 2007 | 82 | 41 | 13 | 28 | 146 | 94 | +52 | 050.00 |
| Unirea Alba Iulia | 12 March 2010 | 25 June 2010 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 30 | −16 | 028.57 |
| Široki Brijeg | 24 March 2011 | 4 June 2011 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 10 | +15 | 066.67 |
| Al-Ansar | 1 July 2011 | 31 October 2011 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 000.00 |
| Qingdao Jonoon | 20 January 2012 | 13 March 2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Široki Brijeg | 19 April 2015 | 30 June 2015 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 18 | +1 | 027.27 |
| Zrinjski Mostar | 23 March 2017 | 11 June 2018 | 45 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 057.78 |
| Zrinjski Mostar | 13 August 2018 | 7 June 2019 | 34 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 52 | 26 | +26 | 055.88 |
| Kitchee | 3 July 2019 | 22 March 2020 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 44 | 22 | +22 | 055.00 |
| Željezničar | 14 April 2021 | 1 June 2021 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 000.00 |
| Total | 286 | 137 | 61 | 88 | 467 | 334 | +133 | 047.90 | ||
Velež Mostar
Hajduk Split
Yugoslavia U21
Yugoslavia
Individual
Brotnjo
Zrinjski Mostar
Individual
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