| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1942-01-21)21 January 1942 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgrade,Nazi-occupied Serbia | ||
| Date of death | 13 June 2018(2018-06-13) (aged 76) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957-1961 | Železnik | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1966 | Priština | ||
| 1966 | Partizan | 12 | (11) |
| 1967–1968 | Oakland Clippers | 14 | (2) |
| 1969 | Heracles | 6 | (0) |
| 1969–1971 | Rennes | 52 | (21) |
| 1971–1972 | Rouen | 19 | (9) |
| 1973–1974 | Rapid Lienz | ||
| 1975–1976 | SW Bregenz | ||
| 1976–1977 | Rita Berlaar | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1973-1974 | Rapid Lienz (player/manager) | ||
| 1975-1976 | SW Bregenz (player/manager) | ||
| 1976-1977 | Rita Berlaar (player/manager) | ||
| 1978-1979 | Železnik | ||
| 1979-1980 | Srem SM | ||
| 1980-1982 | Kabwe Warriors | ||
| 1982-1983 | JS Kairouan | ||
| 1983-1984 | YUMCO Vranje | ||
| 1985-1986 | Srem SM | ||
| 1987-1989 | Trudbenik | ||
| 1990-1993 | Al Wasl (asst.) | ||
| 1995-1997 | Ittihad (asst.) | ||
| 1997-1998 | Sharjah (asst.) | ||
| 1998-2000 | Ittihad (asst.) | ||
| 1999-2001 | Al Wahda (asst.) | ||
| 2003 | Al Ahli Jeddah | ||
| 2005 | Al Ahli Jeddah | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ilija Lukić (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Лукић; 21 January 1942 – 13 June 2018) was a Yugoslavfootballer who played as aforward.
Lukić started playing in the youth teams of Belgrade'sFK Železnik. In 1961, at age 19, he joined Second LeagueFK Priština and he was soon regarded as one of the finest strikers in the country. That made attention turn to him and he signed with theFK Partizan that was having that season their historic achievement of reaching the1966 European Cup Final that they lost to Real Madrid. After not getting many opportunities to play, he was moving next season to the California basedOakland Clippers where he would help the club win the 1967National Professional Soccer League. Next year, he was back to Europe first in Dutch clubHeracles Almelo and, after a disappointing season there, to Franch Ligue 1 clubStade Rennais. He stayed four seasons there becoming very popular among the fans. During this time the club had their most enjoyable period, winning theFrench Cup in 1971. Following season he moved to another Ligue 1 clubFC Rouen before moving to Austria where he was appointed player-manager of Second League Rapid Lienz.[1] Eventually achieving their goal to play in the newly inauguratedBundesliga, he finished his playing career as a player-manager of Belgian FC Berlaar.
During his successful, 30-year coaching career, he worked in 13 different clubs,[2] at eight countries on three continents.[3]
He worked as an assistant toDimitri Davidović in the Middle East and won four national championships: a treble withAl-Ittihad (Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia and one in UAE withAl Wasl. As the first coach of Al-Ittihad he also lifted four national cups in Saudi Arabia, and two in UAE, one with Al-Wasl and another withSharjah FC. Together with Davidović he won in 1999 with Al-Ittihad theAsian Cup Winners Cup. As the manager ofAl Ahli Jeddah he won in 2002 three big trophies: the Prince Faysal bin Fahad Tournament for Arab Clubs (later becoming theArab Champions League, the Golf Club Champions Cup and Saudi Federation Cup.
He earned his degree in football from a Higher Coaching School of theBelgrade University's Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, as well as a Diploma from a University of California, San Francisco.
Lukić was married to Mirjana and had two children, a son Ivan and a daughter Maria.[4]