Ivan Jovanović (football manager)

Ivan Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Иван Јовановић; born 8 July 1962) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Greek National Team.

Ivan Jovanović

Jovanović in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth	(1962-07-08) 8 July 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth	Loznica, FPR Yugoslavia
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Greece (manager)
Youth career
1974–1980	Loznica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1984	Loznica
1984–1989	Rad	121	(15)
1989–1999	Iraklis	271	(52)
Managerial career
2001–2002	Niki Volos
2002	Iraklis
2003–2005	APOEL
2005–2006	Panachaiki
2007	Iraklis
2008–2013	APOEL
2013–2016	Al Nasr
2018	Al Nasr
2019–2020	United Arab Emirates
2021–2023	Panathinaikos
2024–	Greece
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Jovanović played for Rad in the Yugoslav First League during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons.^[1] The next season, he transferred to the Greek side Iraklis, where he played until the end of his career. During his spell in Iraklis, Jovanović evolved into one of the highest quality foreign players who ever played for the team.

Managerial career

Early career

Ivan Jovanović began his managerial career in 2001 at Greek side Niki Volos. He then coached Iraklis and Panachaiki.

APOEL

During his managerial career at APOEL he won nine trophies: four Championships, one Cup and four Super Cups. He also helped APOEL to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time in their history in 2009. Two years later, he repeated his achievement and just not only helped APOEL to qualify for the group stages of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, but achieved also to qualify for the quarter-finals by topping their group, beating Lyon in the last 16 on penalties, before being knocked-out by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. He is considered as the most successful manager in the history of APOEL.

During his seven-year spell at APOEL he has been awarded the "Coach of the Season" award by Cyprus Football Association six times. He has also been awarded the "Serbian Coach of the Year" award by Football Association of Serbia in 2011.

On 30 April 2013, APOEL announced that Ivan Jovanović decided to leave at the end of the 2012–13 season, after five-and-a-half consecutive (and seven in total) successful years in the club.^[2]

Al Nasr

On 18 June 2013, Jovanović was announced as the new head coach of the Emirati club Al Nasr, having signed a two-year contract.^[3] On 19 May 2014, Jovanović led his team to a 2–1 victory over Saham in the 2014 GCC Champions League final and won his first trophy as Al Nasr's manager.^[4]

On 29 October 2016, Al Nasr sacked Jovanović from the technical command of the first football team, after failing to adjust the repeated technical errors.^[5]

On 19 January 2018, Al Nasr re-appointed Jovanović to replace Cesare Prandelli.

On 2 December 2018, Jovanović was sacked for a second time after a mixed start of the 2018–19 UAE Pro-League season.^[6]

United Arab Emirates

On 22 December 2019, Ivan was appointed as the new coach of the UAE national team.^[7] On 6 April 2020 the Emirati FA announced the termination of his contract.^[8]

Panathinaikos

On June 17, 2021, it was announced that Jovanović had been appointed as head coach of Panathinaikos under a one-year contract.^[9] He earned victory in his first Super League game for the Greens, beating Apollon Smyrnis 4–0.^[10] Under his management the team managed to reach its major goal, which was returning to European Competitions, after finishing 4th in the Super League.^[11] On May 18th 2022, he signed a two years extension with the club. Three days later, the team won the Greek Cup, the first title for the team in eight years against PAOK with a penalty kick.^[12] In the 2022–23 season, they were eliminated in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League by Slavia Prague, failing the club's aim to return to European groups after a six-year absence.^[13] In the Super League, Panathinaikos finished first in the regular season, but second in the play-offs,^[14] and eliminated in the Greek Cup, by PAOK in the quarter-finals.^[15] In the 2023–24 season, they reached the UEFA Champions League play offs knocking out Dnipro and Marseille, only to be eliminated by Braga and continue in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League for the first time since the 2016–17 season.^[16][17] In the group stage, they finished in fourth place with four points and were left out of UEFA European Competitions, while in the Super League, after the 3–2 defeat by Atromitos, Jovanović was rumoured to be sacked by the board. After a 3–0 win against Volos in late December, he was relieved of his duties, with Panathinaikos sitting in second place. He was replaced by Fatih Terim.^[18]

Greece

Jovanović signed for Greece in 2024 with the intention of staying until the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League, Greece upset England, beating them 2-1 at Wembley, earning praise by the media.^[19]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 17 November 2024

Team	From	To	Record
			P	W	D	L	Win %
Iraklis	28 May 2002	28 December 2002	18	8	4	6	044.44
APOEL	25 November 2003	6 March 2005	53	36	10	7	067.92
Panachaiki	1 November 2005	10 April 2006	23	5	7	11	021.74
Iraklis	6 February 2007	17 December 2007	23	8	6	9	034.78
APOEL	7 January 2008	30 June 2013	247	155	45	47	062.75
Al-Nasr	18 Jun 2013	29 October 2016	141	64	36	41	045.39
	19 January 2018	15 December 2018	30	15	5	10	050.00
Panathinaikos	1 July 2021	26 December 2023	112	63	22	27	056.25
Greece	1 August 2024	Present	6	5	0	1	083.33
Total			653	359	135	159	054.98

Honours

Manager

APOEL

• Cypriot First Division: 2003–04, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Cypriot Cup: 2007–08
• Cypriot Super Cup: 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011

Al-Nasr

• GCC Champions League: 2014
• UAE President's Cup: 2014–15
• UAE League Cup: 2014–15

Panathinaikos

• Greek Cup: 2021–22^[20]

Individual

• Manager of the Season (Cyprus): 2003–04, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
• Serbian Manager of the Year: 2011
• Super League Greece Manager of the Season: 2021–22
• Gazzetta Awards Manager of the Year in Greece: 2022^[21]

References

1. "Fudbal ex-YU 1945.-1992. > Igrači J". Fudbal ex-YU. Archived from the original on March 5, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2008.
2. Ανακοίνωση (in Greek). APOEL FC. April 30, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
3. "Ivan Jovanovic unveiled as new Al Nasr Head Coach - News - UAE Pro League Committee". uae.agleague.ae. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
4. "Emotional night in Dubai as Al Nasr beat Saham to win GCC Clubs Championship". thenational.ae. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
5. "Al Nasr Football Company decides to sack Jovanovic". www.alnasrclub.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
6. "AGL news: Al Nasr dismiss Ivan Jovanovic for a second time - Article - Sport360". sport360.com. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
7. "Ivan Jovanović je novi selektor Ujedinjenih Arapskih Emirata!". December 22, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
8. "Ivan Jovanovic sacked as UAE manager before taking charge of a game". The National. April 6, 2020.
9. "Ivan Jovanovic is Panathinaikos' new coach". ΠΑΕ ΠΑΝΑΘΗΝΑΪΚΟΣ (in Greek). June 17, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
10. "Greek Super League (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
11. Team, Onsports (May 17, 2022). "Η τελική βαθμολογία της Super League 2021-22 (photo)". Onsports.gr (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024.
12. ""Στημένο" Κύπελλο για ΠΑΟ, σφαγή ΠΑΟΚ - Δάκρυσε και ο Σπάθας με το πέναλτι - MMA ο Παλάσιος!". Sportdog.gr - Αθλητικά Νέα | Ειδήσεις | Sport (in Greek). May 23, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
13. Newsroom (August 11, 2022). "Παναθηναϊκός – Σλάβια Πράγας 1-1: Αποκλεισμός για το τριφύλλι". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
14. Κοντός, Χρήστος (May 14, 2023). "Superleague: Η ΑΕΚ πρωταθλήτρια για 13η φορά στην ιστορία της". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024.
15. "Ο calma Ολιβέιρα έστειλε τον ΠΑΟΚ στα ημιτελικά του Κυπέλλου με το 1-1 της Λεωφόρου κόντρα στον Παναθηναϊκό". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024.
16. "Παναθηναϊκός - Μπράγκα 0-1: Κρίμα κι άδικο για τους πράσινους, τα έδωσαν όλα, αλλά έμειναν εκτός Champions League". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024.
17. "Η επιστροφή του 'Ελλάς, Ευρώπη, Panathinaikos' και οι σκέψεις του Γιοβάνοβιτς για Βιγιαρεάλ". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). Retrieved February 25, 2024.
18. "Ατρόμητος - Παναθηναϊκός 3-2". www.google.com. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
19. "Pavlidis gives Greece stunning 1st-ever win over England". espn.com. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
20. Georgakopoulos, George (May 22, 2022). "Panathinaikos ends eight-year trophy drought lifting the Greek Cup". Ekathimerini. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
21. "Gazzetta Awards 2022 by bwin: Ο Ιβάν Γιοβάνοβιτς παρέλαβε το βραβείο του Προπονητή της Χρονιάς από την Άννα Βίσση | Gazzetta". www.gazzetta.gr (in Greek). Retrieved September 15, 2023.