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Croatian footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Željko Sopić (born 26 July 1974) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player.
|
Sopić with Al-Ain in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 July 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, Republic of Croatia | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1998 | NK Zagreb | 94 | (3) |
| 1998–2000 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 52 | (3) |
| 2000–2005 | LR Ahlen | 126 | (20) |
| 2005–2006 | NK Zagreb | 20 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Slaven Belupo | 62 | (2) |
| 2008–2011 | Lokomotiva | 87 | (9) |
| Total | 441 | (37) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Croatia B | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2015 | Rudeš | ||
| 2015–2016 | Dinamo Zagreb II | ||
| 2016 | Dinamo Zagreb (caretaker) | ||
| 2017–2019 | Al-Ain B | ||
| 2019 | Al-Ain (caretaker) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Sabah | ||
| 2022–2023 | Gorica | ||
| 2023–2024 | Rijeka | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sopić started his professional career with NK Zagreb in 1994 and spent four years with the club's first team before leaving for Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1998. He made 23 appearances and scored two goals in his only season in the German top flight. He went on to spend another season with Mönchengladbach in the 2. Bundesliga, following their relegation from the first division in 1999, before moving to league rivals LR Ahlen in the summer of 2000. He played for Ahlen until 2005, bringing his record in the 2. Bundesliga to a total of 155 appearances and 21 goals. He then returned to NK Zagreb for the 2005–06 season, before joining to NK Slaven Belupo, in the summer of 2006. In 2008 he came back to Zagreb but he has played for NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in the Croatian First Football League.
He also won two international caps for the Croatian B national team, against Romania in 1998 and France in 1999.[1]
Sopić started as a manager with NK Rudeš in 2012. He managed a club to 2015, and in 2016 he was named the caretaker manager for Dinamo Zagreb, after Zoran Mamić had left. Before that, Sopić worked as the manager for Dinamo Zagreb II in the Croatian Second Football League, and after as the assistant manager for Ivaylo Petev in Dinamo Zagreb. On 30 January 2017, Sopić became the assistant for Zoran Mamić in Al-Ain, but two years later, on 30 January 2019, Mamić left Al-Ain and Sopić became the manager for club.[2]
On 26 November, Sabah announced the appointment of Sopić on an 18-month contract.[3] He was named manager of Gorica in November 2022, replacing Igor Angelovski.[4]
Sopić is the father of the German-born footballer Leon Sopić.[5]
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| Dinamo Zagreb II | 22 September 2015 | 30 June 2016 | 25 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 32.00 |
| Dinamo Zagreb (caretaker) | 19 September 2016 | 29 September 2016 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 66.67 |
| Sabah FK | 27 November 2019 | 3 July 2020 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 27.27 |
| Gorica | 28 November 2022 | 22 August 2023 | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 27 | 28 | −1 | 29.17 |
| Rijeka | 23 August 2023 | Present | 43 | 26 | 9 | 8 | 78 | 33 | +45 | 60.47 |
| Career total | 106 | 46 | 28 | 32 | 147 | 110 | +37 | 43.40 | ||
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