Ivan Jovanović (football manager)

Ivan Jovanović
Jovanović in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth (1962-07-08) 8 July 1962 (age 61)
Place of birth Loznica, FPR Yugoslavia
Position(s) Midfielder
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
2002–2003 Iraklis
2003–2005 APOEL
2005–2006 Panachaiki
2007 Iraklis
2008–2013 APOEL
2013–2016 Al Nasr
2018 Al Nasr
2019–2020 United Arab Emirates
2021–2024 Panathinaikos
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ivan Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Иван Јовановић; born 8 July 1962) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player who most recently was the manager of Greek Super League club Panathinaikos.

Playing career

Jovanović played for FK 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

Greece

Ivan Jovanović started his managerial career on 2001 at Greek side Niki Volou. He then worked for Iraklis and Panachaiki.

APOEL

During his managerial career at APOEL he won 9 trophies, 4 Championships, 1 Cup and 4 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 Olympique Lyonnais 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 have 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]

South Africa

On 22 December 2019, Ivan was appointed as the new coach of the South Africa national team.[7] On 6 April 2020 the South Africa 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. At the 18th of May 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 8 years. On October 29, 2022, after a 5–1 away win on Volos F.C., Jovanović's coaching set a new record for the best league start in the club's history, with ten straight wins in ten games in Superleague, Greece's top football division.

Managerial statistics

As of match played 20 December 2023
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Greece Iraklis 28 May 2002 28 December 2002 18 8 4 6 044.44
Cyprus APOEL 25 November 2003 6 March 2005 53 36 10 7 067.92
Greece Panachaiki 1 November 2005 10 April 2006 23 5 7 11 021.74
Greece Iraklis 6 February 2007 17 December 2007 23 8 6 9 034.78
Cyprus APOEL 7 January 2008 30 June 2013 247 155 45 47 062.75
United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 18 Jun 2013 29 October 2016 141 64 36 41 045.39
United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr 19 January 2018 15 December 2018 30 15 5 10 050.00
Greece Panathinaikos 1 July 2021 26 December 2023 112 63 22 27 056.25
Total 647 354 135 158 054.71

Honours

Manager

APOEL

Al-Nasr

Panathinaikos

Individual

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. 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. ^ Georgakopoulos, George (May 22, 2022). "Panathinaikos ends eight-year trophy drought lifting the Greek Cup". Ekathimerini. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "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.