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Gallery
Career & Clubs
Ivanković spent his entire 12-season playing career at Varteks, appearing in a total of 263 matches and scoring 31 goals. He then continued to work at the club by first being their secretary and then starting his coaching career.
Croatia national team
Ivanković then became an assistant manager to Miroslav Blažević, who led the Croatia national team to a sensational third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup finals in France. In the 1999–2000 season, he coached German club Hannover 96, which was playing in the 2. Bundesliga at the time. He briefly returned to the Croatia national team as the assistant to Mirko Jozić during the qualifications for the 2002 World Cup, before he took over the Iran national team, where he replaced Blažević, who had managed them since 2001.
Iran
Ivanković was appointed to the head of the Iranian team on 29 January 2002. Under Ivanković, Iran's U23 football team won the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan. He remained the coach of the national team until the end of 2002, when he was replaced by Homayun Shahrokhi.
Ivanković had become very popular in Iran and the public media demanded a contract renewal, but the Football Federation was initially reluctant to appoint him as the head coach. Finally after a period of negotiations he was reappointed as the head coach of Iran on 3 October 2003. Ivanković led Iran to 2004 AFC Asian Cup third place. Ivanković also led Iran to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the third time in the country's history (they had previously been eliminated in the first round in 1978 and 1998).
2006 World Cup
Iran, at their opening game at the World Cup, matched evenly against Mexico in the first half, but conceded two goals in the…
- Club
- NK Varteks (1979–1990)
Trophies & Awards
- Award
- Order of Danica Hrvatska
Personal
Branko is the younger brother of Zlatko Ivanković, who has also coached various teams in the Middle East.
Legacy
Manager
Iran U23
Asian Games Gold Medal: 2002 Iran
WAFF Championship: 2004 AFC/OFC Cup Challenge: 2003 Dinamo Zagreb
Croatian First League: 2006–07, 2007–08 Croatian Cup: 2006–07 Croatian Super Cup: 2006 Shandong Luneng
Chinese Super League: 2010
Persepolis
Persian Gulf Pro League: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, runner-up: 2015–16 Hazfi Cup: 2018–19 Iranian Super Cup: 2017, 2018, 2019 AFC Champions League runner-up: 2018
Individual
HNS Croatian Coach of the Year: 2007, 2008 Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year: 2010 Persian Gulf Pro League Coach of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Clubs
Played together with
- Albin PelakNK Varteks · 1991–1997
Carlos Santos de JesusNK Varteks · 2009–2009- Davor VugrinecNK Varteks · 1992–1997
- Davor VugrinecNK Varteks · 2010–2012
Dražen LadićNK Varteks · 1983–1984- Igor CvitanovićNK Varteks · 1992–1992
Ivica KrižanacNK Varteks · 1999–2000- Ivica KrižanacNK Varteks · 2000–2000
- Josip ČopNK Varteks · 1975–1976
- Josip ŠimićNK Varteks · 2007–2007
Leon BenkoNK Varteks · 2003–2006- Marjan MrmićNK Varteks · 1993–1996
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Branko Ivanković is a Croatian former football manager and player who played as a midfielder. After a 12-year playing career at Varteks, Ivanković started his coaching career at the same club in 1991. Prior to his appointment as the manager of Oman, Ivanković's most high-profile managerial positions were at the most successful Croatian and Iranian clubs respectively, Dinamo Zagreb and Persepolis as well as one of the most successful Chinese clubs Shandong Luneng. He additionally served as both assistant coach and manager of the Iran national team, leading the team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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