Igor Jovićević is a Croatian association football player and manager.
He is currently in charge of Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad.
Jovićević was signed by Real Madrid at the age of 17, with a transfer fee of one million dollars.
Biography
Early Life
Igor Jovićević was born into a footballing family, with his father, Čedomir "Čedo" Jovićević, being a notable defender for Dinamo Zagreb. Growing up in Zagreb, Igor was immersed in the sport from a young age, eventually joining the youth team of Dinamo Zagreb, where he was touted as the next Zvonimir Boban.
Playing Career
At just 17, Jovićević signed with Real Madrid in 1991, marking the beginning of a diverse playing career that spanned several countries. He played for Real Madrid until 1995, where he trained under Rafael Benítez and shared the pitch with future stars like Raúl and Guti. His career was interrupted by a significant injury while representing the Croatia national under-21 team, leading him to return to Croatia to play for NK Zagreb. Jovićević's journey took him through various clubs, including stints in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos, Brazil with Guarani Futebol Clube, and a brief period in France with FC Metz. He concluded his playing days in China, retiring at the age of 32 due to another knee injury.
Managerial Career
Transitioning into management, Jovićević began as the transfer director for Karpaty Lviv in 2010, eventually becoming the head coach. He later managed teams in Slovenia and Croatia, including Dinamo Zagreb II and U19, where he achieved notable success, winning multiple championships and leading the team to the UEFA Youth League quarter-finals. In 2020, he took over as head coach of Dinamo Zagreb but parted ways after a short tenure. He continued his managerial journey with Dnipro-1 and is currently the head coach of Ludogorets Razgrad in Bulgaria.
Personal Life
Igor Jovićević is married and has two sons, Filip and Marcos, who are both part of the Dinamo Zagreb Academy, continuing the family's football legacy. His personal and professional life reflects a deep commitment to the sport, shaped by his family's influence and his own experiences on and off the field.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
After being labeled as the new Zvonimir Boban while playing in the youth team of the most successful Croatian club, Dinamo Zagreb, with only 17 years he signed, in summer of 1991, a contract with Real Madrid. His transfer cost was one million dollars, however, the contract was based on the fact that the Merengues, in case of lining him in the first team, would have to pay a total of five million, being that the probable cause of having him playing in the B squad. There, he was trained by Rafael Benítez, among others, and had an opportunity of playing along some youngsters, like Raúl and Guti. On 11 June 1995, he was injured while playing against Ukraine with the Croatia national under-21 team. After having a one-year pause due to injury, he returned to Croatia to play with another club from the Croatian capital, NK Zagreb. After that, he played with J. League Division 1 club Yokohama F. Marinos, Brazilian club Guarani Futebol Clube and a short spell in France with FC Metz before moving to China to play with Shenyang Dongjin, a discrete passage in Ukraine with Karpaty Lviv before finishing his career in China, again, with a new knee ligaments injury, aged 32. After retiring, he returned to Spain, this time to Marbella, where he owns a bar.
Karpaty Lviv
In 2010, Jovićević was named the transfer director of Karpaty Lviv. In the 2012–13 season, he managed the U21 squad, and in the 2013–14 season, he led the U19 squad. Following the dismissal of Oleksandr Sevidov in the summer of 2014, he was appointed, initially as caretaker manager, of the senior squad of the club, while in 2015, he was named the head coach.
Celje
On 10 October 2016, Jovićević took over Slovenian PrvaLiga club Celje. On 19 June 2017, he terminated the contract.
Dinamo Zagreb
On 20 July 2017, Jovićević took over Dinamo Zagreb II as the head coach, while on 1 July 2018, he was named the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb U19. Managing the U19 squad, he won two Croatian league championships, the FIFA Youth Cup, and led the team in the final of the Premier League International Cup, which they lost to Bayern Munich. He also led the team to the quarter-finals in the UEFA Youth League twice. On 22 April 2020, following the dismissal of Nenad Bjelica, Jovićević was announced as the new head coach of Dinamo Zagreb. He debuted as Dinamo manager in a 3–1 away win against Varaždin. On 6 July 2020, following a 0–2 away defeat against Rijeka, Jovićević and Dinamo came to a mutual agreement on the early termination of his contract.
Dnipro-1
On 22 September 2020, following the dismissal of Dmytro Mykhailenko, Jovićević was announced as the new head coach of Dnipro-1. He debuted as manager in a 4–1 defeat away against FC…
- Club
- N.K. Zagreb (2000–2001)
- Club
- FC Metz (2001–2002)
- Club
- Real Madrid Castilla
- Club
- FC Karpaty Lviv (2002–2004)
- Club
- Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (1991–1995)
- Club
- N.K. Zagreb (1996–1999)
- Club
- Yokohama F. Marinos (1999–1999)
- Club
- Guarani Futebol Clube (2000–2000)
- Club
- Shenyang Dongjin F.C. (2002–2002)
- Club
- FC Karpaty-2 Lviv (2003–2003)
- Club
- Croatia national under-21 football team
- National team
- Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
- National team
- Croatia
Trophies & Awards
- Award
- Medal "For sacrifice and love of Ukraine"
Personal
His father, Čedomir "Čedo" Jovićević (1952–2020) born in Žabljak, Montenegro, was the famous defender of Dinamo Zagreb, playing ten years with the most successful Croatian club. His mother, Sanja, is from Zagreb. Igor is married and has two sons: Filip and Marcos, both players of the Dinamo Zagreb Academy.
Legacy
Manager
Dinamo Zagreb U19
U19 1. HNL: 2017–18, 2018–19 FIFA Youth Cup: 2018 Kvarnerska Rivijera: 2019 Shakhtar Donetsk
Ukrainian Premier League: 2022–23 Ludogorets Razgrad
Bulgarian First League: 2024–25 Bulgarian Cup: 2024–25 Bulgarian Supercup: 2024 Individual
Ukrainian Premier League Manager of the Month: October 2020
Clubs
- Croatia national under-21 football teamcurrent
- Real Madrid Castillacurrent
- Real Madrid Club de Fútbol1991–1995
- N.K. Zagreb1996–1999
- Yokohama F. Marinos1999–1999
- Guarani Futebol Clube2000–2000
- N.K. Zagreb2000–2001
- FC Metz2001–2002
- FC Karpaty Lviv2002–2004
- Shenyang Dongjin F.C.2002–2002
- FC Karpaty-2 Lviv2003–2003
Played together with
- Abdeljalil HaddaYokohama F. Marinos · 2000–2000
Abdelkrim MerryFC Metz · 1982–1983- Abdelnasser OuadahFC Metz · 2005–2006
Abdoulaye TraoréFC Metz · 1986–1987- Abel SegoviaReal Madrid Castilla · 2000–2001
- Ablaï BaldéFC Metz · 2007–2008
Ablie JallowFC Metz · 2017- Abner Felipe Souza de AlmeidaReal Madrid Castilla · 2014
- Abukar MohamedFC Karpaty Lviv
Achraf HakimiReal Madrid Castilla · 2016–2017- Achraf HakimiReal Madrid Club de Fútbol · 2017–2020
- Adalto Batista da SilvaGuarani Futebol Clube · 2005–2005
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Igor Jovićević is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who is currently in charge of Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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