Branko Zebec (*17 July 1929 in Zagreb, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 26 September 1988 in West Germany) was a Croatian football player and coach. is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Zagreb within Croatia Coordinates: , Country Croatia RC diocese 1094 Free royal city 1242 Unified 1850 Government  - Mayor Milan Bandić Area [1]  - City 641. ... Motto: One nation, one king, one country Anthem: Medley of Bože pravde, Lijepa naÅ¡a domovino, and Naprej zastava slave Capital Belgrade Language(s) Serbo-Croato-Slovenian (see: Serbo-Croat and Slovenian) [1] Government Value specified for government_type does not comply King  - 1918-1921 Peter I  - 1921-1934 Alexander... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ...

In his heyday the player from Partizan and Red Star Belgrade fascinated the world with his performances at the World Cups in 1954 and 1958. As coach he led Hajduk Split, Bayern Munich and Hamburg to success. FK Partizan - Partizan football club KK Partizan - Partizan basketball club ... The name Crvena zvezda can also be applied to KK Crvena zvezda, VK Crvena zvezda, RK Crvena zvezda. ... Hajduk is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. ... Hamburger SV is a German football club based in Hamburg. ...

Career as Player

In his youth days Branko Zebec played for a number of teams in his hometown: Građanski (Dinamo), Poštar, Lokomotiva, Milicioner and Metalac. By 1951 he had the call from Partizan, one of the capital city teams that were the dominating Yugoslav football. His quality and speed secured him soon a place on the left wing of the team, and almost as soon with the national team, in which he should feature 65 times, scoring 17 goals. In 1952 he achieved with the national cup his first title. In the same year the Summer Olympics in Helsinki provided a great international stage for him. Yugoslavia had to settle for the silver medal, because this tournament was also the birth place of Hungarian miracle team of the 1950s. With seven goals Zebec was to secure for himself the honour of top scorer of the event. GraÄ‘anski Zagreb, with a full name Prvi Hrvatski GraÄ‘anski Å portski Klub (1. ... Fudbalski Klub Partizan (Football Club Partizan) is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. ... The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were held in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. ... Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Province Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ...

On the club level the successful caree of Zebec continued. In 1954 saw Partizan finishing second in the championship and again winning the cup. Zebec scored an invitation for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland. There Yugoslavia overcame the group stage with a win against France and a draw against Brazil thanks to a goal by Zebec. In the quarterfinals the eventual winners Germany put a stop to the campaign of the team from the Balkans. Qualifying countries The 1954 Football World Cup was held in Switzerland. ...

In his club side Zebec evolved more and more to the leading player in midfield, a position he was most suitable for due to his intelligence. In 1955 he played in the Partizan debut in the European Cup of Champions (Partizan played then as a nominated team and not as a national champion - a historic peculiarity of the first edition of this tournament). In the first round Partizan overcame Sporting CP in two high scoring encounters with 5-2 and 8-5. In the second round, then the quarterfinals, the team of the era, Real Madrid, put an end to Yugoslavias first entry into this new competition as a home 3-0 win against the Iberian glamour side was insufficient to compensate for a 0-4 defeat at the hands of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Co. in the Spanish capital. On the national scene Partizan remained in the shadow of the big two of those days, Hajduk Split, and Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade). Thus, in 1956 Partizan again had to make do with being honourable runner up in the championship, as it was the case in 1958. In between Partizan could grab another Yugoslav cup trophy. The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... Sporting Clube de Portugal, often known outside Portugal as Sporting Lisbon, is a sports club that is best known for having one of the best football teams in Portugal. ... Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish sports club most widely known for its professional football team based in Madrid. ... Alfredo Di Stéfano (born July 4, 1926 in Barracas, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine-born former footballer and coach. ... Hajduk is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... The name Crvena zvezda can also be applied to KK Crvena zvezda, VK Crvena zvezda, RK Crvena zvezda. ...

By the time the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden took place Branko Zebec had become the captain of the national side. In the group stages draws against Scotland and Paraguay and a win against the hosts Sweden, in the end third of the tournament, was enough to enter the quarterfinals, but, as four years before, Germany put an end to Yugoslavias ambitions. Qualifying countries The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from June 8 to June 28. ...

In Yugoslavia he achieved another second place in the championship before making a controversial switch of allegiances to local rivals Red Star, where at the end of his career, in 1960, he finally got his hands on the championship trophy in 1960. This should remain his last honour as player.

The same year though provided him with another highlight yet, the first European Cup of Nations tournament, the original edition of what is today termed as Euro. After Yugoslavia had eliminated Bulgaria and Portugal, the hosts of the final round France were the opponent in the semi-final which took place in Paris. Just 15 minutes before the end France were ahead 4-2, but the team around Branko Zebec managed one of the great turnarounds in the history of the game and won 5-4. However, in the final the Yugoslavs, then without Zebec in the line-up hat to yield to the USSR and their famous goal-keeper Lev Yashin with 1-2 after extra time. Also referred to as the Six Nations B or simply ENC, the European Nations Cup is a second-level competition for European nations where rugby union is still an amateur sport. ... “EUR” redirects here. ...

In 1963 he was old enough for a player to leave the country, in line with the plitical circumstances of those days. For Branko Zebec it was then to late for the big-time clubs, so the German second division side Alemannia Aachen may not have provided a great opportunity for renewed success on the pitch, but for Branko Zebec it was a valuable two years in which he could acquaint himself with the country in which he should celebrate his greatest successes as coach. Alemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

Career as Coach

Brank Zebec got his firs coaching assignment soon after he played. In 1965 he became joint coach of the Yugoslav first division side Dinamo in his hometown Zagreb. He held the office together with Ivica Horvat, who later too should enjoy success in Germany. The team was to qualify for the Inter Cities Fairs Cup, the precursor of the UEFA Cup. Initially, things were not looking to promising in this campaign. The aggregate result in the first round encounters with the Czech side Spartak Brno was 2-2, and only the toss of a coin saw Dinamo advancing. After Dunfermline and Dinamo Piteşti were eliminated, Juventus were their opponents in the quarterfinals, but were overcome 2-2 and 3-0. In the semifinals Dinamo managed one of the great comebacks in the history of European competitions. After a 0-3 defeat in Frankfurt against Eintracht Dinamo outclassed the Germans in Zagreb 4-0. Dinamo is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. ... The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Juventus Football Club (Latin for Youth, pronounced yoo-VEHN-toos) is one of Italys oldest and most successful football clubs, based in Turin. ... Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its football team. ...

In the finals the club had to face Leeds United then with Peter Lorimer and Billy Bremner in their cast. The home leg could be won with 2-0, thus a nil all draw in England was sufficient. Zebec and his team won the first ever official international trophy for a team from the Central Eastern Europe. Leeds United F.C. is the only professional association football club in Leeds. ... Peter Patrick Lorimer (born December 14, 1946 in Dundee, Scotland) was a footballer who formed part of the much-admired and feared Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. ... William Billy John Bremner (born Stirling, Scotland, 9 December 1942; died Doncaster, England, 7 December 1997) was captain of the Leeds United football team of the 1960s and 1970s. ...

Bayern Munich

This was an opportunity for Zebec to grab attention beyond the Yugaslav borders and by 1968 he was hired by Bayern Munich to follow in the footstep of his compatriot "Czik" Čajkovski, himself a former Dinamo player ond a team mate of Zebec in the days of the 192 Olympics and 1954 FIFA World Cup. The team around the young Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller had won in recent years two national cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He curbed the offensive style of the team and reinforced the defensive. In his first season Zebec achieved with them the German championship, the club's first in 37 years. To boot, he won with them also the cup, and thus also achieved the first double in the history of the German Bundesliga. The next season began with problems. Bayern was ousted in the first round of the European Cup of Champions at the hands of AS Saint-Etienne. Already early in the season Zebec announced that he would not extend his contract by the end of the year. As Bayern experienced a spell of three matches with only one point mid-way though the second half of the season and fell back five points behind the leaders his contract was even terminated prematurely. Udo Lattek was to succeed him. In a later book Beckenbauer reported of "atmospheric disturbances" between the coach and the team. FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. ... Zlatko Czik ÄŒajkovski (*5/5/1925, Zagreb, Croatia - †27/7/1998, Munich, Germany) was a Yugoslav football (soccer) player and coach. ... Qualifying countries The 1954 Football World Cup was held in Switzerland. ... Franz Anton Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945) is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed der Kaiser (the emperor) because of his elegant style, his leadership qualities, his first name Franz (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch. ... Gerd Müller (IPA—German: ) (born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former West German football player. ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic cup competitions. ... The official Bundesliga logo. ... The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... AS Saint- tienne (french: lAssociation sportive de Saint- tienne) is a French football team, playing in the city of Saint tienne. ... Udo Lattek - early 1970s Udo Lattek (Born January 16, 1935 in Bosemb, East Prussia, Germany, now Poland, Masuria region) was a football (soccer) player and coach, and is now a now television sports commentator. ...

For Zebec followed a stay of almost two years with VfB Stuttgart, then a team with asprirations to joining the top of the league. He led the unimpressive cast, which was in his second season reinforced with German international Horst Köppel and the Austrian midfielder Hans "Buffy" Ettmayer to positions 12 and 8, respectively. This was disappointing for both, club and coach, thus, also here the last couple of months of his contract were cut short. VfB Stuttgart is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. ...

Zebec returned for a season to Yugoslavia, where this time he coached Hajduk Split in tandem with Tomislav Ivić, another very notable coach. The team impressed particularly in the Cup Winners' Cup where they made it all the way to the semifinals, ousting Norway's Fredrikstad F.K., Welsh side Wrexham A.F.C. and in the quarterfinals the Scottish Cup winners Hibernian F.C.. Hajduk lost in Scotland 2-4, but almost miracoulously recovered at home with a 3-0 triumph. However, in the semifinals a 0-1 defeat away to Leeds United proved lethal. The 0-0 draw at home meant the end of the road for the Croatians, but reaching this semifinal remains the greatest international success for them to date. Leeds ended up missing out on winning this tournament by the tightest of margins losing the final against AC Milan 0-1. Hajduk is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... Tomislav Ivic (born June 30, 1933 in Split, Yugoslavia) is a Croatian football manager. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fredrikstad Fotballklubb (also known as Fredrikstad or FFK) is a Norwegian football club from the town of Fredrikstad. ... Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ... Hibernian Football Club (informally known as Hibs) are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, north Edinburgh. ... Leeds United F.C. is the only professional association football club in Leeds. ... AC Milan is an Italian football club. ...

The team finished the national league a disappointing 9th, but the defence of the Yugoslav Cup through a victory against champions Red Star Belgrade assured a memorable season eventually. The 1970s were to be Hajduks golden decade after all, but without Branko Zebec, who returned to Germany. The name Crvena zvezda can also be applied to KK Crvena zvezda, VK Crvena zvezda, RK Crvena zvezda. ...

Eintracht Braunschweig

Eintracht Braunschweig, in 1967 still champions of Germany, were relegated in 1973 - the year they pioneered advertising on jerseys - but returned to the Bundesliga inside a year. The club, which then had a liquour manufacturer on a spending spree as main sponsor, engaged Zebec in search for better times. Zebec hired two fellow Yugoslavs, the entertaining right winger Danilo Popivoda and midfielder Aleksandar Ristić. Coupled with national team goalkeeper Bernd Franke and other notable players this side offered refreshing quality football and often featured right on top of the table. Inside three years Eintracht worked itself up from place 9 to place 3, then just missing out on the championship by one point. In his fourth and last year with the club the 1974 FIFA World Cup winner Paul Breitner joined the team coming from Real Madrid. Even thus reinforced, the team could not maintain the trend and finished a disappointing 13th. By then Zebec's efforts had been successful enough to attract interest elsewhere. Eintracht Braunschweig is a football club based in Braunschweig, Germany, founded on December 15, 1895 and currently plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. ... Danilo Popivoda (born 1 May 1947 in Lovćenac) is a former Slovenian football player. ... Bernd Franke (born February 12, 1948) is a former German football player. ... Qualifying countries The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from June 13 to July 7. ... Paul Breitner (born September 5, 1951 in Kolbermoor, West Germany) was a German football player. ...

Hamburger SV

The European Cup Winners' Cup winner from 1977 was ambitious and longed for its first championship since 1960 but ended up only 11th in the 76/77 season. Zebec was the right man for the job. In his first season he formed a competitive unit around wing back Manfred Kaltz, striker Horst Hrubesch. Most important was that he facilitated the integration of "Mighty Mouse" Kevin Keegan who failed to convince in his first season. By the end of Zebec's first year at the helm Hamburg were champions. Manfred Kaltz (born January 6, 1953 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany) is a former German football player and manager. ... Horst Hrubesch (born April 17, 1951 in Hamm) is a retired German soccer player and currently employed as a youth trainer at the DFB. His nickname was Das Kopfball-Ungeheuer (the Header Beast) for his incredible heading skill. ... Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born February 14, 1951 in Armthorpe, South Yorkshire, England)[1] is a former English football coach and one of the all-time greatest players. ...

A year later the team even progressed all the way into the European Cup of Champions final to face Nottingham Forest. A lacklustre Hamburg lost 0-1. Zebec and his coaching methods were widely blamed. Zebec, besides being a strict disciplinarian, believed - with some logic - in the notion, that when a team plays successfully it can take more training. As it was, the players complained about the harsh training at that late stage of the season, and critics said that it was the reason why Hamburg inside four days of the final also lost a decisive match which consigned them to runner-ups in the league. The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... History Nottingham Forest F.C. are an English football club, based at the City Ground, which is just outside the official boundary of Nottingham on the south side of the River Trent. ...

At the beginning of his third season with Hamburg another problem came to the fore. Branko Zebec had a serious drinking problem and was caught out even on the coaching bench. A funnier consequence was that when he came into the cabin and told his players "0-2, lost! Does not matter, we have to win the next match!" It was only halftime. By December the problem and its consequences which were now frequently recognizable, eg., when he was dozing on the bench, needed a resolution, and thus by December the contract was terminated. Aleksandar Ristić became his successor for half a year, before Ernst Happel took Hamburg to renewed glory. Ernst Happel (November 29, 1925 – November 14, 1992) was an Austrian football player and coach. ...

By 1981/82 Zebec got himself a new appointment - then with Borussia Dortmund, incidentally here following in the footsteps of Udo Lattek. He led them to place 6, their best result in 12 years, leading them even into the UEFA Cup. But the personal issues of the coach were still increasing and stretched the abilities of the club to deal with it. By the end of the season also Borussia saw the need to let him go. BV Borussia Dortmund is a German football club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the most successful clubs in German football. ... The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ...

By the beginning of the 82/83 season Brank Zebec had no job. However, this made him available when Eintracht Frankfurt, the club in Germany with the highest attrition rate for coaches, was in need for a replacement of former Austrian national coach Helmut Senekowitsch. Zebec ended the season with Eintracht as 10th, but he himself fell victim to the traditional shortlivedness of coaching jobs by October 17 of the following season. Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its football team. ... Helmut Senekowitsch (born October 22, 1933) is an Austrian football player and later a football manager. ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

He had one more ephemeral engagement with his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb before his career ended.

In 1988 he died from alcohol related illness, aged only 59. He remains one of the most successful coaches in the history of the German Bundesliga.

Career Overview

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Yugoslavia
Men's football
Silver	1952 Helsinki	Team Competition

Image File history File links Flag_of_SFR_Yugoslavia. ... Capital Belgrade Language(s) Serbo-Croatian (spoken throuout the territory), Slovenian, Macedonian, Albanian, Hungarian (all official), and languages of other nationalities. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were held in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. ... The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival (to Western Europeans at least) of the Golden Team; the Magical Magyars: Hungary. ... FK Partizan - Partizan football club KK Partizan - Partizan basketball club ... The name Crvena zvezda can also be applied to KK Crvena zvezda, VK Crvena zvezda, RK Crvena zvezda. ... Alemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Dinamo is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1970. ... Wikinews has related news: 2007/08 German Bundesliga: Bayern Munich has early stranglehold on championship after one-sided game FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German sports club based in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. ... VfB Stuttgart is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. ... Hajduk is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... Eintracht Braunschweig is a football club based in Braunschweig, Germany, founded on December 15, 1895 and currently plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. ... Hamburger SV is a German football club based in Hamburg. ... BV Borussia Dortmund is a German football club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the most successful clubs in German football. ... Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its football team. ... Dinamo is one of the most famous and successful Croatian football clubs. ... Helmut Senekowitsch (born October 22, 1933) is an Austrian football player and later a football manager. ... Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its football team. ...

References

• (Serbian) Serbian national football team website

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad - 1954 FIFA World Cup
	1 Beara • 2 Stanković • 3 Crnković • 4 Čajkovski • 5 Horvat • 6 Boškov • 7 Ognjanov • 8 Mitić • 9 Vukas • 10 Bobek • 11 Zebec • 12 Kralj • 13 Zeković • 14 Mantula • 15 Spajić • 16 Milovanov • 17 Belin • 18 Milutinović • 19 Papec • 20 Dvornić • 21 Veselinović • 22 Petaković • Coach: Tirnanić

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad - 1958 FIFA World Cup
	1 Beara • 2 Krivokuća • 3 Šijaković • 4 Crnković • 5 Tomić • 6 Zebec • 7 Miloš Milutinović • 8 Krstić • 9 Boškov • 10 Šantek • 11 Popović • 12 Petaković • 13 Veselinović • 14 Milorad Milutinović • 15 Šekularac • 16 Pašić • 17 Rajkov • 18 Lipošinović • 19 Ognjanović • 20 Irović • 21 Radović • 22 Jerković • Coach: Tirnanić