Zoltan Sabo (Serbian Cyrillic: Золтан Сабо; Hungarian: Szabó Zoltán; 26 May 1972 – 15 December 2020) was a Serbian professional footballer who played as a defender, and later manager. He also held Hungarian citizenship.[2]

Zoltan Sabo
Personal information
Date of birth (1972-05-26)26 May 1972
Place of birth Sombor, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Date of death 15 December 2020(2020-12-15) (aged 48)
Place of death Sremska Kamenica, Serbia[1]
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Jedinstvo Svetozar Miletić
Radnički Sombor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1992 Hajduk Kula 31 (1)
1992–1996 Vojvodina 114 (2)
1996–2000 Partizan 67 (1)
2000–2002 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 35 (0)
2002 Avispa Fukuoka 17 (1)
2003 Zalaegerszeg 12 (2)
2003–2004 AEK Larnaca 20 (4)
2004 Mladost Apatin 4 (0)
2005–2008 Cement Beočin 83 (1)
Total 383 (12)
Managerial career
2007–2009 Kecskemét (assistant)
2009–2011 Radnički Sombor
2011–2012 Hajduk Kula
2012 Vojvodina (assistant)
2013–2014 Litex Lovech (assistant)
2014–2015 Donji Srem (assistant)
2015 Vojvodina (assistant)
2016 Proleter Novi Sad
2016 Jagodina
2016–2017 Proleter Novi Sad
2018–2020 TSC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

edit

In his homeland, Sabo played for Hajduk Kula, Vojvodina, and Partizan, before moving abroad to South Korea and signing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings in early 2000. He left the club after two years to play for Japanese side Avispa Fukuoka. In early 2003, Sabo returned to Europe and joined Hungarian club Zalaegerszeg until the end of the season. He also played for AEK Larnaca in the 2003–04 campaign.

In 2004, he returned to Serbia and signed with second-tier side Mladost Apatin. He finished his playing career in third-tier side Cement Beočin.[3]

Managerial career

edit

After a stint as assistant manager to Tomislav Sivić at Kecskemét, Sabo began his managerial career at the helm of his hometown club Radnički Sombor in October 2009. He spent the next two years at the position before leaving the side in November 2011.[4] A month later, Sabo was appointed manager at Hajduk Kula.

Death

edit

Sabo died on 15 December 2020, aged 48, died of a heart attack.[5]

Managerial statistics

edit
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Radnički Sombor   July 2010 December 2011 52 17 16 19 032.69
Hajduk Kula   December 2011 May 2012 2 0 1 1 000.00
Proleter Novi Sad   January 2016 June 2016 14 4 6 4 028.57
Jagodina   July 2016 September 2016 7 3 2 2 042.86
Proleter Novi Sad   September 2016 June 2017 19 6 6 7 031.58
TSC   August 2018 December 2020 90 54 19 17 060.00
Career total 184 84 50 50 045.65

Honours

edit
Partizan
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
AEK Larnaca

References

edit
  1. ^ Preminuo Zoltan Sabo
  2. ^ "Szabó Zoltán" (in Hungarian). nela.hu. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  3. ^ Zoltan Sabo at footballdatabase, retrieved 1 January 2019
  4. ^ "Zolika Sabo podneo ostavku!" (in Serbian). soinfo.org. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  5. ^ "IN MEMORIAM Золтан Сабо (1972 – 2020)". Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
edit