Irfan "Pipe" Smajlagić (born 16 October 1961) is a Bosnian-born Croatian former handball player and current coach Borac Banja Luka and most recently coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics for Yugoslavia and in the 1996 Summer Olympics for Croatia.
| Irfan Smajlagić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Irfan Smajlagić | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
16 October 1961 Banja Luka, PR Bosnia-Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1975–1978 | Borac Banja Luka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1978–1987 | Borac Banja Luka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987–1990 | Medveščak Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–1993 | US Ivry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1993–1994 | USAM Nîmes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1996 | Badel 1862 Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996–1997 | RK Zamet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1997–1999 | Medveščak Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1999–2000 | Livry-Gargan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000–2001 | Girondins de Bordeaux | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2001–2002 | Livry-Gargan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987–1991 | Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992–2000 | Croatia | 93 | (290) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002–2003 | RK Čakovec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2003–2006 | Croatia (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2007 | Croatia U-21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2009 | Egypt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2011 | Bosna Sarajevo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2013 | RK Zamet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2014 | Lokomotiva Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015–2016 | Iran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022–2024 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023– | Borac Banja Luka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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In 1988 he was part of the Yugoslav national team, which won the bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics. He played five matches and scored 14 goals.
Eight years later he won the gold medal with the Croatian national team at the 1996 Olympics. He played six matches including the final and scored 31 goals.
He was inducted in the European Handball Hall of Fame in 2023.[1]
Personal life edit
His son Sven is a professional basketball player.[2]
Honours edit
Player edit
- Borac Banja Luka
- Yugoslav First League: 1980–81
- Yugoslav Cup: 1979
- Medveščak Zagreb
- Yugoslav Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
- USAM Nîmes
- Coupe de France: 1994
- Badel 1862 Zagreb
- Croatian First League: 1994–95, 1995–96
- Croatian Cup: 1995, 1996
- EHF Champions League runner-up: 1994–95
- Yugoslavia
- 1988 Summer Olympics – 3rd place
- Croatia
- 1993 Mediterranean Games – 1st place
- 1994 European Championship – 3rd place
- 1995 World Championship – 2nd place
- 1996 Summer Olympics – 1st place
- Individual
- Best right wing at the 1995 World Championship
- 1995 World Championship Dream Team
- Best Croatian handballer of 1995 by the HRS
- Best Croatian handballer of 1995 by Sportske novosti
- Best right wing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- 1996 Summer Olympics Dream Team
- Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport: 1996
- LNH Division 1 top goalscorer: 1999–00 – 174 goals
- LNH Division 1 top goalscorer: 2001–02 – 185 goals
Coach edit
- Croatia (assistant)
- 2003 World Championship – 1st place
- 2004 Summer Olympics – 1st place
- Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport: 2004
- 2005 World Championship – 2nd place
- Croatia U-21
- 2005 World Championship – 3rd place
- 2007 World Championship – 2nd place
- Egypt
- 2008 African Championship – 1st place
- Bosna Sarajevo
- Bosnian First League: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Bosnian Cup: 2009–10
- Lokomotiva Zagreb
- Croatian First League: 2013–14
- Croatian Cup: 2013–14
Orders edit
References edit
- ^ "Three Croatians enter first-ever Hall of Fame of European Handball". Croatia Week. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Vidalina, Marko (4 December 2010). "Smajlagić: Ne znam zašto se zagrebaši tako "pale" na nas". 24sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ "Irfan Smajlagić biography". hoo.hr (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
External links edit
- Irfan Smajlagić at the European Handball Federation
- Irfan Smajlagić at Olympedia
- Irfan Smajlagić at Olympics.com
- Irfan Smajlagić at Olympic.org (archived)
- Irfan Smajlagić at the Croatian Olympic Committee (in Croatian) (archived)
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