Fahrudin Zejnilović (17 January 1955 – 22 March 2014) was a Bosnian professional football manager and former player.

Fahrudin Zejnilović
Personal information
Date of birth (1955-01-17)17 January 1955
Place of birth Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
Date of death (2014-03-22)22 March 2014
Place of death Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1978 Borac Banja Luka 2 (0)
1979–1980 Maribor 28 (3)
1981 Mercator Ljubljana 13 (0)
1981 Fenerbahçe 2 (0)
1982 Galus Wolfsberg
1984–1985 Trepča 1 (0)
Managerial career
1985–1986 Istra
1986–1988 Famos Hrasnica
1998–2000 TOŠK Tešanj
2000–2001 Đerzelez
2002–2003 Igman Konjic
2005 Bosnia and Herzegovina U18
2007 Saint George
2012 Olimpik (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career edit

Zejnilović played with Borac Banja Luka in the 1977–78 Yugoslav First League before moving to Slovenia and playing with Maribor and Svoboda Ljubljana[1] (known as Merkator back then) in the Yugoslav Second League in the seasons 1979–80 and 1980–81.[2] He played again in the Second League in the 1984–85 season with the Yugoslav club Trepča.[2]

In between Zejnilović played abroad, first at Turkey giant Fenerbahçe in the first half of the 1981–82 season, and in Austria, with Galus Wolfsberg, in the second half of that same season.[3]

Managerial career edit

Zejnilović started his managerial career still back in the mid to late 1980s when he managed Istra and Famos Hrasnica. Later, after the Yugoslav Wars, he took charge of TOŠK Tešanj[4] which he promoted to the First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999. After TOŠK, Zejnilović managed Đerzelez from 2000 until 2001 and later Igman Konjic.[5]

He was then named by the Bosnia and Herzegovina FA to be head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina U18 national team at the 2005 Mediterranean Games.[5] Abroad, Zejnović managed Ethiopian Premier League club Saint George[6] in 2007.[5]

In November 2012, he was the caretaker manager of Bosnian Premier League club Olimpik for one match.

Later life edit

In December 2013, an unknown person throw from a car a bomb which detonated in front of Zejnilović's house in Sarajevo with no consequences besides material damage.[7] Zejnilović died just four months later on 22 March 2014 in Sarajevo.

References edit

  1. ^ Od druge jugoslovanske do letrte slovenske lige at snportal.si, 14 August 2013, Retrieved 12 March 2017 (in Swedish)
  2. ^ a b Stats from Yugoslav First and Second Leagues at zerodic.com
  3. ^ "Asovi Yu-Fudbala2, page 118, (in Serbian)
  4. ^ In Memoriam-Fahrudin Zejnilović zvani Zeka at tesanj.net, 23 March 2014, Retrieved 12 March 2017 (in Bosnian)
  5. ^ a b c 5. kolo Gradina - Omladinac at apachi.ba, 10 September 2010, Retrieved 12 March 2017 (in Bosnian)
  6. ^ Rwanda/Ethiopia: St. George Coach Extols Ugandan Debutants at allafrica.com, 17 January 2007, Retrieved 12 March 2017
  7. ^ BOMBA BAČENA IZ VOZILA U POKRETU? at infobiro.ba, 5 December 2013, Retrieved 12 March 2017 (in Bosnian)