Ralé Rašić

Ralé Rašić

Personal information
Full name	Zvonimir Rašić
Date of birth	December 26, 1935 (1935-12-26)
Place of birth	Mostar, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
	FK Proleter Zrenjanin
	FK Vojvodina
	FK Spartak Subotica
1961-62	FK Borac Banja Luka
1962-69	Footscray JUST
National team
	Yugoslavia U21
Teams managed
1969	Footscray JUST
1969-74	Australia
1971	St George
1972-73	Marconi Stallions
1974	Pan Hellenic
1977-78	Marconi Stallions
1979-80	Adelaide City
1981-82	Blacktown City
1983	South Melbourne FC
1987-88	A.P.I.A. Leichhardt
1992	Canterbury-Marrickville
1996	Rockdale Ilinden
1997	Fairfield Bulls
1997-99	Canberra Cosmos
2002-03	Marconi Stallions (Technical Director)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Zvonimir "Ralé" Rašić OAM (born 26 December 1935 in Mostar, Littoral Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Serbian-Australian former football player, coach and media personality.

Rasic migrated to Australia in 1962, but returned to Yugoslavia after 18 months to serve in the army. His obligations met, Rasic returned to Australia, and played football in the Victorian league. He revolutionised the game in Australia, he was appointed coach in 1970 at just 34 years of age, and in 1974, he led the Australia national football team to the World Cup as coach.

After the World Cup, the Australian Soccer Federation dumped him as national coach, replacing him with Englishman Brian Green. Rasic and others believe that he was dumped because he was not seen as being a real "Aussie." He has stated, "They took from me something that I was doing better than anyone else. I was a true-blue Aussie and nobody can deny that. I taught the players how to sing the national anthem."

These days, as the first coach to take Australia to the World Cup finals, Rale Rasic is widely respected in Australian football.

He was a television presenter on SBS, during the Australian network's 2006 FIFA World Cup coverage. His biography, "The Rale Rasic Story," was published in 2006 by New Holland.

Honours

In 2001 Rašić was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and the Centenary Medal for "services to soccer" and in 2004 the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to soccer as a player, coach and administrator."

Greatest Socceroos side

During the broadcasting of the SBS FIFA World Cup coverage and in other media, Rasic has named his "Greatest Socceroos side" - a team of Australian players who he deems the best Australia has to offer. The team is:

• Goalkeeper: Mark Bosnich
• Defenders: Doug Utjesenovic, Colin Curran, Peter Wilson (captain), Milan Ivanovic
• Midfielders: Ray Richards, Jimmy Rooney, Jimmy Mackay
• Forwards: Ray Baartz, Adrian Alston, John Kosmina
• Bench: Johnny Warren, Johnny Watkiss, Robert Zabica, Attila Abonyi, Zarko Odzakov, Alan Davidson.

See also

• http://www.theworldgame.com.au/aussiesabroad/index.php?pid=st&cid=69925
• http://www.insidesport.com.au/is/index?pg=adrenalin&spg=alliknow/alliknow_rale_rasic.htm
• http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalksback/stories/2006/1657496.htm
• Interview with Ralé Rašić, 1974 Socceroos' coach
• http://www.mvrfc.com/rr.htm
• http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/R/RB.html

References

Preceded by Inaugural Recipient	NSL Coach of the Year 1977	Succeeded by Garry Chaldi
Preceded by Dragoslav Šekularac	NSL Coach of the Year 1987	Succeeded by Brian Garvey