Safet Sušić

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Safet Sušić
Personal information
Full name	Safet Sušić
Date of birth	April 13, 1955 (1955-04-13) (age 54)
Place of birth	Zavidovići, FPR Yugoslavia now FBiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Retired
Youth career
1971 1972-1973	FK Krivaja FK Sarajevo
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1973-1982 1982-1991 1991-1992	FK Sarajevo Paris Saint-Germain Red Star Saint-Ouen	221 (85) 287 (72) 17 (3)
National team
1977-1990	Yugoslavia	54 (21)
Teams managed
1994-1995 1996-1998 2000-2001 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006 2008	AS Cannes İstanbulspor Al-Hilal Konyaspor Ankaragücü Çaykur Rizespor Rizespor
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Safet "Pape" Sušić (born April 13, 1955 in Zavidovići) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina former footballer and a current coach. In his playing days, he operated as a skilled attacking midfielder, with superb passing ability.

[edit] Playing career

Sušić began his career with hometown club of Krivaja. In 1973 he was transferred to FK Sarajevo, where he was to become a legendary figure by the late 1970s. During the 1979-80 season he was top scorer in the Yugoslavian league with 17 goals. In 1979 he was honoured as the best football player in Yugoslavia, also being selected as the best athlete hailing from the republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1982, Sušić signed with French outfit of Paris Saint-Germain FC, where he became a star on the European stage. Hardly ever injured, he performed at a high level well past his 30s. On September 22, 1984, in a 7-1 home drubbing of SC Bastia, he assisted on five of the side's goals. At 36, Sušić left the capital for a final year with Red Star Saint-Ouen.

During a 13-year span, Sušić appeared 54 times with the Yugoslav national team, netting 21 goals. He represented the nation at the 1982 and 1990 World Cups, and at Euro 1984. On June 19, 1990, Sušić opened the score in Yugoslavia's 4-1 World Cup win against the United Arab Emirates, aged 35.

In 2004, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.^[1] "If you were to rank Safet Sušić with the all-time greats, you would have to put him in at least the top 40", German Gerd Müller (one of the greatest goal scorers in history) said.

"It's well known how much I valued and still do value Safet Sušić. For me he's unsurpassable, the best Yugoslavia had. Probably one of the best in the world. I was often known to say that us other players should have to pay to play in the same team as Pape. At least I always talked and thought like that. Pape was a treasure for every forward. His crosses were unbelievable. Sometimes his ball would hit me without me even being aware of it. A wonderful player." - Darko Pančev^[2]

[edit] Coaching career

Sušić coached AS Cannes, also in France, where he retired as a player, briefly in 1994-95. Between 1997-99, he managed İstanbulspor, returning to that country during 2003-04, with Konyaspor, and in the first half of 2006-07, taking charge of Çaykur Rizespor (12 matches).

After he was sacked by Rizespor, another Turkish side, in February 2008,^[3] Sušić was hired by Ankaraspor in March.^[4]

[edit] Honours (player)

[edit] Team

• FK Sarajevo:
  • Yugoslav League: Runner-up 1979-80

• Paris Saint-Germain FC:
  • French League: 1985-86; runner-up 1988-89
  • French Cup: 1982-83; runner-up 1984-85

[edit] Individual

• FK Sarajevo:
  • Yugoslav League: Top scorer/best player, 1979-80

• Paris Saint-Germain FC:
  • French League: Best foreign player, 1982-83

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• UEFA.com - Golden Player of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• National team data (Serbian)

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad – 1982 FIFA World Cup 1 Pantelić • 2 Jerolimov • 3 Gudelj • 4 Zajec • 5 Stojković • 6 Krmpotić • 7 Petrović • 8 Šljivo • 9 Zoran Vujović • 10 Živković • 11 Zlatko Vujović • 12 Pudar • 13 Sušić • 14 Jovanović • 15 Hrstić • 16 Šestić • 17 Jerković • 18 Deverić • 19 Halilhodžić • 20 Šurjak • 21 Pašić • 22 Svilar • Coach: Miljanić

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad – UEFA Euro 1984 1 Simović • 2 N.Stojković • 3 Baljić • 4 Katanec • 5 Zajec • 6 Radanović • 7 Šestić • 8 Gudelj • 9 Sušić • 10 Baždarević • 11 Vujović • 12 Ivković • 13 Hadžibegić • 14 Elsner • 15 Miljuš • 16 D.Stojković • 17 Čop • 18 Deverić • 19 Halilović • 20 Cvetković • Coach: Veselinović

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Ivković • 2 Stanojković • 3 Spasić • 4 Vulić • 5 Hadžibegić • 6 Jozić • 7 Brnović • 8 Sušić • 9 Pančev • 10 Stojković • 11 Vujović • 12 Omerović • 13 Katanec • 14 Bokšić • 15 Prosinečki • 16 Šabanadžović • 17 Jarni • 18 Baljić • 19 Savićević • 20 Šuker • 21 Panadić • 22 Leković • Coach: Osim