Nikola Popović (football coach)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 28 October, 1973 | ||
Place of birth | Belgrade, Serbia | ||
Managerial career | |||
Years | Team | ||
2005–2006 | C.D. Olivais e Moscavide (intern) | ||
2006–2007 | C.D. Olivais e Moscavide (assistant) | ||
2007 | OFC Vihren Sandanski (assistant) | ||
2007–2010 | Varzim S.C. | ||
2010–2011 |
| ||
2011–2012 | Al Dhafra FC (assistant) | ||
2012–2014 | Sertanense F.C. | ||
2014–2015 | Aspire Academy | ||
2015–2016 | S.L. Benfica B | ||
2016 | Swope Park Rangers (assistant) | ||
2017 | Swope Park Rangers | ||
2017– | Ottawa Fury F.C. |
Nikola Popovic (born 28 October 1978) is a Serbian association football manager and former player who currently manages Canadian United Soccer League side Ottawa Fury. A UEFA Pro licensed coach – the highest UEFA license available – Popovic has coached in eight countries, speaks four languages (Serbian, Portuguese, English and Spanish) and has coached at the academy, club and international levels.
Coaching career
Born in Belgrade, Popovic was raised in Lisbon, Portugal where he began his career with CD Olivais e Moscavide in the Segunda Divisão. Originally an internship in the 2005–06 season CD Olivais e Moscavide won the title and gained promotion to the Segunda Liga, where Popovic was hired as an assistant for the following season. Following the 2006–07 season, Popovic moved to FC Vihren Sandanski in the Bulgarian A Football Group as an assistant to Filip Filipov but returned to Portugal later that same year with Segunda Liga side Varzim SC, where he won the Liga Intercalar.
Popovic enjoyed a stint as an assistant coach with the Cape Verde national team in 2010, before joining Spanish Segunda Division B side AD Ceuta helping guide the club to the Copa Del Rey Round of 32 – the club’s best ever showing in the tournament falling to eventual runners-up, Barcelona. Later that same season, Popovic linked up with Bulgarian side Chernomorets Burgas in the Bulgarian A Football Group, helping the side to a quarterfinal appearance in the Bulgarian Cup.
He then moved to the United Arab Emirates joining Al Dahfra for the 2011–12 season as an assistant to Baltemar Brito – Jose Mourinho’s former assistant coach – helping them win the Vice President Cup. Popovic then took charge of Sertanense FC in the Portuguese Second Division – his first head coaching role in 2012–13. He then joined Qatar’s Aspire Academy in 2014, before returning to Portugal and Benfica B in 2015.
Coaching Internships
Popovic has also done internships with Inter Milan (2012–13), Portugal Under-21s (2013) and Serbia and Montenegro Under-21s (2006).
Inter Milan
During the internship with Inter Milan, Popovic was able to follow the coaching sessions, undertaken by coach Andrea Sramaccioni, with some of the best players that currently play in Serie A and in the best national teams of the world.
Portuguese National Team Under 21
During the internship with the Portuguese National Team Under 21, Popovic had the opportunity to follow the coaching sessions undertaken by coach Rui Jorge, with players that currently play in the first teams of various European teams.
Serbia Montenegro National Team Under 21
During the internship with the Serbia Montenegro National Team Under 21 Popovic had the opportunity to follow players that currently play in the Serbia National Team A as well as the Montenegro National Team A.
Head Coach
Swope Park Rangers
Popovic was head coach of Swope Park Rangers for the 2017 season. The team performed a very attractive style of football based on possession and high pressure (dominated the stats of USL 2017 in Possession and Passing Accuracy).
After one season as United Soccer League side Swope Park Rangers assistant coach to Marc Dos Santos[1] in 2016, Popovic was named as the head coach of the side on 21 November 2016.[1] His first match in charge of the side was on 25 March 2017 against OKC Energy. Despite his side going down 1–0, Swope Park came back to win 3–1.[2] During his first and only season with Swope Park Rangers, Popovic helped the side finish in fourth in the Western Conference during the 2017 season, winning the Western Conference Championship and eventually reaching the league final for the second season in a row.[3] In the final, Swope Park fell 1–0 to Louisville City.[3] In 2017, Popovic and his squad produced a record of 17W-8L-7D in just their second season.
On 17 November, almost one year after taking over as head coach, it was announced that Popovic would leave Swope Park Rangers.[3]
Ottawa Fury FC
On 21 December 2017, it was announced that Popovic would take over as head coach of the Ottawa Fury of the United Soccer League.[4] He began his tenure as coach on 17 March 2018 against the Charlotte Independence. The Fury lost 4–1.[5] Since then Fury FC have developed into a strong team and Popovic was awarded the USL Coach of the Month in May 2018.[6]
Midway through his first season with Ottawa Fury FC, Popovic has led the team to a 8W-3D-8L record, all the while implementing a new club culture and system of play. In July (Week 19), Ottawa Fury FC made the USL Power Rankings[7] for the first time, reaching the 12th spot and continuing on their upward trajectory as they started the second half of the season.
Personal
Popovic holds dual Portuguese and Serbian citizenship. He speaks Portuguese, English, Serbian, Spanish and has a good understanding of Italian and French.
Popovic is often invited by Portuguese sports and news television channels to comment and analyze national and internationals soccer matches.
Coaching History
Club | League | Period | |
---|---|---|---|
Assistant Coach | C.D. OLIVAIS E MOSCAVIDE | Segunda Divisão | 2006–07 |
Assistant Coach | F.K. VIHEREN SANDANSKI | Bulgarian A Football Group | 2007–08 |
Assistant Coach | VARZIM S.C. | Segunda Liga | 2007–09 |
Assistant Coach | Cape Verde national team | – | 2009 |
Assistant Coach | A.D. CEUTA | Segunda Division B | 2009–10 |
Assistant Coach | PSFC Chernomoretz Bourgas | Bulgarian A Football Group | 2010–11 |
Assistant Coach | Al Dhafra | UAE Arabian Gulf League | 2011–12 |
Technical Assessor | Sport Lisboa e Benfica | – | 2012–13 |
Head Coach | Sertanense FC | Campeonato de Portugal | 2013–14 |
Head Coach | Aspire Academy, Qatar | – | 2014–15 |
Assistant Coach | Sport Lisboa e Benfica B | LigaPro | 2015–16 |
Head Coach | Swope Park Rangers | USL | 2017 |
Head Coach | Ottawa Fury FC | USL | 2018– |
Honours
Honour | Club | Date |
---|---|---|
Liga Intercalar Cup Champion | VARZIM S.C. | 2007–08 |
UAE Vice-President Cup Champion | Al Dhafra | 2011–12 |
2016 USL Western Conference Champion | Swope Park Rangers | 2016 |
2016 USL Cup Finalist | Swope Park Rangers | 2016 |
2017 USL Western Conference Champion | Swope Park Rangers | 2017 |
2017 USL Cup Finalist | Swope Park Rangers | 2017 |
USL Coach of the Month – May | Ottawa Fury FC | May 2018 |
Statistics
Managerial statistics
- As of 18 May 2018.
Team | From | To | Record | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
Swope Park Rangers | 21 November 2016 | 17 November 2017 | 36 | 20 | 7 | 9 | 55.56 | ||
Ottawa Fury | 21 December 2017 | Present | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 25.00 | ||
Total | 44 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 50.00 |
For most up-to-date statistics from Ottawa Fury FC season, visit OttawaFuryFC.com.
References
- ^ a b Bergabo, Patrick (21 November 2016). "Nikola Popovic introduced as Swope Park Rangers head coach". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Swope Park Rangers 3–1 OKC Energy". Soccerway.
- ^ a b c Kovsan, Sam (17 November 2017). "Swope Park Rangers and head coach Nikola Popovic mutually agree to part ways". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Julian De Guzman Appointed Fury Fc General Manager; Nikola Popovic Named Head Coach". Ottawa Fury. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ "Charlotte Independence 4–1 Ottawa Fury". Soccerway.
- ^ FC, Ottawa Fury (13 June 2018). "Popovic named Coach of the Month for May in USL". Ottawa Fury. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ Staff, USLSoccer.com (23 July 2018). "USL Power Rankings – Week 19". United Soccer League. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
External Links
- 1978 births
- Living people
- People from Belgrade
- Serbian football managers
- Ottawa Fury FC coaches
- Serbian expatriate football managers
- Expatriate soccer managers in Canada
- Expatriate football managers in Cape Verde
- Expatriate football managers in Portugal
- Expatriate football managers in Bulgaria
- Expatriate soccer managers in the United States
- Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates