Sulejman "Sula" Rebac (29 March 1929 – 17 November 2006)[1] was a Bosnian football player and manager.

Sulejman Rebac
Personal information
Date of birth (1929-03-29)29 March 1929
Place of birth Mostar, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Date of death 17 November 2006(2006-11-17) (aged 77)
Place of death Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1947–1954 Velež Mostar 404 (302)
1954–1957 Hajduk Split 72 (30)
1957–1958 Sarajevo 28 (19)
Total 504 (351)
International career
1956 PR Croatia 1 (2)
Managerial career
1968–1976 Velež Mostar
1973–1974 Yugoslavia
1977–1978 Željezničar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Rebac started playing football at FK Velež Mostar in 1947. In 1954, he moved to HNK Hajduk Split where he stayed for several seasons. He also played one season for FK Sarajevo. In total, he played more than 1000 games, scoring 620 goals. He is considered to be one of the most celebrated football players in history of Velež and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

International career

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In 1956, Rebac made one appearance for the Croatia national team against Indonesia, in which he scored two goals.[2]

Managerial career

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After retirement, he began his coaching career. He started in 1963[3] as a coach of Velež Mostar. Although they had never won a title, Velež Mostar was among the top Yugoslav clubs at the time. Players like Dušan Bajević, Enver Marić, Franjo Vladić (the 'BMV' trio),[4] Džemal Hadžiabdić, Vahid Halilhodžić, Aleksandar Ristić, Boro Primorac, Vladimir Pecelj, Momčilo Vukoje, Ahmed Glavović, Dubravko Ledić, Jadranko Topić, Marijan Kvesić, Marko Čolić and Slobodan Mrgan all made their names under the guidance of Sulejman Rebac. In the 1977–78 season, he was a coach of FK Željezničar Sarajevo.

In December 1973, he was appointed to a coaching commission, alongside Miljan Miljanić, Milan Ribar, Tomislav Ivić and Milovan Ćirić, created to lead the Yugoslavia national team. As a part of it, he was present at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.[5]

Death

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Rebac died on 17 November 2006 in Mostar.

Honours

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Player

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Velež Mostar

Hajduk Split

Manager

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Željezničar

References

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  1. ^ http://www.24sata.info/1691[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. ^ Fudbaleri i timovi 1975-76
  4. ^ Na današnji dan rođen tvorac slavne generacije Veleža - Bljesak (in Bosnian)
  5. ^ http://www.reprezentacija.rs/cgi-bin/index.pl?str=selektor&igrac=Sulejman%20Rebac&period=19731974 [dead link]