Ivan Gudelj

Ivan Gudelj ( born September 21, 1960 in Imotski, SFR Yugoslavia, now Croatia) is a Croatian football coach and former football player of Yugoslavia.

Career as a player

In 1975 Gudelj came from his youth club NK Mracaj Runovici to Hajduk Split, where he has been used as a teenager in the first Yugoslav league. After winning the title in 1979, he became a regular player and won the 1984 Yugoslav Cup. In the UEFA Cup in 1983/84, he reached the semi-finals.

Gudelj Yugoslavia took part in the Junior World Cup in 1979 and reached a year later, the fourth in the football tournament of the Olympic Games in Moscow.

Later participated in the FIFA World Cup in Spain in 1982 in part, was employed in all three group matches and scored one goal. Two years later at the European Football Championship in 1984 in France, he resigned from Yugoslavia in the group stage, where he was again used three times. In the 1982 World Cup, the editors of the French sports newspaper L' Équipe elected him to the All- Star team. Overall, he played 33 times for Yugoslavia, scoring three goals.

He had to end his career due to a hepatitis B disease. Prior to his illness he still got an offer from the French club Girondins Bordeaux, which he could not accept. In 1982 he became Yugoslavia's Footballer of the Year.

Career as a coach

Gudelj coached several teams in Croatia. He coached the Croatian U-16 selection, where players like Niko Kranjcar played. He trained further Uskok, Zadar and Dubrovnik. For a short time he was coach of the Vorwärts Steyr in Austria. His first big club coached Gudelj of 2005-2006, when he coached his regular club Hajduk Split.

Achievements

• Yugoslavian Champion 1979 ( 1 game / 0 goals)
• Yugoslavian Cup Winner 1984
• Yugoslavia Footballer of the Year 1982