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Željko Sopić
	Sopić with Al-Ain in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	26 July 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1994–1998	NK Zagreb
1998–2000	Borussia Mönchengladbach
2000–2005	LR Ahlen
2005–2006	NK Zagreb
2006–2008	Slaven Belupo
2008–2011	Lokomotiva
Total
International career
1998–1999	Croatia B
Managerial career
2012–2015	Rudeš
2015–2016	Dinamo Zagreb II
2016	Dinamo Zagreb (caretaker)
2017–2019	Al-Ain B
2019	Al-Ain (caretaker)
2019–2020	Sabah
2022–2023	Gorica
2023–2024	Rijeka
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Željko Sopić (born 26 July 1974) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player.

Club career

Sopić started his professional career with NK Zagreb in 1994 and spent four years with the club's first team before leaving for Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1998. He made 23 appearances and scored two goals in his only season in the German top flight. He went on to spend another season with Mönchengladbach in the 2. Bundesliga, following their relegation from the first division in 1999, before moving to league rivals LR Ahlen in the summer of 2000. He played for Ahlen until 2005, bringing his record in the 2. Bundesliga to a total of 155 appearances and 21 goals. He then returned to NK Zagreb for the 2005–06 season, before joining to NK Slaven Belupo, in the summer of 2006. In 2008 he came back to Zagreb but he has played for NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in the Croatian First Football League.

International career

He also won two international caps for the Croatian B national team, against Romania in 1998 and France in 1999.^[1]

Managerial career

Sopić started as a manager with NK Rudeš in 2012. He managed a club to 2015, and in 2016 he was named the caretaker manager for Dinamo Zagreb, after Zoran Mamić had left. Before that, Sopić worked as the manager for Dinamo Zagreb II in the Croatian Second Football League, and after as the assistant manager for Ivaylo Petev in Dinamo Zagreb. On 30 January 2017, Sopić became the assistant for Zoran Mamić in Al-Ain, but two years later, on 30 January 2019, Mamić left Al-Ain and Sopić became the manager for club.^[2]

On 26 November, Sabah announced the appointment of Sopić on an 18-month contract.^[3] He was named manager of Gorica in November 2022, replacing Igor Angelovski.^[4]

Personal life

Sopić is the father of the German-born footballer Leon Sopić.^[5]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 11 August 2024

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team	From	To	Record
Team	From	To	G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Dinamo Zagreb II	22 September 2015	30 June 2016	25	8	8	9	24	27	−3	032.00
Dinamo Zagreb (caretaker)	19 September 2016	29 September 2016	3	2	0	1	6	4	+2	066.67
Sabah FK	27 November 2019	3 July 2020	11	3	2	6	12	18	−6	027.27
Gorica	28 November 2022	22 August 2023	24	7	9	8	27	28	−1	029.17
Rijeka	23 August 2023	Present	43	26	9	8	78	33	+45	060.47
Career total			106	46	28	32	147	110	+37	043.40