Irfan Smajlagić

Irfan Smajlagić
Personal information
Full name Irfan Smajlagić
Born (1961-10-16) 16 October 1961 (age 63)
Banja Luka, PR Bosnia-Herzegovina,
FPR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Right wing
Youth career
Years Team
1975–1978
Borac Banja Luka
Senior clubs
Years Team
1978–1987
Borac Banja Luka
1987–1990
Medveščak Zagreb
1990–1993
US Ivry
1993–1994
USAM Nîmes
1994–1996
Badel 1862 Zagreb
1996–1997
RK Zamet
1997–1999
Medveščak Zagreb
1999–2000
Livry-Gargan
2000–2001
Girondins de Bordeaux
2001–2002
Livry-Gargan
National team
Years Team
1987–1991
Yugoslavia
1992–2000
Croatia 93 (290)
Teams managed
2002–2003
RK Čakovec
2003–2006
Croatia (assistant)
2005–2007
Croatia U-21
2007–2009
Egypt
2009–2011
Bosna Sarajevo
2012–2013
RK Zamet
2013–2014
Lokomotiva Zagreb
2015–2016
Iran
2022–2024
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2023–
Borac Banja Luka
Medal record
Men's handball
Representing  Yugoslavia
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Seoul Team
Representing  Croatia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team
World Championship
Silver medal – second place 1995 Iceland Team
European Championship
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Portugal Team
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon Team

Irfan "Pipe" Smajlagić (born 16 October 1961) is a Bosnian-born Croatian former handball player and current coach Borac Banja Luka and most recently coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics for Yugoslavia and in the 1996 Summer Olympics for Croatia.

In 1988 he was part of the Yugoslav national team, which won the bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics. He played five matches and scored 14 goals.

Eight years later he won the gold medal with the Croatian national team at the 1996 Olympics. He played six matches including the final and scored 31 goals.

He was inducted in the European Handball Hall of Fame in 2023.[1]

Personal life

His son Sven is a professional basketball player.[2]

Honours

Player

Borac Banja Luka
Medveščak Zagreb
USAM Nîmes
Badel 1862 Zagreb
Yugoslavia
Croatia
Individual

Coach

Croatia (assistant)
Croatia U-21
Egypt
Bosna Sarajevo
Lokomotiva Zagreb

Orders

References

  1. ^ "Three Croatians enter first-ever Hall of Fame of European Handball". Croatia Week. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  2. ^ Vidalina, Marko (4 December 2010). "Smajlagić: Ne znam zašto se zagrebaši tako "pale" na nas". 24sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Irfan Smajlagić biography". hoo.hr (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.