Ivica Brzić

Ivica Brzić
Personal information
Date of birth	28 May 1941
Place of birth	Újvidék, Kingdom of Hungary
Date of death	1 June 2014 (aged 73)
Place of death	Novi Sad, Serbia
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Vojvodina
	Novi Sad
Senior career*
Years	Team
1960–1964	Novi Sad
1964	Željezničar Sarajevo
1965–1972	Vojvodina
1972–1974	Alpine Donawitz
1974–1976	VÖEST Linz
Total
International career
1966	Yugoslavia
Managerial career
1977–1978	Vojvodina (assistant)
1978–1979	Vojvodina
1980–1981	Alpine Donawitz
1982–1983	Spartak Subotica
1983–1986	Osasuna
1987–1988	Vojvodina
1988–1989	Mallorca
1989	Rad
1990–1991	Vojvodina
1991–1993	Universitario
1994	Blooming
1994–1995	Alianza Lima
1995–1996	Oviedo
1996	Hércules Alicante
1997	Universitario
1999	Sport Boys
2001	Alianza Lima
2007–2008	Vojvodina
Medal record
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ivan "Ivica" Brzić (Serbian Cyrillic: Иван Ивица Брзић; 28 May 1941 – 1 June 2014) was a Yugoslav and Serbian football manager and player.^[1]

Early life

Brzić was born during World War II in the city of Novi Sad (then called Újvidék) that had been annexed just months before his birth by the Kingdom of Hungary.^[2]

Club career

Brzić made his debut for Novi Sad in the 1960–61 Yugoslav Second League, helping them win promotion to the Yugoslav First League. He played regularly for the side in the top tier of Yugoslav football over the next three seasons. Following the club's relegation to the Second League in 1964, Brzić moved to Željezničar Sarajevo, along with Lazar Lemić and Ilija Tojagić.

In the 1965 winter transfer window, Brzić joined his parent club Vojvodina. He helped them win the Yugoslav First League in the 1965–66 season, missing just one game in the process. Over the course of 7+1⁄2 years at Vojvodina, Brzić amassed 200 league appearances and scored five goals.

In the summer of 1972, Brzić moved abroad to Austria, spending two seasons with DSV Alpine and 2+1⁄2 seasons with VÖEST Linz, before retiring during the 1976–77 winter break.

International career

At international level, Brzić was capped once for Yugoslavia against the Soviet Union in 1966.^[3] He was also selected to represent the nation at UEFA Euro 1968, but remained unused in the tournament. Yugoslavia finished as runners-up after losing to Italy in the final.^[4]

Managerial career

After hanging up his boots, Brzić briefly worked as a coordinator in the youth system of Vojvodina before becoming an assistant to Branko Stanković with the seniors in 1977. He replaced him as the club's manager the following year, aged 37. Between 1983 and 1986, Brzić was manager of La Liga side Osasuna, qualifying for European football for the first time in club history.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Brzić spent several years in Peru, having stints with Universitario and Alianza Lima.^[5]^[6]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals
Novi Sad	1960–61	Yugoslav Second League	11	0
	1961–62	Yugoslav First League	21	0
	1962–63	Yugoslav First League	19	0
	1963–64	Yugoslav First League	26	0
	Total		77	0
Željezničar Sarajevo	1964–65	Yugoslav First League	14	0
Vojvodina	1964–65	Yugoslav First League	13	0
	1965–66	Yugoslav First League	29	0
	1966–67	Yugoslav First League	30	0
	1967–68	Yugoslav First League	30	0
	1968–69	Yugoslav First League	16	0
	1969–70	Yugoslav First League	25	4
	1970–71	Yugoslav First League	26	1
	1971–72	Yugoslav First League	31	0
	Total		200	5
DSV Alpine	1972–73	Austrian Football Championship	21	5
	1973–74	Austrian Football Championship	32	1
	Total		53	6
VÖEST Linz	1974–75	Austrian Football Bundesliga	34	1
	1975–76	Austrian Football Bundesliga	31	0
	1976–77	Austrian Football Bundesliga	16	1
	Total		81	2
Career total			425	13

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year^[7]
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Yugoslavia	1966	1	0
Total		1	0

Honours

Player

Novi Sad

Yugoslav Second League: 1960–61

Vojvodina

Yugoslav First League: 1965–66

Yugoslavia

UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1968

Manager

Universitario

Torneo Descentralizado: 1992

References

^ "Ivan Brzic, extécnico de Universitario y Alianza Lima, murió a los 74 años" (in Spanish). peru21.pe. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^ "Sportski spomenar" (in Serbian). rts.rs. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^ "Ivica Brzić, international football player". EU-football.info. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^ "Brzić Ivica" (in Serbian). reprezentacija.rs. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^ "Campeón Nacional 1992" (in Spanish). daleucampeon.com. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^ "Alianza Lima 1 – Sporting Cristal 1" (in Spanish). historialblanquiazul.com. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^ "Ivica Brzić, international football player". 11v11.com. Retrieved 13 December 2023.