Ivan Gudelj

Football player infobox
playername = Ivan Gudelj


fullname = Ivan Gudelj
nickname =
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1960|09|21|df=y
cityofbirth = Imotski, SR Croatia
countryofbirth = Yugoslavia
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
position = defensive midfielder
youthyears = 1975 - 1976
youthclubs = NK Mračaj
years = 1976-1986
clubs = Hajduk Split
caps(goals) = ... (...)
nationalyears = 1980-1986
nationalteam = flagicon|Yugoslavia Yugoslavia
nationalcaps(goals) = 33 (3)
manageryears = ...
...
...
...
...
2005-2006
managerclubs = Croatia U-16
NK Uskok
Zadar
NK Dubrovnik
Vorwärts Steyr
Hajduk Split

Ivan Gudelj (born September 21, 1960) is a Croatian former football midfielder who represented Yugoslavia.

Player career

Club career

Ivan Gudelj started his player career in a club from the neighbouring village, Mračaj from Runovići. His coach was the father of Zvonimir Boban.
Few years later, Gudelj went to play for Hajduk Split, for which he played in period 1976-1986.
The rising career of a new European football star, ended suddenly. Gudelj was forced to end his career cause of health problems, more specifically, hepatitis B.
He played his last game against Crvena zvezda in Split, on 23 September 1986.
His forecontract with Girondins de Bordeaux has never been realised.

National team career

As a youth player, he was pronounced as the best player of European Junior championship in Vienna in 1979.
Gudelj participated in the Youth championship in 1980, together with Maradona.
His excellent games for national youth team draw the attention of the senior team manager, that invited him next year.
When Gudelj was 21, he became the captain of Yugoslav national football team, for which he played 33 matches and scored three goals.
He was a participant in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1984.
Because of his excellent games, French magazine L’Équipe put him on his list of ideal team of 1982 World Cup.

Coaching career

He began his coaching career in 1990.As a coach, he led Croatian priests' national team and Croatian cadett national team. With the latter, he won the bronze medal in the Eurochamps 2001 in England (generation of Niko Kranjčar).Later, he led various clubs. He made it with Primorac from Stobreč, bringing it to Croatian top league. He also led Uskok from Klis, Zadar, Dubrovnik, Austrian club Vorwärts from Steyr and Hajduk (in 2005). He is currently the manager of the Croatia U17 National Team and successfully led them to a 4th place finish in the 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Italy.

Trivia

As a child, Ivan Gudelj thought about becoming a priest.

Also, as a child, he was a statist in the TV-series Prosjaci i sinovi, made after the novel of Ivan Raos, film in his home village Zmijavci. He was distinguishing from other kids in the escape scene, because Ivan Gudelj was - the fastest.

Trophies

*Yugoslav Cup: 1983/84

References

* [http://www.nacional.hr/articles/view/20639/Interview in "Nacional"] Ivan Gudelj - trener reprezentacija svećenika i kadeta na klupi Hajduka
* [http://www.radioimotski.hr/print.php?id=545 Radio-Imotski] Ivane sretno!!!
* [http://arhiv.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20000522/prilozi-sp4.htm Article in Slobodna Dalmacija] Nogometni univerzalac
* [http://www.imotskenovine.hr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=449&ac=0&Itemid=56 Imotski portal] Memorijal Ante Bruno Bušić u Vinjanima
* [http://www.reprezentacija.co.yu/reprezentativci/Gudelj%20Ivan.htm Serbian national football team website]