| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zvonimir Rašić | ||
| Date of birth | December 26, 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Mostar, Kingdom of Yugoslavia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| FK Proleter Zrenjanin | |||
| FK Vojvodina | |||
| FK Spartak Subotica | |||
| 1961-62 | FK Borac Banja Luka | ||
| 1962-69 | Footscray JUST | ||
| National team | |||
| Yugoslavia U21 | |||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1969 | Footscray JUST | ||
| 1969-74 | Australia | ||
| 1971 | St George | ||
| 1972-73 | Marconi Stallions | ||
| 1974 | Pan Hellenic | ||
| 1977-78 | Marconi Stallions | ||
| 1979-80 | Adelaide City | ||
| 1981-82 | Blacktown City | ||
| 1983 | South Melbourne FC | ||
| 1987-88 | A.P.I.A. Leichhardt | ||
| 1992 | Canterbury-Marrickville | ||
| 1996 | Rockdale Ilinden | ||
| 1997 | Fairfield Bulls | ||
| 1997-99 | Canberra Cosmos | ||
| 2002-03 | Marconi Stallions (Technical Director) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Zvonimir "Ralé" Rašić OAM (born 26 December 1935 in Mostar,[1] Littoral Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Serbian-Australian former football player, coach and media personality.
Rasic migrated to Australia in 1962, but returned to Yugoslavia after 18 months to serve in the army. His obligations met, Rasic returned to Australia, and played football in the Victorian league. He revolutionised the game in Australia, he was appointed coach in 1970 at just 34 years of age, and in 1974, he led the Australia national football team to the World Cup as coach.
After the World Cup, the Australian Soccer Federation dumped him as national coach, replacing him with Englishman Brian Green. Rasic and others believe that he was dumped because he was not seen as being a real "Aussie." He has stated, "They took from me something that I was doing better than anyone else. I was a true-blue Aussie and nobody can deny that. I taught the players how to sing the national anthem."
These days, as the first coach to take Australia to the World Cup finals, Rale Rasic is widely respected in Australian football.
He was a television presenter on SBS, during the Australian network's 2006 FIFA World Cup coverage. His biography, "The Rale Rasic Story," was published in 2006 by New Holland.
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In 2001 Rašić was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and the Centenary Medal for "services to soccer" and in 2004 the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to soccer as a player, coach and administrator."[2]
During the broadcasting of the SBS FIFA World Cup coverage and in other media, Rasic has named his "Greatest Socceroos side" - a team of Australian players who he deems the best Australia has to offer. The team is:
| Preceded by Inaugural Recipient |
NSL Coach of the Year 1977 |
Succeeded by Garry Chaldi |
| Preceded by Dragoslav Šekularac |
NSL Coach of the Year 1987 |
Succeeded by Brian Garvey |
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