Playing position Position Midfielder | Years Team | |
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Date of birth (1923-04-01)April 1, 1923 Place of birth Sarajevo, Kingdom of SCS Date of death 5 February 1982(1982-02-05) (aged 58) Died 5 February 1982, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Franjo Lovrić (born 1 April 1923 in Sarajevo, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes - died 5 February 1982 in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia ) was a Bosnian and Yugoslav professional footballer and manager that captained FK Sarajevo as a player, and then went on to manage it a decade later.
He began his career in 1938 with local Sarajevo club SAŠK, whom he represented until the Nazi invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. After the end of the war the new communist authorities placed a ban on numerous football clubs throughout the country including SAŠK. He quickly joined Željezničar, but wore the blue jersey for only two seasons, eventually moving to newly-formed FK Sarajevo in 1947. He would go on to play and captain the club for another 12 years. After retiring from professional football he became part of the club's youth coaching staff, a position he held until 1965 when he was named assistant to manager and former team colleague Miroslav Brozović. The duo would go on to win the club's first Yugoslav League title in 1967. After Brozović's departure he took over the helm and led Sarajevo for one more season.
He was capped once for Yugoslavia B. His younger brother Đuka Lovrić was also an FK Sarajevo player but died prematurely in 1957 as the result of a serious heart condition.
Death
Lovrić died in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia in 1982, at the age of 58.