Full name Ilija Lukic 1961-1965 FK Pristina Place of birth SFR Yugoslavia Name Ilija Lukic | Playing position Role Football player Years Team Position Forward | |
Date of birth (1942-01-21) January 21, 1942 (age 74) | ||
Ilija Lukić (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Лукић) (born January 21, 1942) is a former Serbian football player.
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Playing career
He started playing in the youth teams of Belgrade's FK Železnik. Having only 19 years, in 1961, he joined Second League FK Priština and he was soon regarded as one of the finest strikers in the country. That made attention turn to him and he signed with the FK Partizan that was having that season their historic achievement of reaching the 1966 European Cup Final that they lost to Real Madrid. After not getting many opportunities to play, he was moving next season to the California based Oakland Clippers where he would help the club win the 1967 National Professional Soccer League. Next year, he was back to Europe first in Dutch club Heracles Almelo and, after a disappointing season there, to Franch Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais. He stayed four seasons there becoming very popular among the fans. During this time the club had their most enjoyable period, winning the French Cup in 1971. Following season he moved to another Ligue 1 club FC Rouen before moveng to Austria where he was appointed player-manager of Second League FC Linz. Eventually achieving their goal to play in the newly inaugurated Bundesliga, he finished his playing career as a player-manager of Belgian FC Berlaar.
Coaching career
During his successful, 30 year, coaching career, he worked in 13 different clubs, at eight countries on three continents. He won four national championships, a treble with Al-Ittihad (Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia and one in UAE with Al Wasl. As the first coach of Al-Ittihad he also lifted four national cups in Saudi Arabia, and two in UAE, one with Al-Wasl and another with Sharjah FC. Together with Dimitri Davidovic he won in 1999 with Al-Ittihad the Asian Cup Winners Cup. As the manager of Al Ahli Jeddah he won in 2002 three big trophies: the Prince Faysal bin Fahad Tournament for Arab Clubs ( latter becoming the Arab Champions League, the Golf Club Champions Cup and Saudi Federation Cup.
He has a degree in football from a Higher Coaching School of the Belgrade University's Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, as well as a Diploma from a University of California in San Francisco.
Personal life
Lukić is married to Mirjana and has two children, a son Ivan and a daughter Maria.