Full name Zvonimir Rasic Name Rale Rasic 1957 Vojvodina | 1952–1956 Proleter Zrenjanin Years Team Role Football player | |
Date of birth (1935-12-26) 26 December 1935 (age 79) Place of birth Mostar, Kingdom of Yugoslavia | ||
Toowoomba Grammar Rale Rasic Football Clinic 2019
Zvonimir "Rale" Rasic OAM (Serbian: Звонимир Рале Рашић/Zvonimir Rale Rašić; born 26 December 1935) is a Bosnian - Serbian
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Born in Dole, Littoral Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) Rasic begin his career playing in Yugoslav clubs. Also known as Zvonko Rasic, Zvonko being a usual diminutive for Zvonimir, he played with FK Proleter Zrenjanin, FK Vojvodina, FK Spartak Subotica and FK Borac Banja Luka. He 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.
Honours
Rasic was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2001, he 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."