Vladimir Petković

For the Serbian art historian and professor, see Vladimir Petković (art historian). For the Serbian politician, see Vladimir Petković (politician). For the geologist, see Vladimir K. Petković.

Vladimir Petković

Petković as Algeria manager in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Vladimir Petković
Date of birth	(1963-08-15) 15 August 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
0000–1978	Igman Ilidža
1978–1981	Sarajevo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1981–1984	Sarajevo	8	(0)
1984–1985	Rudar Prijedor	15	(7)
1985	Sarajevo	2	(0)
1985–1986	Koper	14	(4)
1986–1987	Sarajevo	17	(3)
1987–1988	Chur 97
1988–1989	Sion	6	(0)
1989–1990	Martigny-Sports	31	(8)
1990–1993	Chur 97	87	(19)
1993–1996	Bellinzona	63	(8)
1996–1997	Locarno	32	(3)
1997–1998	Bellinzona
1998–1999	Buochs
Total		275	(52)
Managerial career
1997–1998	Bellinzona (player-manager)
1999–2004	Malcantone Agno
2004–2005	Lugano
2005–2008	Bellinzona
2008–2011	Young Boys
2011–2012	Samsunspor
2012	Sion
2012–2014	Lazio
2014–2021	Switzerland
2021–2022	Bordeaux
2024–	Algeria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vladimir Petković (Croatian pronunciation: [ʋlǎdimiːr pêtkoʋit͡ɕ]; born 15 August 1963) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the coach of the Algeria national team.^[1] He was previously the head coach of French side Bordeaux, the Switzerland national team, a string of Swiss clubs, Turkish club Samsunspor, and Italian club Lazio.

Petković is from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Apart from his Bosnian one, he also holds Swiss and Croatian passports.^[2]

Early life

Petković was born in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia, modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1963 to a Bosnian Croat family.^[3][4] He is a naturalized Swiss^[5][6][7][8] and holds Bosnian, Swiss and Croatian passports.^[9][10][11] His parents worked in education and due to the family's frequent moving, Petković changed schools several times.^[12] They first lived in Vrelo Bosne and then when he was five years old, in Hadžići near Sarajevo.^[12]

Playing career

A midfielder with good technique, Petković started playing football in Ilidža as an eleven-year-old before joining the youth sector of his hometown side FK Sarajevo as a fifteen-year-old.^[12]

He remained at FK Sarajevo and began his professional career there^[13] in the early 1980s. Petković made only a handful of appearances in a strong Sarajevo side led on the pitch by Bosnian Safet Sušić.^[12] Petković was a part of the Sarajevo side that won the 1984–85 Yugoslav First League, but made only two league appearances for them.^[5] His time at Sarajevo was interrupted by two brief stints elsewhere: first, a successful time with Rudar Prijedor where Petković showed good scoring ability; and then a less successful season in the Yugoslav Second League with a poor NK Koper side which was relegated after finishing last.

Petković emigrated from Yugoslavia in 1987, leaving FK Sarajevo and moving permanently to Switzerland, where he joined second division club Chur 97. After a season with Chur, Petković moved to the Swiss top division, joining a strong Sion side. Sion achieved a third-place finish in the Nationalliga but Petković left the club at the end of the season after only making six league appearances.

After leaving Sion, Petković moved back into the lower tiers, first joining Martigny-Sports before returning to his first Swiss club, Chur 97. Petković enjoyed a career as a regular goalscoring midfielder in the Swiss second division, which included two more stints at Bellinzona and Lugano.

Petković completed his playing career as a player-manager with Bellinzona and Malcantone Agno, the latter having later merged with financially stricken Lugano.

Managerial career

Coaching in Switzerland

After his retirement from playing, Petković became a coach and his first job was player-manager at Bellinzona in 1997. In 2004, he took over the reins at Lugano before returning to Bellinzona for the fourth time in his career, where he led the club to the 2008 Swiss Cup final, only to lose out to Basel, and promotion to the Swiss Super League. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season, he was appointed as manager of Young Boys. After taking charge at the club, Petković installed a 3–4–3 formation and took the Bern side to a second-placed league finish. After two more seasons with Young Boys, he was sacked after a 1–1 draw against Luzern on 7 May 2011. The club finished in third place in the league behind their rivals Zürich and Basel.

Samsunspor in Turkey and return to Switzerland

In 2011, he became the new manager of Turkish side Samsunspor. He resigned from that position in January 2012 with the club in the relegation zone.^[14] On 15 May 2012, he was named the new temporary manager of Sion until the end of the 2011–12 season.^[15]

Lazio

On 2 June 2012, Petković became the new manager of Italian side Lazio in Serie A.^[16] With the club, he won the Coppa Italia in 2013, thanks to a goal from Senad Lulić.

Switzerland national team

On 23 December 2013, it was announced that Petković was to succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld as the manager of the Switzerland national team after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.^[17] As a result, Claudio Lotito fired Petković claiming a breach of the contract due to not having been duly informed by Petković about the latter's ongoing negotiations with the Swiss Football Association. Petković was sacked as Lazio manager on 4 January 2014 and was replaced by Edy Reja, which resulted in a legal dispute concerning the contract termination.

Since his appointment to the national team spot in July 2014, Petković has guided the Swiss to the Round of 16 stages of both the UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, along with the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2020. They also reached the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. At the UEFA Euro 2020, he led Switzerland to defeat world champions France 5–4 on penalties in the Round of 16, after a 3–3 draw, to qualify to the quarter-finals of the European Championship for the first time in their history.^[18]

Bordeaux

In late July 2021, Petković became the manager of French club Bordeaux.^[19] In February 2022, he was sacked as the team was struggling in the relegation positions in Ligue 1.^[20]

Algeria

On 29 February 2024, Petković became the head coach of the Algerian national team.^[21] Later that year, on 6 June, he lost his first competitive match 2–1 at home against Guinea during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.^[22] Four days later, he achieved his first win in a 2–1 victory over Uganda.^[23]

Charitable work

While living in Switzerland, Petković worked for Caritas Ticino, a Catholic relief development and social service organisation, for five years.^[24][25][26]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 17 November 2024

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record
			P	W	D	L	Win %
Bellinzona	July 1997	May 1998	30	12	7	11	040.00
Malcantone Agno	1999	2004	166	86	42	38	051.81
Lugano	June 2004	June 2005	36	14	10	12	038.89
Bellinzona	October 2005	June 2008	135	72	28	35	053.33
Young Boys	August 2008	8 May 2011	131	78	21	32	059.54
Samsunspor	1 July 2011	27 January 2012	22	4	7	11	018.18
Sion	15 May 2012	1 June 2012	4	1	0	3	025.00
Lazio	2 June 2012	4 January 2014	81	37	22	22	045.68
Switzerland	1 July 2014	26 July 2021	78	41	18	19	052.56
Bordeaux	27 July 2021	12 February 2022	25	5	8	12	020.00
Algeria	29 February 2024	present	10	7	2	1	070.00
Total			718	357	165	196	049.72

Honours

Player

Sarajevo

• Yugoslav First League: 1984–85

Manager

Malcantone Agno

• 1. Liga: 2002–03

Lazio

• Coppa Italia: 2012–13

References

1. Bourebala, Mohamed (29 February 2024). "National team: Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic in as new manager". Algeria Press Service. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
2. Wer ist Vladimir Petkovic? Auf Spurensuche in Sarajevo. In: NZZ am Sonntag, 5 June 2021.
3. Damir Kulas (3 July 2018). "Vladimir Petković: the migrant who struggled his way to the top of Swiss football". These Football Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020.
4. "Petric und Rakitic hätten sich nicht für Kroatien entscheiden sollen". 20 minuten (in Swiss German). 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008.
5. "The official website for European football". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 6 January 2013.
6. Tagesanzeiger.ch: «Die Berner denken zu oft ans Verlieren»:Ich bin Schweizer und bosnischer Kroate aus Sarajevo.
7. "Trainersteckbrief Vladimir Petkovic, Schweiz".
8. Ilmessaggero.it: Petkovic, in testa solo la Lazio Il tecnico ha lasciato la famiglia in Svizzera per evitare ogni distrazione: In realtà, per non rimanere tanto lontani al famoso film dove ci sono due mostri sacri come De Sica e la Lollo (Pane, amore e fantasia ndc), a lui molto caro secondo alcuni amici, in questo uomo croato tutto d’un pezzo c’è tanta fantasia e soprattutto tantissimo amore per la sua famiglia. Archived: [1]
9. Wer ist Vladimir Petkovic? Auf Spurensuche in Sarajevo. In: NZZ am Sonntag, 5. Juni 2021.
10. Ali Alkatiri (24 December 2012). "The Doctor". Lazioland. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
11. Petkovic wird neuer Sion-Trainer!: Mit YB wurde der Staatsbürger von Kroatien und der Schweiz zweimal Vize-Meister und verlor 2009 mit den Bernern den Cupfinal - gegen Sion.
12. "Mourinho sa Ilidže".
13. "zerodic.com". Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
14. "Samsunspor'da Mesut Bakkal dönemi" (in Turkish). NTVSpor. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
15. "FC Sion - Vladimir Petkovic ist der neue Trainer des FC Sion".
16. "Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)". FIFA. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
17. "Petkovic to succeed Hitzfeld". FIFA. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014.
18. "France 3–3 Switzerland". UEFA. 28 June 2021.
19. "Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic leaves to join Bordeaux". AP News. 28 July 2021.
20. "Struggling Bordeaux fire coach Petkovic". France24. 7 February 2022.
21. "Algeria appoint Petkovic as new coach". FIFA. 29 February 2024.
22. "Egypt & Ghana win but Algeria stunned in qualifying". BBC Sport. 6 June 2024.
23. "Uganda 1–2 Algeria". ESPN. 10 June 2024.
24. Caritas-ticino.ch: Auguri a Vladimir Petkovic
25. Horncastle, James (19 September 2012). "Tottenham and Lazio united by fondness for former star Gazza". BBC. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
26. "Hrvatski sport u Svicarskoj". Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

External links

• BSC Young Boys profile (in German)
• [2]
• Caritas Bern: Ein Mann, der Menschen motiviert, p. 16. (in German)