Zoran Vulić

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Zoran Vulić

| image = Zoran Vulić.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Vulić as manager at Luch-Energiya in 2008

| fullname = Zoran Vulić

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1961|10|4}}

| birth_place = Split, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia

| height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1979–1988

| years2 = 1988–1991

| years3 = 1991–1993

| years4 = 1993–1995

| clubs1 = Hajduk Split

| clubs2 = Mallorca

| clubs3 = Nantes

| clubs4 = Hajduk Split

| caps1 = 167

| caps2 = 95

| caps3 = 65

| caps4 = 21

| goals1 = 25

| goals2 = 11

| goals3 = 10

| goals4 = 4

| totalcaps = 348

| totalgoals = 50

| nationalyears1 = 1986–1991

| nationalyears2 = 1990–1993

| nationalteam1 = Yugoslavia

| nationalteam2 = Croatia

| nationalcaps1 = 25

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1998

| manageryears2 = 2000–2001

| manageryears3 = 2002–2004

| manageryears4 = 2006–2007

| manageryears5 = 2008

| manageryears6 = 2009

| manageryears7 = 2010

| manageryears8 = 2010–2011

| manageryears9 = 2012–2013

| manageryears10 = 2014

| manageryears11 = 2014–2015

| manageryears12 = 2015–2016

| manageryears13 = 2016–2017

| manageryears14 = 2017

| manageryears15 = 2018

| manageryears16 = 2022

| managerclubs1 = Hajduk Split

| managerclubs2 = Hajduk Split

| managerclubs3 = Hajduk Split

| managerclubs4 = Hajduk Split

| managerclubs5 = Luch-Energiya

| managerclubs6 = Rijeka

| managerclubs7 = Istra 1961

| managerclubs8 = Istra 1961

| managerclubs9 = RNK Split

| managerclubs10 = Croatia U19

| managerclubs11 = RNK Split

| managerclubs12 = Sheriff Tiraspol

| managerclubs13 = Atyrau

| managerclubs14 = Apollon Smyrni

| managerclubs15 = Hajduk Split

| managerclubs16 = Xanthi

}}

Zoran Vulić ({{IPA|hr|zǒran ʋǔːlitɕ}}; born 4 October 1961) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is notable for having managed Hajduk Split five separate times between 1998 and 2018, which is a record among all Hajduk managers.

Playing career

=Club=

Vulić was born in Split. He is the son of Ante, a famous goalkeeper for Hajduk Split in the 1950s. Zoran Vulić joined Hajduk Split as a stopper with a powerful shot, and played for the club for nine seasons. He played a total of 167 league games and scored 25 goals. He successfully continued his career abroad, with stints at RCD Mallorca and FC Nantes in the following five years. He was instrumental in Mallorca's return to the La Liga during his debut season. He played 35 matches and scored five times.

Vulić returned to Hajduk in 1993 and retired after two years with the club, at age 34. In his first stint with the club, he conquered two Yugoslav Cups in 1984 and 1987, and in his second stint two Croatian Leagues in 1994 and 1995, and one cup in 1995.

=International=

Vulić won 25 caps for Yugoslavia, scoring once,{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/joeg-recintlp.html|title=Appearances for Yugoslavia/Serbia National Team|accessdate=27 January 2023|website=RSSSF}} and participated at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he played four of the team's five matches.{{FIFA player|44744}} His national team debut was on 30 April 1986, when Yugoslavia lost 4–2 to Brazil in a friendly match.

He also played in three friendly matches for Croatia: in October 1990 against the United States and in June 1991 against Slovenia, both unofficial since Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia at the time, as well as against Ukraine in June 1993.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=22446|title=Player Database|accessdate=27 January 2023|website=EU-football}}

=International goals=

:Results list Yugoslavia's and Croatia's goal tallies first.

class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" !# !Date !Venue !Opponent !Score !Result !Competition
colspan="7"\|Yugoslavia goals
1 \|16 May 1991 \|Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia \|{{fb\|FRO}} \|{{center\|6–0}} \|{{center\|7–0}} \|Euro 1992 qualifying

class="wikitable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!Date

!Venue

!Opponent

!Score

!Result

!Competition

colspan="7"|Yugoslavia goals

|16 May 1991

|Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

|{{fb|FRO}}

|{{center|6–0}}

|{{center|7–0}}

|Euro 1992 qualifying

Managerial career

In 1998, Vulić continued his career as manager, with his first four spells all at Hajduk Split. His biggest success as Hajduk manager was winning the 2000–01 Croatian First League and the 2002–03 Croatian Cup. In 2004, he was sacked three rounds before the end of the 2003–04 Croatian First League season even though the team was sitting at the top of the table, and he was replaced by the new manager, Petar Nadoveza, who ended up winning that championship with Hajduk.

In January 2008, Vulić moved to Russian Premier League club FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok. He returned to Croatia in 2009, taking over HNK Rijeka. In February 2010, he took charge of Istra 1961. Vulić also managed RNK Split on two occasions. His biggest success with that team was reaching the final of the 2014–15 Croatian Cup where they were beaten on penalties by Dinamo Zagreb.{{cite news |url=https://www.novilist.hr/sport/nogomet/zoran-vulic-novi-trener-splita/ |title=Zoran Vulić novi trener Splita |website=novilist.hr |date=23 December 2014 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}}{{cite news |url=https://ezadar.net.hr/sport/2096723/vulic-finale-kupa-za-nas-je-povijesna-utakmica/ |title=Vulić: Finale kupa za nas je povijesna utakmica |website=ezadar.net.hr |date=19 May 2015 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}}{{cite news |author=I.J. |url=https://www.tportal.hr/sport/clanak/dinamo-slomio-hrabri-split-tek-nakon-penala-u-finalu-kupa-20150520 |title=Dinamo slomio hrabri Split tek nakon penala u finalu Kupa! |website=tportal.hr |date=21 May 2015 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}}{{cite news |author=B.Š. |url=https://www.tportal.hr/sport/clanak/zoranu-vulicu-otkaz-sablic-preuzeo-klupu-rnk-splita-20150930 |title=Zoranu Vuliću otkaz, Sablić preuzeo klupu RNK Splita |website=tportal.hr |date=30 September 2015 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}}

In 2015, he took over Sheriff Tiraspol and managed to win the 2015–16 Moldovan National Division.{{cite news |url=http://hr.n1info.com/Sport-Klub/Nogomet/a77644/Zoran-Vulic-preuzeo-moldavski-Sheriff.html |title=Zoran Vulić preuzeo moldavski Sheriff |website=hr.n1info.com |date=8 October 2015 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}} He left the club in June 2016.{{cite news |url=https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/sport/zoran-vulic-vise-nije-trener-sheriff-tiraspola/13244 |title=Zoran Vulić više nije trener Sheriff Tiraspola |website=dalmatinskiportal.hr |date=16 June 2016 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}} On 14 December 2016, Vulić was appointed as manager of FC Atyrau.{{cite news |url=https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/sport/zoran-vulic-novi-trener-momcadi-atyrau/17536 |title=Zoran Vulić novi trener momčadi Atyrau |website=dalmatinskiportal.hr |date=14 December 2016 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}} On 11 April 2017, the club announced a mutually agreed contract termination, as Vulić wanted to return to Croatia. He was then manager of Apollon Smyrni from September to December 2017, when he was sacked after a poor run of results.{{cite news |author=T.R. |url=https://www.nogometplus.net/sluzbeno-zoran-vulic-preuzeo-grckog-prvoligasa/ |title=SLUŽBENO: Zoran Vulić preuzeo grčkog prvoligaša |website=nogometplus.net |date=28 September 2017 |access-date=29 September 2020 |language=hr}}

His final stint with Hajduk was from 9 September to 27 November 2018, when he was sacked after having won only 3 of the 9 league matches.{{cite news |url=https://hajduk.hr/vijest/zoran-vulic-novi-je-trener-hajduka-/10663 |title=ZORAN VULIĆ NOVI JE TRENER HAJDUKA! |website=hajduk.hr |date=9 September 2018 |access-date=29 April 2020 |language=hr}}{{cite news |url=https://hajduk.hr/vijest/zoran-vulic-vise-nije-trener-hajduka-klupu-preuzima-sinisa-orescanin/10987 |title=ZORAN VULIĆ VIŠE NIJE TRENER HAJDUKA, KLUPU PREUZIMA SINIŠA OREŠČANIN |website=hajduk.hr |date=27 November 2018 |access-date=29 April 2020 |language=hr}} In February 2022 he was named manager of Greek second-tier side Xanthi,[https://zdravlje.slobodnadalmacija.hr/sport/domaci-nogomet/zoran-vulic-preuzeo-grckog-drugoligasa-s-kojim-ce-se-boriti-za-ulazak-u-elitno-drustvo-1164151 Zoran Vulić preuzeo grčkog drugoligaša s kojim će se boriti za ulazak u elitno društvo] - Slobodna Dalmacija {{in lang|hr}} but was relieved of his duties after only a month.[https://www.germanijak.hr/nogomet/vijesti/zoran-vulic-se-kratko-zadrzao-u-grckoj-dogovoren-raskid-s-xanthijem/96734 Zoran Vulić se kratko zadržao u Grčkoj, dogovoren raskid s Xanthijem] - Germanijak {{in lang|hr}}

Additionally, Vulić also served as an assistant coach of the Croatia national team.

Managerial statistics

{{updated|25 November 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://int.soccerway.com/coaches/zoran-vuli/122166/ |title=Croatia - Z. Vulić - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=29 September 2020}}

class=wikitable style="text-align: center" \|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
rowspan=2\|Team !rowspan=2\|From !rowspan=2\|To !colspan=8\|Record
{{Tooltip\|G\|Games managed}} !{{Tooltip\|W\|Games won}} !{{Tooltip\|D\|Games drawn}} !{{Tooltip\|L\|Games lost}} !{{Tooltip\|GF\|Goals for}} !{{Tooltip\|GA\|Goals against}} !{{Tooltip\|GD\|Goal difference}} !{{Tooltip\|Win %\|Winning percentage}}
align=left\|Hajduk Split \|align=left\|1998 \|align=left\|1998 {{WDL\|5\|1\|2\|2\|for=7\|against=10\|diff=yes}}
align=left\|Hajduk Split \|align=left\|2000 \|align=left\|2001 {{WDL\|36\|22\|7\|7\|for=80\|against=26\|diff=yes}}
align=left\|Hajduk Split \|align=left\|2002 \|align=left\|2004 {{WDL\|82\|54\|13\|15\|for=151\|against=61\|diff=yes}}
align=left\|Hajduk Split \|align=left\|2006 \|align=left\|2007 {{WDL\|31\|22\|4\|5\|for=59\|against=23\|diff=yes}}
align=left\|Hajduk Split \|align=left\|2017 \|align=left\|2018 {{WDL\|11\|5\|4\|2\|for=16\|against=12\|diff=yes}}
colspan=3\|Total {{WDLtot\|165\|104\|30\|31\|for=313\|against=132\|diff=yes}}

class=wikitable style="text-align: center"

|+ Managerial record by team and tenure

rowspan=2|Team

!rowspan=2|From

!rowspan=2|To

!colspan=8|Record

!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}

!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}

!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}

!{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}}

!{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}}

!{{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}