à ½eljko Petrovià(; born 13 November 1965) is a Montenegrin professional football manager and former player. As a player, he represented the FR Yugoslavia national team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Petroviàmade his professional debut with BuduÃÂnost in 1986 under manager Milan à ½ivadinoviÃÂ. In PetroviÃÂ's second and third season at BuduÃÂnost under manager Stanko PoklepoviÃÂ, the team included the likes of Dejan SaviÃÂeviÃÂ, Branko BrnoviÃÂ, Anto Drobnjak, Predrag Mijatoviàand Nià ¡a SaveljiÃÂ. During PetroviÃÂ's time at BuduÃÂnost, the team finished in seventh place in the 1986âÂÂ87 season, in ninth place in the 1987âÂÂ88 season, fourteenth in the 1988âÂÂ89 season, and tenth in the 1989âÂÂ90 season.
Petroviàmoved to Dinamo Zagreb in 1990, where he played as a right-back. In June 1991, Dinamo changed their name to HAà  K GraÃÂanski. In HAà  K GraÃÂanski's short 1991âÂÂ92 UEFA Cup campaign, Petroviàscored all three of HAà  K GraÃÂanski's goals over two legs played against Trabzonspor. He scored two penalties in the first leg played on 17 September 1991, which HAà  K lost 3âÂÂ2 to Trabzonspor. He scored another goal in the second leg played on 2 October 1991, which HAà  K tied 1âÂÂ1. In spite of PetroviÃÂ's goalscoring form, HAà  K were eliminated from the UEFA Cup losing to Trabzonspor on aggregate.
Petroviàjoined Sevilla in November 1991, with his transfer from HAà  K GraÃÂanski costing the Spanish team 500,000 DM. HAà  K GraÃÂanski had agreed on PetroviÃÂ's transfer as part of a package with Davor à  uker, who joined Sevilla simultaneously. At the time, La Liga teams could field only up to four foreigners on the pitch, and Sevilla already had two foreign starters in Iván Zamorano and Pablo Bengoechea. With the addition of à  uker, Petroviàwas meant to be Sevilla's fourth foreign starter, although he initially enjoyed little playing time. Gradually, manager VÃÂctor Espárrago began bringing him off the bench, and in a breakthrough performance, Petroviàmade an assist in Sevilla's 1âÂÂ0 win against Real Murcia in the 1992 Copa del Rey Round of 16. On 22 March 1992, Petroviàscored his only goal in a league match with Real Burgos, with Sevilla winning 3âÂÂ2. However, after the departure of Espárrago, a markedly dry spell followed, especially when Sevilla signed Diego Maradona in the summer of 1992. Therefore, he was quick to sign for Dutch club FC Den Bosch that summer.
Petroviàjoined FC Den Bosch in 1992 while his father was living in nearby Heusden as a guest worker. This circumstance seemed to be a deciding factor in his move to Den Bosch, as it was widely regarded that he could have easily played for a more competitive team. Den Bosch director Chris van der Laar commented that Petroviàwas "too good for Den Bosch". In spite of PetroviÃÂ's good reception, Den Bosch struggled in the 1992âÂÂ93 season and ended up relegated back to the second tier at the end of the season. After a 5âÂÂ0 loss against Feyenoord in May 1993, Den Bosch manager Hans van der Pluijm noted that "[PetroviÃÂ] is playing three classes better than the rest of the team." He was eager to join RKC Waalwijk in 1994. It was at this club which he excelled as an attacking right-back, and he scored 13 goals in total of 2 seasons before joining Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in 1996.
Petroviàjoined PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1996. He was a regular starter during the 1996âÂÂ97 season, when PSV won the Eredivisie that season under manager Dick Advocaat. In his second season at the club, however, he proved a difficult player to manage and he was also involved in a spat with team captain Arthur Numan. Towards the end of PetroviÃÂ's time at PSV, Advocaat was critical of his smoking habits. In the fall of 1997, Petroviàaccepted a lucrative offer from the Urawa Red Diamonds, which estranged him from the rest of the club. He insisted that he did not wish to leave PSV, but that the offer could not be ignored since ten of his relatives were living off of his money in Yugoslavia. Petroviàplayed a total of 35 games for PSV. He played his last game for PSV on 5 November 1997, in a Champions League match against Newcastle United at St James' Park.
In 1997, he moved to Japan to play for Urawa Red Diamonds before returning to RKC Waalwijk in 2000 where he finished his playing career.
PetroviÃÂ made his debut for the national team of Yugoslavia on 12 September 1990 in a match against Northern Ireland. Yugoslavia was subsequently banned from the Euro 1992, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and the Euro 1996 due to FIFA suspending Yugoslavia following the international sanctions against Yugoslavia. PetroviÃÂ would play for Yugoslavia again five years after his debut, for the qualification to the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Petroviàwas a regular of the Yugoslavia national team throughout the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification. On 28 October 1997, the night before the first leg of the qualifying play-off against Hungary, Petroviàreceived a death threat by an anonymous phone caller. The caller gave Petroviàtwelve hours to leave Yugoslavia before being killed. In the time preceding the death threat, Petroviàhad been subject to a whispering campaign that suggested he once played for the Croatia national team during the breakup of Yugoslavia, before Croatia became an official FIFA member. Petroviàstrongly denied this, and teammate Savo Miloà ¡eviàaccused some journalists of jeopardizing PetroviÃÂ's life by spreading fake news about him. Petroviàwent on to play for Yugoslavia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
After the rumors were spread, PetroviÃÂ took several opportunities to explain how the media identified him. When a Dutch journalist asked PetroviÃÂ about his nationality considering the breakup of Yugoslavia, PetroviÃÂ insisted on his identity as a Yugoslav. He explained himself with the following:
On 21 August 2006, Petroviàwas appointed as the new manager of Portuguese team Boavista. In his first match as manager, Boavista won 3âÂÂ0 against Benfica. However, he resigned in October 2006 after only a month and a half in charge. The following 2007âÂÂ08 season Petrovic managed RKC Waalwijk to a second place in the Dutch 2nd division and failed to gain promotion to the Eredivisie. In the 2008âÂÂ09 season he was Martin Jol's assistant at Hamburger SV.
On 28 July 2010, West Ham United confirmed PetroviÃÂ as the assistant manager to manager Avram Grant. On 23 November 2010, West Ham parted company with PetroviÃÂ after less than four months. Upon his departure he made controversial comments about the Premier League questioning its quality. In February 2010, Petrovic was named assistant to manager Guus Hiddink at Anzhi Makhachkala.
On 17 March 2015, PetroviÃÂ was named the assistant to manager Dick Advocaat at Sunderland, but was sacked on 4 October later that year. He became assistant to manager Advocaat once more when he joined him at FC Utrecht in 2018.
In the beginning of June 2019, Botev Plovdiv introduced PetroviÃÂ as the new manager of the club. Following his recommendations the club signed Marko Pervan, Philippe van Arnhem and Rodney Klooster. After a long run of poor results, on 16 October, PetroviÃÂ was sacked. Shortly after that van Arnhem and Klooster were also released. In 12 games under his guidance Botev Plovdiv won only twice, achieved three draws and lost seven matches, last four of which in a row. The next Botev Plovdiv manager achieved seven wins in a row with the same squad attributing to the competency of PetroviÃÂ.
In the beginning of January 2020, Inter Zapreà ¡iàintroduced Petroviàas their new manager. On 10 April 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, Petroviàterminated the contract with the club.
He was appointed assistant to Advocaat again at Feyenoord in summer 2020.
After the resignation of Dick Advocaat in November 2021 as manager of the Iraq national team, Petroviàtook over on a caretaker basis. He would coach Iraq at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup and the final round of the World Cup. In the last seconds of his first match as head coach against Oman, which ended in a 1âÂÂ1 draw, Petroviàentered the field to designate who would kick the penalty. He was sacked on 2 February 2022.
On 5 January 2024, Petroviàwas appointed manager of Bosnian Premier League club Zrinjski Mostar. He was victorious in his first match in charge as Zrinjski beat Slavija Sarajevo in the Bosnian Cup second round on 10 February 2024. The team drew 0âÂÂ0 away against à ½eljezniÃÂar in his first league match as manager on 17 February. In his first ever Mostar derby, PetroviÃÂ's side defeated rivals Veleà ¾ on 13 April 2024. On 23 May 2024, Petroviàwon his first major trophy as a manager after Zrinjski beat Borac Banja Luka 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate in the Bosnian Cup final.
On 20 June 2024, it was announced by Zrinjski that PetroviÃÂ had left the club by mutual consent.
PSV
Zrinjski Mostar