Ivan Gudelj
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ivan Gudelj | ||
| Date of birth | 21 April 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Imotski, FPR Yugoslavia | ||
| Playing position | defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
|
Current team
|
Croatia U-19 (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1975–1976 | NK Mračaj | ||
| 1976–1979 | Hajduk Split | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1986 | Hajduk Split | 181 | (35) |
| National team | |||
| 1980–1986 | Yugoslavia | 33 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| Croatia U-16 | |||
| NK Uskok | |||
| 1993 | Zadar | ||
| NK Dubrovnik | |||
| Vorwärts Steyr | |||
| 2005–2013 | Croatia U-17 | ||
| 2005–2006 | Hajduk Split | ||
| 2013–2014 | Croatia U-19 | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Ivan Gudelj (born 21 April 1960) is a Croatian former football midfielder who represented Yugoslavia.
Zmijavci-bred Gudelj started his player career in a club from the neighbouring village of Runovići — NK Mračaj. There he was coached by Marinko Boban, the father of future football star Zvonimir Boban. Few years later, Gudelj went to play for Hajduk Split, for which he played in period 1976-1986. He quickly marked himself out as a dependable and elegant defensive midfielder, earning the moniker "Beckenbauer from Zmijavci" in the Yugoslav press.
The rising career of a new European football star ended suddenly. Gudelj was forced to end his career cause of health problems, more specifically, hepatitis B. He played his last game against Red Star Belgrade in Split on 23 September 1986 at the start of the 1986-87 league season. His precontract with Girondins de Bordeaux has never been realised.
In 1979, 18-year-old Gudelj had a busy summer.
First in June, he played for Yugoslavia at the UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship in Vienna, leading his country to the championship trophy, beating Bulgaria in the final. Gudelj got named the tournament's best player.
Later that summer in August, Gudelj made the Yugoslavia squad that participated at the FIFA World Youth Championship held in Japan. Playing in a tough group featuring Argentina with 18-year-old Diego Maradona, Yugoslavia failed to progress to the next stage.
Gudelj's excellent games for national youth team drew the attention national team head coach Miljan Miljanić who called Gudelj up for the full squad the following year.
Gudelj quickly became Miljanić's favourite who soon made him the Yugoslav national team captain at the age of 21. In the end Gudelj made 33 national team appearances, scoring three goals. He was a participant in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1984. Because of his excellent games, French magazine L’Équipe put him on their list of ideal team of 1982 World Cup. He was also named the Yugoslav Footballer of the Year in 1982.
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