Blagoje Bratić

Blagoje "Blažo" Bratić (March 1, 1946 – July 31, 2008) was a Bosnian Canadian footballer and manager.

Blagoje Bratić
Personal information
Full name Blagoje Bratić
Date of birth (1946-03-01)March 1, 1946
Place of birth Sarajevo, FPR Yugoslavia
Date of death July 31, 2008(2008-07-31) (aged 62)
Place of death Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Pretis Vogošća
Željezničar
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1976 Željezničar 301 (29)
Total 301 (29)
National team
1972 Yugoslavia 3 (0)
Teams managed
Lokomotiva Brčko
Elektrobosna Jajce
GOŠK Dubrovnik
Famos Hrasnica
Iskra Bugojno
1987–1988 Željezničar
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Club

Born in Sarajevo, he started playing football in Pretis Vogošća (later known as UNIS, and today as FK Vogošća) at the age of 14. As a talented youngster, he moved to Željezničar where he would become one of the more notable Yugoslav defenders at the time. He made his debut for Željo's first team in 1964, and was a standout member of the club's greatest generation that won its only Yugoslav First League title in 1972. He played 343 official competitive games for FK Željezničar, more than anyone in the club's 86-year-old history. He scored a total of 32 goals for the club in all competitions.

International

Bratić made his debut for Yugoslavia in a June 1972 friendly match against Venezuela and has earned a total of 3 caps, scoring no goals. His final international was a week later at the same tournament in Brazil against Paraguay.[1]

He decided to end his playing career in 1976, at the age of 30.

Managerial career

He stayed in football, however, as the head coach of lower division sides such as Lokomotiva Brčko, Famos Hrasnica, GOŠK Dubrovnik, and Iskra Bugojno, before finally getting a chance to lead a top-division team with FK Željezničar in the first part of 1987/88 season. In the early 1990s he coached in Penang, Malaysia.

In 1994, Bratić and his family fled to Toronto to escape the Bosnian War. For some time, he worked as sports director and coach of the Toronto Metro Lions.

Personal life

Bratić was married to his wife Miza with whom he had two sons named Denis and Saša.

Death

Bratić died on July 31, 2008 at the age of 62. He is interred in Toronto's York Cemetery.[2]

Honours

Player

Željezničar

References
  1. "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  2. Find a Grave profile
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