Lazo Džepina

Lazo Džepina (Serbian Cyrillic: Лазо Џепина, born October 27, 1966) is a Croatian Serb businessman, football manager, and former player.

Lazo Džepina
Džepina in 2010
Personal information
Full name Lazo Džepina
Date of birth (1966-10-27) October 27, 1966
Place of birth Knin, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1990 Dinara Knin
1990–1995 Rad Beograd
1996–2000 Borac Banja Luka
2005 Hamilton Thunder
Teams managed
2010 Dinara Knin
2010–2011 Brantford Galaxy
2011–2016 SC Waterloo Region
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

His playing career initially began with Dinara Knin, and later in the First League of FR Yugoslavia with Rad Belgrade. He received his first piece of silverware in the First League of the Republika Srpska with FK Borac Banja Luka by winning the Republika Srpska Cup. His playing career came to a conclusion abroad in 2005 in the Canadian Professional Soccer League with Hamilton Thunder.[1]

After retiring from professional football he made the transition to the managerial side by managing in the Croatian Third Football League with his former club Dinara Knin in 2010. After a season in Croatia he returned to the CSL to manage the Brantford Galaxy, where in his first season he led the team to a CSL Championship. After a series of poor performances in 2011 he was relieved from his coaching duties. In 2011, SC Waterloo Region was granted a CSL franchise with Džepina holding several shares in the club, and was given the coaching responsibilities. He led Waterloo to their first and his second championship medal in 2013.[2]

Playing career

Džepina began his career with his hometown club Dinara.[3] In 1990, he signed with Rad of the First League of FR Yugoslavia, and played with FK Borac Banja Luka where he won the Republika Srpska Cup.[4] In 2005, he went abroad to Canada to play with the Hamilton Thunder of the Canadian Professional Soccer League.[5]

Managerial career

After his retirement from competitive football he managed NK Dinara in 2010.[6] In 2010, he returned to Canada to manage expansion franchise Brantford Galaxy in the Canadian Soccer League.[7][8] In preparation for the 2010 season, Džepina utilized the growing procession of European players to the CSL by recruiting their services.[1] The acquisition of European imports played a pivotal role in Brantford's championship success in defeating Hamilton Croatia by a score of 3-0.[9] The victory marked a historic milestone in CSL history as Brantford became the first expansion side to win the title in their debut season. The following season he continued in his capacity as head coach, and further strengthened his roster with additional imports from Europe. Unfortunately after a mediocre start to the season Džepina was dismissed from his post.[10]

In 2012, after the promotion of Kitchener Waterloo United FC to the CSL First Division the team was renamed to SC Waterloo Region with Džepina becoming a shareholder in the organization.[11] He assumed the managerial duties of the club, and continued in his policy of European recruitment. In his first season with Waterloo he failed to secure the final postseason berth by two points. Džepina brought a double championship success to the Waterloo region in the 2013 season with the senior team defeating Kingston FC, while the reserve squad claimed the Second Division championship after defeating Toronto Croatia B.[12]The victories placed Džepina in a class of distinction by becoming the second head coach in CSL history in acquiring more than one CSL Championship. His next significant season was in the 2015 season, where Waterloo reached the championship finals, but were defeated in the finals to Toronto Croatia. While the reserve team clinched the Second Division title, but lost in the finals to Milton SC B.

Honours

Manager
Brantford Galaxy
SC Waterloo Region

References
  1. "Galaxy imports ready to go". The Hamilton Spectator. 2010-05-05. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  2. Adamson, Stan. "IMPORT PLAYERS FOR A BRIGHTER CANADIAN SOCCER LEAGUE – Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
  3. kistanje@moje-kistanje.net. "Sport". golubickodknina.com. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  4. "Lazo Džepina prigrlio titulu". Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  5. "Canadian Professional Soccer League - Clubs". 2005-12-25. Archived from the original on 2005-12-25. Retrieved 2017-02-05.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. "Devet pogodaka Marka Perića, sedam Ivana Šarlije - Zadarski list". www.zadarskilist.hr. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  7. Smiley, Brian. "Lazo is in charge". Brantford Expositor. Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  8. Kodžoman, Žarko. "Vratili se Kanađani!" (PDF). Sinjsko novine.
  9. O'Leary, Ed. "Galaxy title out of this world". Brantford Expositor. Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  10. Smiley, Brian. "Galaxy show coach red card". Brantford Expositor. Archived from the original on 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  11. "SC Waterloo Region joins Canadian Soccer League first division | Metro News". Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  12. Adamson, Stan. "November 3, 2013 CSL--Result of Division 1 and 2 Finals (from CSL website)".
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