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Mirko Grabovac

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Mirko Grabovac
Personal information
Full name Mirko Grabovac
Date of birth (1971-09-19) 19 September 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth Stobreč, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Primorac 53 (9)
1995–1996 Cibalia 20 (1)
1996–1997 Zadarkomerc 11 (1)
1997–1999 Primorac 33 (10)
1999–2003 SAFFC 137 (143)
2004–2007 Tampines Rovers 100 (83)
2008 Sengkang Punggol 2 (0)
International career‡
2001–2008 Singapore 12 (0)
Managerial career
2008 Sengkang Punggol (caretaker)
2009 Mosor
2009–2013 Imotski
2013–2015 Mosor
2015-2016 Omiš
2017 Junak Sinj
2018 Warriors
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 May 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 May 2009

Mirko Grabovac (born 19 September 1971) is a Croatian former professional football player and coach. He changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2001 in order to play for the Singapore national football team, before renouncing it in 2008.

He is currently the head coach at Island City FC.[1][2]

Playing career

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Club

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Grabovac was the top scorer in Singapore's S.League in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 while playing for the Singapore Armed Forces FC (SAFFC), and again in 2005 playing for Tampines Rovers. He was named the S.League's Player of the Year in 2000.

With SAFFC, he scored a total of 150 S.League goals in five seasons along with seven goals in Asian competitions.

In 2007, he scored his 240th S.League goals in the Singapore Cup semi-final against Bangkok University to overtake Egmar Goncalves as the all-time S.League top goalscorer.

A year later, Grabovac was hired by Sengkang Punggol to play as a striker as well as double up as the assistant coach under head coach Saswadimata Dasuki. However, he was unable to pass the mandatory beep test twice, and served as caretaker coach for the Dolphins for a short period, starting with a 1–0 win over Gombak United which was Sengkang's second victory of the season.

Grabovac stepped down two months later as Swandi Ahmad was put in charge of the squad. He decided to leave Singapore on 5 October 2008 to rejoin his family in his native Croatia, renouncing his citizenship as well.

Managerial career

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Grabovac started coaching in his native Croatia in 2009, taking charge of NK Mosor, replacing Davor Mladina.[3] He then joined NK Imotski in the same year, and coached them for 3 years. He then returned to Mosor and coached them for a further 4 years. He was named manager of NK Omiš in June 2015[4] and was sacked in October 2016.[5]

He succeeded Dragutin Ćelić at Junak Sinj in March 2017,[6] but was dismissed as manager of Junak in January 2018[7] and also in early 2018, Grabovac was announced as the new head coach of his former club Warriors, this would mark his return to his former adopted nation in a footballing capacity since he renounced his Singaporean citizenship.[8] The appointment was met with disapproval by Singaporean footballing fans and communities because of his citizenship issue.[9] He received his permit to coach Warriors from the authorities in March 2018.[10] His time with Warriors was a disappointing one, finishing in fifth position out of nine in the 2019 Singapore Premier League.[11] His contract was not renewed beyond the season.[12]

Honours

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Club

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Singapore Armed Forces

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Tampines Rovers

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Individual

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  • S.League Top Scorer Award: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005
  • S.League Player of the Year: 2000
  • S.League Player of Decade
  • 244 S.League Goals

References

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  1. ^ Teoh, Melvyn (13 February 2024). "FAS launches Singapore Youth League, nearly 3,800 kids expected to participate". The Straits Times.
  2. ^ "Mirko Grabovac (Island City FC)". Island City FC. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Singapurac" Mirko Grabovac novi trener Mosora - Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian)
  4. ^ Mirko Grabovac novi trener Omiša - Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian)
  5. ^ Omišani smijenili Mirka Grabovca, Goran Pekas glavni favorit za njegova nasljednika - Dalmatinski Portal (in Croatian)
  6. ^ Nakon remija protiv Hrvaca smijenjen Ćelić, Grabovac novi trener - Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian)
  7. ^ Mirko Grabovac više nije trener Junaka - Dalmatinski Portal (in Croatian)
  8. ^ "Grabovac returns as Warriors coach". 4 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Grabovac's S-league return up in the air". 11 January 2018.
  10. ^ "S-League: Mirko Grabovac permitted to begin Warriors FC coaching". 15 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Fox Sports".
  12. ^ "Fox Sports".
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