Zvonko Varga Explained

Zvonko Varga
Birth Date:27 November 1959
Birth Place:Crvenka, FPR Yugoslavia
Height:1.78 m
Position:Striker
Youthclubs1:Crvenka
Years1:1976–1977
Clubs1:Crvenka
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:1978–1986
Clubs2:Partizan
Caps2:199
Goals2:58
Years3:1986–1993
Clubs3:Club Liégeois
Caps3:169
Goals3:65
Years4:1993–1994
Clubs4:Seraing
Caps4:24
Goals4:2
Years5:1994–1995
Clubs5:Club Liégeois
Caps5:28
Goals5:13
Years6:1995–1997
Clubs6:Tilleur-Liégeois
Totalcaps:421
Totalgoals:138
Nationalyears1:1979
Nationalteam1:Yugoslavia U20
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:1997
Managerclubs1:Tilleur-Liégeois
Manageryears2:2000–2001
Managerclubs2:OFK Beograd
Manageryears3:2002
Managerclubs3:Rad
Manageryears4:2002–2003
Managerclubs4:Partizan (assistant)
Manageryears5:2004
Managerclubs5:Sartid Smederevo
Manageryears6:2004–2005
Managerclubs6:Partizan (assistant)
Manageryears7:2005–2006
Managerclubs7:Teleoptik
Manageryears8:2006–2007
Managerclubs8:Partizan (assistant)
Manageryears9:2007
Managerclubs9:Qatar SC (assistant)
Manageryears10:2008–2011
Managerclubs10:Teleoptik
Manageryears11:2011
Managerclubs11:Ittihad (assistant)
Manageryears12:2012–2015
Managerclubs12:Partizan (assistant)

Zvonko Varga (; born 27 November 1959) is a Serbian football manager and former player.

Club career

A striker, Varga made his senior debut at Crvenka in the Yugoslav Second League, before moving to Yugoslav First League side Partizan without his club's permission.[1] He would occasionally train with Second League club Rad, before being cleared to play for Partizan. From then on, Varga spent eight seasons with the Crno-beli (1978–1986), making 199 appearances and scoring 58 goals in the top flight of Yugoslav football. He also won two national championship titles (1983 and 1986).

In 1986, Varga moved abroad to Belgium and played for Club Liégeois over the next seven seasons. He was the Belgian league's second-highest scorer in the 1988–89 season with 22 goals, one less than Eddie Krncevic. On 13 May 1989, Varga scored all six goals in his team's 6–1 home league win over Beerschot. He would win the Belgian Cup in the following 1989–90 campaign. In the summer of 1993, Varga switched to Seraing, but returned to Club Liégeois a year later.

International career

At international level, Varga represented Yugoslavia at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship. He appeared in all three games, as the team exited the tournament at the group stage.[2]

Managerial career

After starting his managerial career with Tilleur-Liégeois, Varga went back to his homeland and took over the helm of OFK Beograd in 2000.[3] He was also manager of Rad for several months,[4] before being named assistant manager to Lothar Matthäus at Partizan.[5] Following the departure of Matthäus, Varga left his position and became manager of Sartid Smederevo in January 2004.[6] He resigned from the club after only four games.[7] In June 2004, Varga returned to Partizan to be assistant manager to Vladimir Vermezović.[8] He then served as co-manager of Teleoptik, alongside Blagoje Paunović, between 2005 and 2006,[9] before returning to Partizan as an assistant.

In the second part of 2007, Varga was assistant manager to Dimitri Davidovic at Qatar SC.[10] He then returned to Serbia, taking charge of Teleoptik in early 2008. Varga led them to promotion to the Serbian First League in 2009.[11] He was released in January 2011.[12] Varga again moved to the Middle East and joined Davidovic at Saudi Arabian outfit Ittihad in the second part of 2011.[13] He returned to Partizan in 2012, being an assistant in the following three years.

Personal life

Varga is the father of fellow footballer Saša Varga.[14]

Career statistics

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Crvenka1976–77Yugoslav Second League1010
Partizan1978–79Yugoslav First League20020220
1979–80Yugoslav First League309309
1980–81Yugoslav First League299299
1981–82Yugoslav First League348348
1982–83Yugoslav First League203203
1983–84Yugoslav First League411051
1984–85Yugoslav First League3011313312
1985–86Yugoslav First League3217403617
Total1995810120959
Club Liégeois1986–87Belgian First Division31103110
1987–88Belgian First Division31113111
1988–89Belgian First Division3122533625
1989–90Belgian First Division28861349
1990–91Belgian First Division731083
1991–92Belgian First Division28102810
1992–93Belgian First Division131131
Total1696512418169
Seraing1993–94Belgian First Division242242
Club Liégeois1994–95Belgian First Division28132813
Tilleur-Liégeois1995–96Belgian Third Division
1996–97Belgian Second Division
Total!colspan="2"—!!
Career total421138225443143

Honours

Partizan

Club Liégeois

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zvonko Varga: Moj kobni provod u Makarskoj . sr . mozzartsport.com . 15 September 2014 . 25 June 2015.
  2. Web site: Zvonko Varga . 11v11.com . 18 July 2021.
  3. Web site: Varga trener OFK Beograda! . sr . glas-javnosti.rs . 1 June 2000 . 18 June 2012.
  4. Web site: Rad turn to Djurovski . uefa.com . 7 November 2002 . 25 June 2015.
  5. Web site: LOTHAR MATTHÄUS PROMOVISAN ! . sr . partizan.rs . 23 December 2002 . 25 June 2015.
  6. Web site: Zvonko Varga novi trener Sartida . sr . b92.net . 6 January 2004 . 25 June 2015.
  7. Web site: Sartid bring back Kikovic . uefa.com . 16 March 2004 . 25 June 2015.
  8. Web site: Zvonko Varga ponovo u stručnom štabu . sr . partizan.rs . 24 June 2004 . 25 June 2015.
  9. Web site: Teleoptik osvojio Kup Beograda . sr . partizan.rs . 24 May 2006 . 25 June 2015.
  10. Web site: Invazija stranaca u Humskoj . sr . politika.rs . 17 July 2007 . 25 June 2015.
  11. Web site: Muka, pa kreč, pa drama, pa slavlje! . sr . partizan.rs . 11 June 2009 . 25 June 2015.
  12. Web site: Rašović umesto Varge u Teleoptiku . sr . b92.net . 19 January 2011 . 25 June 2015.
  13. Web site: Varga: Stanojević sve činio da me degradira! . sr . novosti.rs . 23 January 2012 . 25 June 2015.
  14. Web site: Zvonko Varga: Napravio sam glupost veka . sr . novosti.rs . 27 August 2017 . 18 July 2021.