Ivan Čabrinović


Ivan Čabrinović is a Serbian former football manager and former player.

Playing career

Born in Kragujevac, he played with local side FK Radnički Kragujevac before signing with Yugoslav giants FK Partizan in winter-break of 1967–68 Yugoslav First League season. He made 6 appearances and scored 3 goals until the end of the season with Partizan. At age of 27 he had a major leg injury that ended his career.

Coaching career

After retiring, he found himself notoriety as coach. He coached the Yugoslav team at the Universiade in Zagreb, the Yugoslav amateur national team, and the Yugoslav team at the Mediterranean Games. With the U-21 Yugoslav team he won silver at the UEFA European Championship when they lost against Russia in Sevastopol, and then, he was with the main Yugoslav team when the country got disqualified due to UN economic sanctions imposed due to Yugoslav wars which left Yugoslav team unable to play the tournament they archived to qualify ahead of Denmark, which went instead and curiously, won the tournament.
Then, he coached Bahrain on their 1994 Asian Games and Gulf tournaments, and also worked at club level in Japan, Kuwait, Algeria and Bahrain. However, it all started when he got his coaching license and was brought by FK Zemun to replace Stjepan Bobek in a time when the club had fallen to the Serbian Republic League, what was a third level at backthen Yugoslav league system. He stayed in Zemun 8 years and brought emun back to the top of Yugoslav football.