Nikola Popovic (football coach)

Nikola Popovic
Personal information
Date of birth 28 October, 1973
Place of birth Belgrade, Serbia
Teams managed
Years Team
2005–2006 C.D. Olivais e Moscavide (intern)
2006–2007 C.D. Olivais e Moscavide (assistant)
2007 OFC Vihren Sandanski (assistant)
2007–2010 Varzim S.C.
2010–2011
2011–2012 Al Dhafra FC (assistant)
2012–2014 Sertanense F.C.
2014–2015 Aspire Academy
2015–2016 S.L. Benfica B
2016 Swope Park Rangers (assistant)
2017 Swope Park Rangers
2017– Ottawa Fury F.C.

Nikola Popovic (born 28 October 1978) is a Serbian association football manager and former player who currently manages Canadian United Soccer League side Ottawa Fury. A UEFA Pro licensed coach – the highest UEFA license available – Popovic has coached in eight countries, speaks four languages (Serbian, Portuguese, English and Spanish) and has coached at the academy, club and international levels.

Coaching career

Born in Belgrade, Popovic was raised in Lisbon, Portugal where he began his career with CD Olivais e Moscavide in the Segunda Divisão. Originally an internship in the 2005–06 season CD Olivais e Moscavide won the title and gained promotion to the Segunda Liga, where Popovic was hired as an assistant for the following season. Following the 2006–07 season, Popovic moved to FC Vihren Sandanski in the Bulgarian A Football Group as an assistant to Filip Filipov but returned to Portugal later that same year with Segunda Liga side Varzim SC, where he won the Liga Intercalar.

Popovic enjoyed a stint as an assistant coach with the Cape Verde national team in 2010, before joining Spanish Segunda Division B side AD Ceuta helping guide the club to the Copa Del Rey Round of 32 – the club’s best ever showing in the tournament falling to eventual runners-up, Barcelona. Later that same season, Popovic linked up with Bulgarian side Chernomorets Burgas in the Bulgarian A Football Group, helping the side to a quarterfinal appearance in the Bulgarian Cup.

He then moved to the United Arab Emirates joining Al Dahfra for the 2011–12 season as an assistant to Baltemar Brito – Jose Mourinho’s former assistant coach – helping them win the Vice President Cup. Popovic then took charge of Sertanense FC in the Portuguese Second Division – his first head coaching role in 2012–13. He then joined Qatar’s Aspire Academy in 2014, before returning to Portugal and Benfica B in 2015.

Coaching Internships

Popovic has also done internships with Inter Milan (2012–13), Portugal Under-21s (2013) and Serbia and Montenegro Under-21s (2006).

Inter Milan

During the internship with Inter Milan, Popovic was able to follow the coaching sessions, undertaken by coach Andrea Sramaccioni, with some of the best players that currently play in Serie A and in the best national teams of the world.

Portuguese National Team Under 21

During the internship with the Portuguese National Team Under 21, Popovic had the opportunity to follow the coaching sessions undertaken by coach Rui Jorge, with players that currently play in the first teams of various European teams.

Serbia Montenegro National Team Under 21

During the internship with the Serbia Montenegro National Team Under 21 Popovic had the opportunity to follow players that currently play in the Serbia National Team A as well as the Montenegro National Team A.

Head Coach

Swope Park Rangers

Popovic was head coach of Swope Park Rangers for the 2017 season. The team performed a very attractive style of football based on possession and high pressure (dominated the stats of USL 2017 in Possession and Passing Accuracy).

After one season as United Soccer League side Swope Park Rangers assistant coach to Marc Dos Santos[1] in 2016, Popovic was named as the head coach of the side on 21 November 2016.[1] His first match in charge of the side was on 25 March 2017 against OKC Energy. Despite his side going down 1–0, Swope Park came back to win 3–1.[2] During his first and only season with Swope Park Rangers, Popovic helped the side finish in fourth in the Western Conference during the 2017 season, winning the Western Conference Championship and eventually reaching the league final for the second season in a row.[3] In the final, Swope Park fell 1–0 to Louisville City.[3] In 2017, Popovic and his squad produced a record of 17W-8L-7D in just their second season.

On 17 November, almost one year after taking over as head coach, it was announced that Popovic would leave Swope Park Rangers.[3]

Ottawa Fury FC

On 21 December 2017, it was announced that Popovic would take over as head coach of the Ottawa Fury of the United Soccer League.[4] He began his tenure as coach on 17 March 2018 against the Charlotte Independence. The Fury lost 4–1.[5] Since then Fury FC have developed into a strong team and Popovic was awarded the USL Coach of the Month in May 2018.[6]

Midway through his first season with Ottawa Fury FC, Popovic has led the team to a 8W-3D-8L record, all the while implementing a new club culture and system of play. In July (Week 19), Ottawa Fury FC made the USL Power Rankings[7] for the first time, reaching the 12th spot and continuing on their upward trajectory as they started the second half of the season.

Personal

Popovic holds dual Portuguese and Serbian citizenship. He speaks Portuguese, English, Serbian, Spanish and has a good understanding of Italian and French.

Popovic is often invited by Portuguese sports and news television channels to comment and analyze national and internationals soccer matches.

Coaching History

Club League Period
Assistant Coach C.D. OLIVAIS E MOSCAVIDE Segunda Divisão 2006–07
Assistant Coach F.K. VIHEREN SANDANSKI Bulgarian A Football Group 2007–08
Assistant Coach VARZIM S.C. Segunda Liga 2007–09
Assistant Coach Cape Verde national team – 2009
Assistant Coach A.D. CEUTA Segunda Division B 2009–10
Assistant Coach PSFC Chernomoretz Bourgas Bulgarian A Football Group 2010–11
Assistant Coach Al Dhafra UAE Arabian Gulf League 2011–12
Technical Assessor Sport Lisboa e Benfica – 2012–13
Head Coach Sertanense FC Campeonato de Portugal 2013–14
Head Coach Aspire Academy, Qatar – 2014–15
Assistant Coach Sport Lisboa e Benfica B LigaPro 2015–16
Head Coach Swope Park Rangers USL 2017
Head Coach Ottawa Fury FC USL 2018–

Honours

Honour Club Date
Liga Intercalar Cup Champion VARZIM S.C. 2007–08
UAE Vice-President Cup Champion Al Dhafra 2011–12
2016 USL Western Conference Champion Swope Park Rangers 2016
2016 USL Cup Finalist Swope Park Rangers 2016
2017 USL Western Conference Champion Swope Park Rangers 2017
2017 USL Cup Finalist Swope Park Rangers 2017
USL Coach of the Month – May Ottawa Fury FC May 2018

Statistics

Managerial statistics

As of 18 May 2018.
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
United States Swope Park Rangers 21 November 2016 17 November 2017 36 20 7 9 055.56
Canada Ottawa Fury 21 December 2017 Present 8 2 2 4 025.00
Total 44 22 9 13 050.00

For most up-to-date statistics from Ottawa Fury FC season, visit OttawaFuryFC.com.

References

  1. 1 2 Bergabo, Patrick (21 November 2016). "Nikola Popovic introduced as Swope Park Rangers head coach". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Swope Park Rangers 3–1 OKC Energy". Soccerway.
  3. 1 2 3 Kovsan, Sam (17 November 2017). "Swope Park Rangers and head coach Nikola Popovic mutually agree to part ways". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Julian De Guzman Appointed Fury Fc General Manager; Nikola Popovic Named Head Coach". Ottawa Fury. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Charlotte Independence 4–1 Ottawa Fury". Soccerway.
  6. ↑ FC, Ottawa Fury (2018-06-13). "Popovic named Coach of the Month for May in USL". Ottawa Fury. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  7. ↑ Staff, USLSoccer.com (2018-07-23). "USL Power Rankings – Week 19". United Soccer League. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
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