Marko Kraljević (footballer)

Marko Kraljević (born 1 November 1965) is a former German-Croat footballer and current coach.

Marko Kraljević
Kraljević with Woodlands Wellington in 2012.
Personal information
Date of birth (1965-11-01) 1 November 1965
Place of birth Düsseldorf, West Germany
Playing position(s) Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990 NK Osijek
1991–1994 Kelantan FA
1995 HK Rangers
1996–1998 Balestier Central
1999–2000 Tampines Rovers
2001 Jurong FC
Teams managed
2008–2011 Balestier Khalsa U-22
2012–2013 Woodlands Wellington U-22
2014–2019 Balestier Khalsa
2019 Kelantan FA
2019- Balestier Khalsa
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Marko Kraljević played in the Malaysian Premier League for Kelantan.[1] and Hong Kong Rangers in 1995. He won the Hong Kong Senior Shield and Hong Kong FA Cup in the successful season of 1994-95.[2] Next, he travelled to Singapore to play in the S.League during its early years for Balestier Central,[3][4] and later with Tampines Rovers and Jurong FC as a striker.[5]

Coaching career

After he retired, Marko started off his coaching career with the Balestier Khalsa Centre of Excellence under-16 team, working his way up to become the head coach of the Prime League team for the Tigers. He then moved to become the Prime League coach of Woodlands Wellington in 2012. Marko returned to Balestier as head coach for their 2014 S.League season.[6] He quickly transformed the team into one of the toughest in the League, winning the club's first ever Singapore Cup and awarded the S.League Coach of the Year at the end of that season. Led Balestier Khalsa in the AFC Cup in 2015, along the way, they won 2013 AFC Cup semi finalist, East Bengal 2–1. With limited resource in 2016, Marko still able produce some positive results, beating Dhivehi Premier League champions, New Radiant 3–0 and held them 2–2 away from home before winning Hong Kong Premier League winners 1–0 at Jalan Besar Stadium as the underdog. End the season with a fourth place in the Singapore Cup.

After five years with Balestier Khalsa, where he becomes the longest serving head coach of the Tigers, Kraljevic was appointed as new head coach of Kelantan FA in January 2019, returning to the team he has played for in the 1990s.[7][8] However, his contract was terminated on April the same year, with Kelantan occupying the relegation spot in 2019 Malaysia Premier League.[9]

Honours

Player

Hong Kong Rangers

Manager

Balestier Khalsa

Individual
  • S.League Coach of the Year: 2014

Personal life

Marko is also the successful joint-owner of the Stadio futsal facilities found around Singapore together with V. Sundramoorthy.[10]

He is married to a Singaporean wife and has two children.

References
  1. "Kraljevic back and raring for action". New Straits Times.
  2. http://www.scmp.com/article/151507/kraljevic-singapore
  3. "History and Tradition of Balestier Khalsa Football Club". Balestier Khalsa Football Club.
  4. "The ante has been upped". AsiaOne.
  5. "Game over, go home?". AsiaOne. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  6. http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3875/transfer-zone/2014/01/09/4529894/balestier-appoint-former-player-kraljevic-as-new-coach
  7. https://www.tnp.sg/sports/singapore-football/kraljevic-take-over-kelantan-coach
  8. https://www.bharian.com.my/sukan/bola/2019/01/524752/kraljevic-kembali-selepas-25-tahun-berkelana
  9. https://www.goal.com/en-my/news/fifa-shows-how-it-should-done-hands-kelantan-fa-three-point/1boy2h8aaqhckzowubl1lffui
  10. "Futsal fever hits Singapore". AsiaOne. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
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