Velimir Sombolac
FullnameVelimir Sombolac
Birth date27 February 1939
Birth placeBanja Luka, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Death date22 May 2016 (aged 77)
Death placeGradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina
PositionDefender
Youthyears 11955–1957
Youthclubs 1BSK Banja Luka
Years 11957–1959
Years 21959–1965
Years 31965–1970
Years 41970–1971
Years 51971–1973
Clubs 1Borac Banja Luka
Clubs 2Partizan
Clubs 3Olimpija Ljubljana
Clubs 4Orijent
Clubs 5Borac Banja Luka
Caps 2102
Caps 370
Goals 20
Goals 30
Nationalyears 11958–1959
Nationalyears 21960
Nationalyears 31960
Nationalteam 1Yugoslavia U21
Nationalteam 2Yugoslavia Olympic
Nationalteam 3Yugoslavia
Nationalcaps 110
Nationalcaps 22
Nationalcaps 33
Nationalgoals 10
Nationalgoals 20
Nationalgoals 30
Manageryears 11973–1974
Managerclubs 1Sloga Gornji Pogradci
Manageryears 21974–1976
Managerclubs 2Borac Banja Luka (assistant)
Manageryears 31976–1979
Managerclubs 3Kozara Gradiška
Manageryears 41998–2001
Managerclubs 4Republika Srpska

Velimir Sombolac (Serbian Cyrillic: Велимир Сомболац; 27 February 1939 – 22 May 2016) was a Serbian footballer and manager.[1] He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[2]

Playing career

Club

Following the steps of his elder brother Petar, he started playing in his hometown club FK BSK Banja Luka where he, with his team, surprisingly achieved the third place in the Yugoslav national youth championship. After this success, BSK coach Aco Mastala received a proposal to move to the city's main club FK Borac Banja Luka, which he accepted and brought along some of the players that helped him previously, between them, obviously, Velimir Sombolac. While in Borac, Velimir's good exhibitions didn't pass unnoticed, and, beside starting to represent the Yugoslav under-21 team, two seasons after he came there, received an invitation to move to one of the greatest Yugoslav clubs, the Belgrade's FK Partizan. There, playing alongside stars like Milutin Šoškić, Milan Galić, Fahrudin Jusufi, and others, he played six seasons with a total of 260 matches, being national champion on four occasions. In 1965 he moved to NK Olimpija Ljubljana where he played until 1970. Together with Mišo Smajlović, Arslanagić and, again, Šoškić, they would make Olimpija one of the most attractive Yugoslav First League teams. In 1970, instead of moving abroad, as many other Yugoslav players in that period and with his age did, he moved to Second League NK Orijent where he would play one season, before returning to FK Borac Banja Luka where he hung up his boots in 1973.

International

After having played ten matches for the Yugoslav U-21 team, and also five for the national "B" team, he was in the Olympic team that represented Yugoslavia at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, and where Yugoslavia won the gold eliminating hosts Italy in the semi-finals, and beating Denmark ( 3–1 ) in the final. Sombolac played five matches for the Yugoslavia national football team, his final being a September 1960 Olympic Games match against Italya.[3]

Managerial career

Right after retiring, in 1973, he took charge of a small regional club called FK Sloga Gornji Pogradci, that provided him with crucial experience for returning, in 1974, to Borac, to become the assistant manager until 1976. During these years, Borac played one Yugoslav Cup final, also played in the European Cup Winners Cup and gained promotion to the Yugoslav First League. Then he took charge as main manager of FK Kozara Gradiška. After three seasons there, he stayed in the club, but he found his true vocation, which was working with youth.

After the break-up of Yugoslavia, he worked at the Football Association of Republika Srpska, helping to form all the youth category teams. From 1998 to 2001, he was the head coach of the Republika Srpska official football team.

Honours

Club

Partizan

National team

Yugoslavia

References

  1. ^ Partizan official website tribute
  2. ^ "Velimir Sombolac". Olympedia. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2021-05-22.