{{Short description|Serbian footballer (1972–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Zoltan Sabo | image = | full_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1972|05|26|df=y}} | birth_place = Sombor, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|12|15|1972|5|26|df=y}} | death_place = Sremska Kamenica, Serbia<ref>{{cite news |url=https://sportklub.rs/fudbal/srbija-super-liga/preminuo-zoltan-sabo/ |title=Preminuo Zoltan Sabo |lang=sr |publisher=Sportklub |date=2020-12-15 |access-date=2026-02-14}}</ref> | height = 1.83 m | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Jedinstvo Svetozar Miletić | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Radnički Sombor | years1 = 1991–1992 | clubs1 = Hajduk Kula | caps1 = 31 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 1992–1996 | clubs2 = Vojvodina | caps2 = 114 | goals2 = 2 | years3 = 1996–2000 | clubs3 = Partizan | caps3 = 67 | goals3 = 1 | years4 = 2000–2002 | clubs4 = Suwon Samsung Bluewings | caps4 = 35 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2002 | clubs5 = Avispa Fukuoka | caps5 = 17 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2003 | clubs6 = Zalaegerszeg | caps6 = 12 | goals6 = 2 | years7 = 2003–2004 | clubs7 = AEK Larnaca | caps7 = 20 | goals7 = 4 | years8 = 2004 | clubs8 = Mladost Apatin | caps8 = 4 | goals8 = 0 | years9 = 2005–2008 | clubs9 = Cement Beočin | caps9 = 83 | goals9 = 1 | totalcaps = 383 | totalgoals = 12 | manageryears1 = 2007–2009 | managerclubs1 = Kecskemét (assistant) | manageryears2 = 2009–2011 | managerclubs2 = Radnički Sombor | manageryears3 = 2011–2012 | managerclubs3 = Hajduk Kula | manageryears4 = 2012 | managerclubs4 = Vojvodina (assistant) | manageryears5 = 2013–2014 | managerclubs5 = Litex Lovech (assistant) | manageryears6 = 2014–2015 | managerclubs6 = Donji Srem (assistant) | manageryears7 = 2015 | managerclubs7 = Vojvodina (assistant) | manageryears8 = 2016 | managerclubs8 = Proleter Novi Sad | manageryears9 = 2016 | managerclubs9 = Jagodina | manageryears10 = 2016–2017 | managerclubs10 = Proleter Novi Sad | manageryears11 = 2018–2020 | managerclubs11 = TSC }}
'''Zoltan Sabo''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Золтан Сабо}}; {{langx|hu|Szabó Zoltán}}; 26 May 1972 – 15 December 2020) was a Serbian professional football player and manager. During his playing career, he was a defender. He also held Hungarian citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nela.hu/nch_pid.php?id=2657 |title=Szabó Zoltán |language=hu |publisher=Nemzeti Labdarúgó Archívum |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref>
==Playing career== In 1991, Sabo began his playing career at Hajduk Kula, newly promoted to the Yugoslav Second League. In his first senior career, he contributed to Hajduk's promotion to the First League of FR Yugoslavia.<ref name="sabo1"/> Prior to the next season, he transferred to another First League club Vojvodina.
In 1996, Sabo moved to Partizan at the same league. While playing for Partizan for four years, he won two First League titles and one FR Yugoslavia Cup title.<ref name="sabo2"/>
In 2000, Sabo joined K League club Suwon Samsung Bluewings.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.kyeonggi.com/article/200006130101011 |script-title=ko:삼성 블루윙즈 수비수 사보 12일 영입 |lang=ko |publisher=Kyeonggi Ilbo |date=2000-06-13 |access-date=2026-02-14}}</ref> Suwon registered his name as "Zoli", hoping he would successfully replace their previous defender Cosmin Olăroiu, called "Oli".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://weekly.donga.com/sports/article/all/11/82557/1 |script-title=ko:그들을 왜 ‘용병’이라 부르는가 |lang=ko |publisher=The Dong-A Ilbo |date=2007-06-01 |access-date=2026-02-14}}</ref> He was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2000–01 Asian Club Championship after helping the club win the tournament.<ref name="mvp">{{cite news |script-title=ko:수원 삼성, 아시아클럽축구 평정 |url=https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2001/05/27/2001052770096.html |publisher=The Chosun Ilbo |language=ko |date=27 May 2001 |access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref> In 2002, he left for J2 League club Avispa Fukuoka.
During the 2003–04 season, Sabo played for Cypriot First Division club AEK Larnaca, winning the Cypriot Cup.<ref name="larnaca">{{cite news |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cyp04.html#cup |title=2003/04 Cyprus Cup |publisher=RSSSF |date=2016-03-17 |access-date=2026-02-14}}</ref>
==Managerial career== After a stint as assistant coach to Tomislav Sivić at Nemzeti Bajnokság II champions Kecskemét, Sabo began his managerial career at the helm of his hometown club Radnički Sombor in October 2009. He spent the next two years at the position before leaving the side in November 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soinfo.org/vesti/vest/9807/1/Zolika-Sabo-podneo-ostavku/ |title=Zolika Sabo podneo ostavku! |language=sr |website=SOinfo.org |date=18 November 2011 |access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> A month later, Sabo was appointed manager at Hajduk Kula.<ref name="sabo1">{{cite news |url=https://mondo.rs/Sport/Fudbal/a229110/Zoltan-Sabo-novi-trener-Kuljana.html |title=Zoltan Sabo novi trener Kuljana |lang=sr |publisher=Mondo |date=2011-12-20 |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref>
Between 2013 and 2015, Sabo worked as assistant coach to Zlatomir Zagorčić at Litex Lovech of Bulgaria's top division, A Group, and two Serbian SuperLiga clubs, namely Donji Srem and Vojvodina.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610015751/https://www.fktsc.com/trainers/sabo-zoltan/ |url=https://www.fktsc.com/trainers/sabo-zoltan/ |title=Sabo Zoltan |lang=sr |publisher=FK TSC |access-date=2026-02-15 |archive-date=2020-06-10}}</ref> On 16 January 2016, he restarted his managerial career at Serbian First League club Proleter Novi Sad.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rtv.rs/sr_lat/vojvodina/novi-sad/zoltan-sabo-novi-trener-proletera_679916.html |title=Zoltan Sabo novi trener Proletera |lang=sr |publisher=Radio Television of Vojvodina |date=2016-01-16 |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref>
After performing the role of a director at First League club TSC for a while, Sabo was promoted to a manager on 21 August 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://zurnal.politika.rs/scc/clanak/68356/fudbal/tsc-imenovao-novog-trenera-sabo-umesto-rogana |title=ТСЦ именовао новог тренера, Сабо уместо Рогана |lang=sr |publisher=Sportski žurnal |date=2018-08-21 |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref> In the 2018–19 season, he won the First League title, leading the club to be promoted to the SuperLiga. The next season, his team finished fourth at the SuperLiga, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League.<ref name="tsc">{{cite web |url=https://www.fktsc.com/en/club/o-klubu/ |title=About the club |publisher=FK TSC |access-date=2026-02-15}}</ref>
==Death== Sabo died of a heart attack on 15 December 2020, aged 48, after suffering from COVID-19.<ref name="sabo2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.dnevnik.rs/sport/fudbal/preminuo-zoltan-sabo-15-12-2020 |title=IN MEMORIAM Золтан Сабо (1972 – 2020) |publisher=Dnevnik |lang=sr |access-date=19 December 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215185314/https://www.dnevnik.rs/sport/fudbal/preminuo-zoltan-sabo-15-12-2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Honours== ===Player=== '''Partizan'''<ref name="sabo2"/> *First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1996–97, 1998–99 *FR Yugoslavia Cup: 1997–98
'''Suwon Samsung Bluewings'''{{efn|Several sources claimed Sabo won the 2000 K League Super Cup and the 2001–02 Asian Club Championship, but there is no evidence that he belonged to Suwon Samsung Bluewings when the two competitions were held.}} *Asian Club Championship: 2000–01<ref name="mvp"/> *Asian Super Cup: 2001 *Korean League Cup: 2000, 2001<ref>{{K League player|20000157}}</ref>
'''AEK Larnaca''' *Cypriot Cup: 2003–04<ref name="larnaca"/>
'''Individual''' *Asian Club Championship Most Valuable Player: 2000–01<ref name="mvp"/>
{{notelist}}
===Manager=== '''TSC''' *Serbian First League: 2018–19<ref name="tsc"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20171225092054/http://srbijafudbal.com/treneri/szabo.htm Zoltan Sabo] at Srbijafudbal (archived) {{in lang|sr}} *{{WorldFootball.net|zoltan-szabo_3}} *{{J.League player}} *{{K League player|20000157}} *{{FootballFacts.ru|87307|Zoltan Sabo}}
{{AFC Champions League Elite Most Valuable Player}} {{FK Hajduk Kula managers}} {{FK Jagodina managers}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabo, Zoltan}} Category:1972 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Footballers from Sombor Category:Serbian people of Hungarian descent Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Yugoslav men's footballers Category:Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers Category:Serbian men's footballers Category:Hungarian men's footballers Category:FK Hajduk Kula players Category:AFC Champions League Elite–winning players Category:FK Vojvodina players Category:FK Partizan players Category:Suwon Samsung Bluewings players Category:Avispa Fukuoka players Category:Zalaegerszegi TE players Category:AEK Larnaca FC players Category:FK Mladost Apatin players Category:FK Cement Beočin players Category:First League of Serbia and Montenegro players Category:K League 1 players Category:J2 League players Category:Nemzeti Bajnokság I players Category:Cypriot First Division players Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate men's footballers Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Hungary Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in Japan Category:Serbia and Montenegro expatriate sportspeople in South Korea Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan Category:Expatriate men's footballers in South Korea Category:Serbian football managers Category:Hungarian football managers Category:FK Hajduk Kula managers Category:FK Proleter Novi Sad managers Category:FK Jagodina managers Category:FK TSC managers Category:Serbian SuperLiga managers Category:Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia Category:20th-century Serbian sportsmen