Rizah Mešković (born 10 August 1947) is a Bosnian former professional football player and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

. At international level he played for the Yugoslavia national team once in 1972, and was a participant at the 1974 FIFA World Cup in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

. Throughout his football career, both as a player and coach, Mešković had many success and received a good number of awards from

UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...

, FIFA and the Football Association of Yugoslavia (FJS).

Club career

Sloboda Tuzla

According to Mešković, he started his professional football career at boyhood age, and the first club that he ever played in was

FK Sloboda Tuzla Fudbalski klub Sloboda Tuzla ( sh-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Слободa Tyзла; English: Football Club Sloboda Tuzla) is a Bosnian professional football club based in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The English translation of the tea ...

from 1964, where he remained until 1973, that is, until his departure to HNK Hajduk Split. According to Gojko Škrbić, Sloboda sold him to Hajduk for two years with the compensation of the then 14 million old dinar. In the 1968–69 Yugoslav Second League season, Sloboda won 36 points and scored 50 goals, while Mešković capitulated only nine times, the least of all other Second league and First league goalkeepers.

Hajduk Split

For the "Bili (The Whites)", Mešković played 107 games, 53 games in the championship, 9 games in the cup, 6 in European competitions, and 39 games in friendly matches. He stood on the goal for the first time in a farewell game of the legendary

Radomir Vukčević Radomir Vukčević (15 September 1941 – 28 November 2014) was a Yugoslav footballer. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia in a November 1967 friendly match away against the Netherlands and earned a total of 9 caps, scoring no ...

(Vučka),

Ivica Hlevnjak Ivan Hlevnjak (28 April 1944 – 28 November 2015) was a Croatian midfielder who played for Yugoslavia. Club career Born during Second World War in El Shatt refugee camp in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, after war he returned to his fatherlands ...

and Pero Nadoveza. The first official appearance for Hajduk, was in the

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...

on 12 August 1973, in the starting lineup against FK Vardar, which Hajduk won with 5:1. While at Hajduk, The fans gave him the nickname "Mate" and sang the song "From Marjan's blowing the breeze Mešković keeps the door guarding us." A strong and powerful goalkeeper, safe in running ins, with Hajduk he won two Yugoslavian Championships in 1974 (with 33 appearances) and

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

(with 16 appearances). He also won 3 cups in a row in

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

, 1974 and in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

789 minutes without a goal

Rizah holds in the territory of the former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

a record of 789 minutes of not conceding a goal. That series of not conceding a goal was broken by

Vladimir Petković Vladimir Petković (; born 15 August 1963) is a Bosnian-born Swiss professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of French side Bordeaux, having previously managed the Switzerland national team, a string o ...

. The last goal he received was in a match against FK Željezničar Sarajevo in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

on 25 November 1973 (1: 1). From that game, goals weren't conceded in matches played against: FK Borac Banja Luka in

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...

(0: 0), then

OFK Belgrade OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma ...

(2: 0),

FK Vojvodina Fudbalski klub Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Војводина), commonly known as Vojvodina and colloquially as Voša ( sr-Cyrl, Воша), is a Serbian professional football club based in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, the second l ...

in Split (3: 0), GNK Dinamo Zagreb in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

(0: 1), OFK Bor in Split (3: 0),

FK Radnički Niš Fudbalski klub Radnički (), commonly known as Radnički Niš ( sr-cyr, Раднички Ниш), is a professional football club based in ok Niš, Serbia. Its name means ''Labourers'' in Serbian and stems from the relationship with the Labour ...

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...

(0: 1) and

NK Čelik Zenica Nogometni klub Čelik Zenica ( en, Football Club Čelik Zenica) is a professional football club based in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name ''Čelik'' means ''Steel'' in Bosnian and it symbolizes the strength and power of the club in a ...

in Split (1: 0). Only in the 22nd round Hajduk lost from FK Sarajevo 1: 0.However, in that game,

Brane Oblak Branko Oblak (born 27 May 1947) is a Slovenian football coach and former international player. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or deep-lying playmaker. Playing career Brane, as he is often known, started playing football at the you ...

Ivan Buljan Ivan "Iko" Buljan (born 11 December 1949) is Croatian sport manager and a former Yugoslavian footballer, who played as a defender. He was a member of the Yugoslavia squad at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1976. Playing career Buljan wa ...

Slaviša Žungul Slaviša Žungul, known in the United States as Steve Zungul (born 28 July 1954) is a retired Yugoslav American soccer striker. Žungul began his career with Hajduk in his native Yugoslavia before controversially moving to the United States wh ...

and

Mićun Jovanić Mićun Jovanić (29 July 1952 – 26 July 2010) was a Croatian footballer best known for his 12-year spell with Hajduk Split, where he played between 1969 and 1981. Later in his career Jovanić also played for Belgian side Anderlecht and lowe ...

did not play. The players that did play were: Mešković,

Vilson Džoni Vilson Džoni ( sq, Vilson Xhoni; born 24 September 1950) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was named Yugoslav Footballer of the Year in 1978. Club career Džoni was born in Split to a family from Pri ...

Vedran Rožić Vedran Rožić (born 2 November 1954 in Trogir, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a retired Croatian football player and Hajduk chairman. He played 12 years at Hajduk Split and has 390 official caps. He played 10 times for Yugoslavia. He played wit ...

Luka Peruzović Luka Peruzović (born 26 February 1952) is a Croatian football coach and former player, who managed Belgium's Standard Liège, Charleroi and Anderlecht and Qatar's Al Sadd. He also holds a Belgian citizenship. Club career As a player, Peruzovi� ...

Dragan Holcer Dragan Holcer (19 January 1945 – 23 September 2015) was a Yugoslav footballer who played as a defender. Holcer was born in captivity in a Nazi prison camp to Slovenian father Franc Holcer and Austrian mother Ida Orelli of mixed Austrian-Italia ...

Mario Boljat Mario Boljat (born 31 August 1951 in Split, Croatia, Split, FPR Yugoslavia) is a Croats, Croatian-born Yugoslav retired Association football, football player. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia national football team, Yugosla ...

, Željko Mijač,

Dražen Mužinić Dražen Mužinić (born 25 January 1953) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Mužinić spent most of his career in his native Yugoslavia. With Hajduk Split he won four league titles, five cups and he was ca ...

, Joško Gluić,

Jurica Jurica is a Croatian given name. Notable people with the name include: *Jurica Buljat (born 1986), Croatian football defender, currently playing for Maccabi Haifa *Jurica Golemac (born 1977), Slovenian professional basketball player *Jurica Grabu� ...

and

Ivica Šurjak Ivan "Ivica" Šurjak (born 23 March 1953) is a Croatian retired football midfielder. He was the driving force behind the success of Hajduk Split as it became a force in the Yugoslav First League in the 1970s. Club career He started his career ...

From AZ Alkmaar to Orebić

With 107 games to his name, he left Hajduk in 1976 and joined Dutch club

AZ Alkmaar Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known as AZ Alkmaar or simply AZ (), is a Dutch professional football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district. The club plays in the Eredivisie, the highest professional football league in the Netherlands, and host ...

where he stayed until 1979 and had to fight for his place between the posts with Gerrit Vooys. After Alkmaar, he returned to

Tuzla Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, e ...

and once again joined Sloboda in 1979 where he stayed until 1983, after which he went to several domestic clubs. They were:

FK Budućnost Banovići Fudbalski klub Budućnost Banovići is a professional football club from the town of Banovići that is situated in the eastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnian ''Budućnost'' means "Future", which symbolizes the hope people had for th ...

, where he stayed from 1983 to 1984, then

FK Radnik Bijeljina Fudbalski klub Radnik Bijeljina ( sr-cyr, Фудбалски клуб Радник Бијељина) is a professional association football club based in the city of Bijeljina that is situated in northeast Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays i ...

from 1984 to 1985,

NK Bratstvo Gračanica Nogometni klub Bratstvo Gračanica or simply NK Bratstvo Gračanica is a professional association football club from the city of Gračanica that is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bratstvo currently plays in the First League of the Federatio ...

, from 1985 to 1987. He ended his career in NK Orebić where he played from 1987 to 1988.

International career

For the national team of Yugoslavia, he played one game, on 29 June 1972, against Scotland, a game that was played in the

Brazil Independence Cup The Brazil Independence Cup was an international football tournament held in Brazil, from 11 June to 9 July 1972, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Brazilian Declaration of Independence. It was called the ''Minicopa'' by the Brazilian ...

in Belo Horizonte which ended with a score of 2: 2. He was also a part of the squad that played at the 1974 FIFA World Cup in

. However, Mešković didn't play a single game at the Cup.Yugoslavia squad
- Planet World Cup

Coaching career

He started his coaching career with the completion of the coaching school in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

, and already in 1988 he trained the Yugoslav B team and next year

. Finally in the 1990, he became an assistant coach to Ivica Osim in the Yugoslavia A team. In 1991 as a member of the Yugoslavia staff, he went to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

where he coached several clubs and A and B national teams. He also spent some time in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

as a coach ( Al Ahli SC in Jeddah, 2001–2002). After Saudi Arabia he also coached in

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

(

Al Sadd Al Sadd Sports Club ( ar, نادي السد الرياضي, lit=Dam Sports Club) is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the city of Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in th ...

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...

, 2002–2005 as an assistant). However, he spent most of his time in the Emirates where he trained clubs

Al Wahda FC Al Wahda Football Club ( ar, نادي الوحدة لكرة القدم) is an Emirati professional football club based in Abu Dhabi, that competes in the UAE Pro League. The club was founded in 1974 and plays its home games at the Al Nahyan Stad ...

(1991–1992) in Abu Dhabi, Al Shabab Al Arabi Club (1992–1993, 1999–2001 and 2005–2007), Al Wasl F.C. (1997–1998) from

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

and Al Nasr SC (1998–1999) also in Dubai. He ended his professional coaching career in 2007.

Honours

Player

Hajduk Split *

Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...

: 1974,

, 1974, 1975–76 AZ Alkmaar * KNVB Cup: 1977–78

Manager

Al Ahli *

Crown Prince Cup The Saudi Crown Prince's Cup ( ar, كأس ولي العهد) was the Saudi Arabian annual cup competition. It was the oldest domestic football competition in Saudi Arabia, its first edition was held in 1956–57, but was not crowned from 1975 unti ...

: 2001–02 *

Saudi Federation Cup Prince Faisal bin Fahd League U-21, formerly Saudi Federation Cup/Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup U-21/Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup and currently known as Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Cup, is an association football league of Saudi Arabia. It was founded in t ...

: 2001–02 *

GCC Champions League The GCC Champions League ( ar, دوري أبطال الخليج للأندية), formerly known as the Gulf Cup for Clubs ( ar, كأس الخليج للأندية), was an annually organized football league tournament for clubs of the Arabian penin ...

: 2002

References

External links

* *
Serbian national football team website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meskovic, Rizah 1947 births Living people Sportspeople from Tuzla Association football goalkeepers Yugoslav footballers Yugoslavia international footballers 1974 FIFA World Cup players FK Sloboda Tuzla players HNK Hajduk Split players AZ Alkmaar players FK Budućnost Banovići players FK Radnik Bijeljina players NK Bratstvo Gračanica players Yugoslav Second League players Yugoslav First League players Eredivisie players Yugoslav expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Yugoslav football managers Bosnia and Herzegovina football managers FK Sloboda Tuzla managers Al Wahda FC managers Al Shabab Al Arabi Club managers Al Nassr FC managers Al-Sharjah SCC managers Al Hilal SFC managers Al-Wasl F.C. managers Al-Nasr SC (Dubai) managers Al-Ahli Saudi FC managers UAE Pro League managers Saudi Professional League managers Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate football managers Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia Expatriate football managers in Qatar Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in Qatar