# Ivica Brzić

Ivan "Ivica" Brzić (Serbian Cyrillic: Иван Ивица Брзић; 28 May 1941 – 1 June 2014) was a Yugoslav and Serbian football manager and player.

## Early life

Brzić was born during World War II in the city of Novi Sad (then called Újvidék) that had been annexed just months before his birth by the Kingdom of Hungary.

## Club career

Brzić made his debut for Novi Sad in the 1960–61 Yugoslav Second League, helping them win promotion to the Yugoslav First League. He played regularly for the side in the top tier of Yugoslav football over the next three seasons. Following the club's relegation to the Second League in 1964, Brzić moved to Željezničar Sarajevo, along with Lazar Lemić and Ilija Tojagić.
In the 1965 winter transfer window, Brzić joined his parent club Vojvodina. He helped them win the Yugoslav First League in the 1965–66 season, missing just one game in the process. Over the course of 7+1⁄2 years at Vojvodina, Brzić amassed 200 league appearances and scored five goals.
In the summer of 1972, Brzić moved abroad to Austria, spending two seasons with DSV Alpine and 2+1⁄2 seasons with VÖEST Linz, before retiring during the 1976–77 winter break.

## International career

At international level, Brzić was capped once for Yugoslavia against the Soviet Union in 1966. He was also selected to represent the nation at UEFA Euro 1968, but remained unused in the tournament. Yugoslavia finished as runners-up after losing to Italy in the final.

## Managerial career

After hanging up his boots, Brzić briefly worked as a coordinator in the youth system of Vojvodina before becoming an assistant to Branko Stanković with the seniors in 1977. He replaced him as the club's manager the following year, aged 37. Between 1983 and 1986, Brzić was manager of La Liga side Osasuna, qualifying for European football for the first time in club history.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Brzić spent several years in Peru, having stints with Universitario and Alianza Lima.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals |
| Novi Sad | 1960–61 | Yugoslav Second League | 11 | 0 |
| Novi Sad | 1961–62 | Yugoslav First League | 21 | 0 |
| Novi Sad | 1962–63 | Yugoslav First League | 19 | 0 |
| Novi Sad | 1963–64 | Yugoslav First League | 26 | 0 |
| Novi Sad | Total | Total | 77 | 0 |
| Željezničar Sarajevo | 1964–65 | Yugoslav First League | 14 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1964–65 | Yugoslav First League | 13 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1965–66 | Yugoslav First League | 29 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1966–67 | Yugoslav First League | 30 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1967–68 | Yugoslav First League | 30 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1968–69 | Yugoslav First League | 16 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | 1969–70 | Yugoslav First League | 25 | 4 |
| Vojvodina | 1970–71 | Yugoslav First League | 26 | 1 |
| Vojvodina | 1971–72 | Yugoslav First League | 31 | 0 |
| Vojvodina | Total | Total | 200 | 5 |
| DSV Alpine | 1972–73 | Austrian Football Championship | 21 | 5 |
| DSV Alpine | 1973–74 | Austrian Football Championship | 32 | 1 |
| DSV Alpine | Total | Total | 53 | 6 |
| VÖEST Linz | 1974–75 | Austrian Football Bundesliga | 34 | 1 |
| VÖEST Linz | 1975–76 | Austrian Football Bundesliga | 31 | 0 |
| VÖEST Linz | 1976–77 | Austrian Football Bundesliga | 16 | 1 |
| VÖEST Linz | Total | Total | 81 | 2 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 425 | 13 |

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Yugoslavia | 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |

## Honours
### Player

Novi Sad
* Yugoslav Second League: 1960–61
Vojvodina
* Yugoslav First League: 1965–66
Yugoslavia
* UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1968

### Manager

Universitario
* Torneo Descentralizado: 1992