Samir Toplak

Samir Toplak
Personal information
Date of birth (1970-04-23) 23 April 1970
Place of birth Varaždin, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 NK Inter Zaprešić (Manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1998 Varteks
1998–2002 Bochum 69 (3)
2002–2005 Varteks
2005–2006 Graničar Tučenik
National team
1994 Croatia 2 (0)
Teams managed
2003–2005 Varteks (youth coach)
2005–2007 Varteks (assistant manager)
2009–2010 Varteks (director of football)
2010–2011 Varaždin
2011–2012 Cibalia
2012–2013 Gorica
2013–2014 Zelina
2014– NK Inter Zaprešić

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Samir Toplak (born 23 April 1970) is a Croatian football coach and a former player.[1] Toplak was born in Varaždin and spent most of his playing and managerial career in his hometown club NK Varteks.

Playing career

Toplak started his career in NK Varteks and spent the first ten seasons of his career there. After proving himself as one of the best defenders in Croatian first division, Toplak transferred to Bundesliga team VfL Bochum.[2] He spent four seasons in Germany, floating between first and second division. Toplak returned to Varteks in summer of 2002, for the last season of his top level football career.[2] In 2003 he moved to lower league side Graničar Tučenik and stayed there until the summer of 2006.[2]

Career statistics

Updated 28 September 2014."[3][4]

Club performance League Cup Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Croatia League Croatian Cup Total
1992–93NK VarteksPrva HNL270
1993–94281
1994–95290
1995–96240
1996–97140
1997–98281
Germany League DFB-Pokal Total
1998-99VfL BochumBundesliga23120251
1999-002. Bundesliga15110161
2000-01Bundesliga10000100
2001-022. Bundesliga17110181
Croatia League Croatian Cup Total
2002–03NK VarteksPrva HNL220
2003–04NK VarteksPrva HNL
2004–05NK VarteksPrva HNL
2005–06Graničar TučenikČetvrta HNL
Total Croatia
Germany 65340693
Career total

Managerial career

Four years after retirement Toplak took over as NK Varaždin manager, previously working as youth coach, assistant manager and club director. He led young team, consisted mainly from Varaždin's home grown players, to a successful Europa League campaign beating FC Lusitanos and Iskra-Stal before they were stopped in third qualifying round by Romanian powerhouse Dinamo Bucureşti in a narrow two leg encounter. But nice European story eventually led to misery as club went to bankruptcy and was dissolved.

In August 2011 Toplak took over another Croatian first division club, HNK Cibalia. In 2011–12 Prva HNL Toplak led Cibalia to a top table position and semifinals of Croatian Cup. But due to disagreements with Cibalia's Ultras, Toplak choose to leave Vinkovci in July 2012.

In December 2012 Toplak was appointed as a manager of ambitious second division side HNK Gorica. HNK Gorica had disastrous first half season, finishing in relegation zone and Toplak was given an assignment to bring the club back to top table position. After failing to move Gorica out of relegation zone, Toplak resigned on April 20, six rounds before end of the season.

After leaving Gorica, Toplak took over managerial position in another second division side, NK Zelina. After disastrous 2013-14 season during which Zelina struggled on the bottom of the table, Toplak resigned in April 2014.

Two unsuccessful spells in Gorica and Zelina did not left Toplak without job for a long time, as he was appointed as a manager of another second division side NK Inter Zaprešić. Inter and Toplak's primary goal was to secure promotion to 1. HNL and this goal was accomplished by winning a title in 2014–15 Druga HNL.

References

  1. ↑ Strahija, Ivana (25 March 2010). "Samir Toplak". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Toplak, Samir". Kicker (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Samir Toplak". Fussball Daten (in German). Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Samir Toplak". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
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