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Branko Ivanković, born on February 28, 1954, is a Croatian national and one of the most successful foreign coaches to have led Team Melli. Holding a Ph.D. in physical education, Ivanković's journey with Team Melli began in 2001 as an assistant to Miroslav Blažević.
Dr. Ivanković first gained prominence as the assistant coach to Ćiro Blažević, who led the Croatian national football team to a bronze medal at the 1998 World Cup. He then managed Bundesliga team Hannover 96 during the 1999/2000 season. After a brief return to the Croatian national team as an assistant to Mirko Jozić during the 2002 World Cup qualifications, Ivanković took over the Iranian team, replacing Blažević in 2001.
Ivanković was appointed head coach of the Iranian team on January 29, 2002, and reappointed on October 3, 2003. Under his leadership, the team successfully qualified for the 2006 World Cup.
Despite a mixed fortune with the temperamental Blažević, Ivanković's valuable lessons and good-natured approach convinced the Iranian Football Federation to offer him the head coach position in 2002. His first match at the helm was a friendly against Slovakia at Azadi Stadium, where his team narrowly lost 3-2 but played with confidence.
Under Ivanković's guidance, Team Melli became one of the top teams in Asian football. He introduced many young players to the squad and broke the monopoly of Iran's most popular clubs, Esteghlal and Persepolis, by selecting players from the provinces. Talents like Kaebi, Mobali, Alavi, Teymourian, and Jabbari were given the opportunity to shine.
Ivanković's first major success came in the 2002 Asian Games, where he led the U23 team to a gold medal. In the 2004 Asian Cup held in China, Iran secured third place after an unfortunate penalty shootout loss to China in the semi-finals.
He led Iran to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany after a smooth qualifying campaign. However, narrow losses to Mexico and Portugal ended Iran's World Cup dreams, and public and official pressure led to Ivanković's departure after the tournament.
Despite the challenges, Ivanković remains one of the most successful coaches in the history of Iran's national team. His charisma and calm approach made him a popular figure in Iran, where he is affectionately called "Professor." He left Iran with fond memories, despite the demanding public pressure for success at the highest level.
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Coaching career:
1991-1995 Varteks Varazdin
1995/96 Segesta Sisak
1996 Dez
1997 NK Rijeka
1998 Assistant coach to Blazevic (Croatia National Team)
1999 Coach of Hanover 96 (Bundesliga)
2001 Assistant coach to Blazevic (Iran National Team)
2002 Coach of Iran national team.
Honors/Achievements:
Asian Games Gold Medal (2002)
Asian Cup third place (2004)
WAFF Champions (2004)
Qualification to the World Cup Germany 2006 (2005)
Age:
70
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