Ivan Vicelich

Ivan Robert Vicelich MNZM (Croatian: Vicelić, Croatian pronunciation: [vitselitɕ]; /ˈvɪsəlɪ/ VISS-ə-litch;[3] born 3 September 1976) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder. He is his country's and Oceania's most-capped international of all time with 88 caps between 1995 and 2013, and featured at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ivan Vicelich
MNZM
Vicelich in 2015
Personal information
Full nameIvan Robert Vicelich[1]
Date of birth (1976-09-03) 3 September 1976 (age 47)
Place of birthAuckland, New Zealand
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position(s)Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1993–1995Waitakere City
1996–1999Central United100(18)
1999–2001Football Kingz46(6)
2001–2006Roda JC129(14)
2006–2008RKC Waalwijk21(0)
2008–2010Auckland City27(4)
2010Shenzhen Ruby14(0)
2010–2016Auckland City55(4)
2010–2016Central United51
Total443(46)
International career
New Zealand U17
New Zealand U20
New Zealand U23
1995–2013New Zealand88(6)
Managerial career
2016–Auckland City (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career edit

Vicelich played for Waitakere City and Central United in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier before establishing himself as one of the best players for the Football Kingz, when the Auckland-based club joined the Australian National Soccer League in 1999.

Thanks to the contacts he made through his Football Kingz colleague, John Lammers, he was able to impress Roda JC Kerkrade,[citation needed] with whom he signed in 2001. He was a regular player for the Dutch team until May 2006 when he signed a two-year contract with fellow Eredivisie club side, RKC Waalwijk.

He returned to New Zealand and signed with Auckland City in the New Zealand Football Championship before the start of the 2008–09 season and was a key member of the Auckland squad that contested the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2009.[4]

In July 2010, following the 2010 FIFA World Cup in which Vicelich started every one of New Zealand's three games, he signed a short-term deal to play for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen Ruby for four months.[5] He returned to former club Auckland City in December 2010, following a 30-day stand-down period. Aged 38, he received the adidas Bronze Ball as the third best player at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco – at which Auckland finished in a surprise third place – bettered only by Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos.[6]

He played his last game for Auckland City in the 2015 final which they won against Team Wellington on penalty kicks, qualifying for a record six consecutive times to the FIFA Club World Cup.

International career edit

Vicelich made his full New Zealand debut with a substitute appearance in a 7–0 loss against Uruguay on 25 June 1995.

He was included in the New Zealand side for the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup finals in Mexico where he featured in all three group games,[7] and again for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup finals tournament in France, playing in just two matches.[8]

On 16 August 2008, Vicelich announced his retirement from international football,[9] however on 22 May 2009 he answered an SOS by All Whites head coach Ricki Herbert and was recalled to the national team for the 2009 Confederations Cup tournament in South Africa as a replacement for injured captain Ryan Nelsen.[10][11] Where New Zealand would go on to earn their first ever Senior Men's International point at a FIFA tournament after a 0–0 draw with Iraq.

Vicelich continued to make himself available for selection for the crucial 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain as New Zealand vied for the right to join football's most prestigious tournament for the second time in their history.[12]

Vicelich has played 96 times for the All Whites including a record 88 official full internationals in which he scored 7 goals, his appearance in the first leg against Bahrain equalling Vaughan Coveny's then record of 64 official international caps.[13][14] He went one better in the second leg in Wellington as he helped his country reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

On 10 May 2010, Vicelich was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad to compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[15] He went on to play in New Zealand's three games there.

On 25 March 2011, Vicelich captained New Zealand in their 1–1 draw with China in Wuhan. He retired from international football in 2013 after the qualifying process for the 2014 FIFA World Cup was unsuccessful, his official last game was against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.

Coaching career edit

In 2016 Vicelich became assistant coach at Auckland City.

Broadcasting career edit

From 2021, he became the analyst with fellow former New Zealand goalkeeper, Jacob Spoonley, for Sky Sports as New Zealand build up to 2022 World Cup Qualification.[16]

Personal life edit

Vicelich is of Croatian descent.[17] He is a former student at Liston College and Rutherford College, having graduated in 1994.

Career statistics edit

Club edit

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Football Kingz1999–2000[18]National Soccer League343343
2000–01[18]123123
Total4660000466
Roda JC Kerkrade2000–01[18]Eredivisie1010
2001–02[18]1221[b]0132
2002–03[18]28320303
2003–04[18]33611347
2004–05[18]2812[c]0301
2005–06[18]272113[c]0313
Total1291442600013916
RKC Waalwijk2006–07[18]Eredivisie19010200
2007–08[18]Eerste Divisie2020
Total21010220
Auckland City2008–09[18]New Zealand Championship1423[d]0172
2009–10[18]1325[e]15[f]0233
Total2745180405
Shenzhen Ruby2010[18]Chinese Super League140140
Auckland City2010–11[18]New Zealand Championship705[e]12[d]0141
2011–12[18]1307[e]13[g]0231
2012–13[18][19]1319[e]04[h]0251
2013–14[18][19]807[e]04[i]1121
2014–15[18][19]1434[e]07[j]0213
Total5543222111087
Career total292285243329136934
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, Chatham Cup, Chinese FA Cup.
  2. ^ Appearance in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearance in UEFA Intertoto Cup
  4. ^ a b Appearances in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs
  5. ^ a b c d e f Appearance in OFC Champions League
  6. ^ Two appearances in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs; three appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  7. ^ Two appearances, one goal in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs; one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  8. ^ Three appearances in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs; one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  9. ^ Three appearances; one goal in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs; one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
  10. ^ Three in New Zealand Football Championship play-offs; four appearances in FIFA Club World Cup

International edit

Appearances and goals by national team and year[20][21]
National teamYearAppsGoals
New Zealand199510
199600
199770
199840
1999111
200050
200151
200263
200340
200440
200500
200640
200751
200800
200990
201060
201120
2012110
201330
Total886
Scores and results list New Zealand's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vicelich goal.
List of international goals scored by Ivan Vicelich
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
124 June 1999Muscat, Oman  Oman?–?2–2Friendly
213 June 2001North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand  Vanuatu7–07–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
35 July 2002North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand  Tahiti2–04–02002 OFC Nations Cup
49 July 2002North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand  Solomon Islands1–06–12002 OFC Nations Cup
53–0
617 October 2007Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji  Fiji1–02–02008 OFC Nations Cup

Honours edit

Waitakere City

  • Chatham Cup: 1994
  • New Zealand Football Championship: 1995

Central United

Auckland City

New Zealand

Individual

Halberg Awards

  • Team of the Year 2010
  • Supreme Award 2010
  • NZs Favourite Sporting Moment 2010

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 presented by Toyota: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 9 December 2009. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2012.
  2. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2016: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 14 December 2016. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Auckland City FC – Player Profile – Ivan Vicelich". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ FIFA.com. "FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 – Clubs – FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2009.
  5. ^ Brown, Michael (18 July 2010). "Vicelich on fast boat to China". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Ramos outshines the rest". FIFA. 20 December 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Federations Cup Mexico 1999 – New Zealand squad". FIFA. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  8. ^ "Federations Cup France 2003 – New Zealand squad". FIFA. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Soccer: Vicelich calls time on international career". The New Zealand Herald. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  10. ^ "Vicelich answers All Whites SOS". NZ Football. 22 May 2009.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "2009 Confederations Cup – New Zealand squad". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  12. ^ "Stage set for crucial qualifier". NZ Football. 10 October 2009.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "A-International Appearances – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  14. ^ "A-International Scorers – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  15. ^ "All Whites World Cup squad named". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  16. ^ New Zealand v The Gambia | Live Game, retrieved 17 November 2021
  17. ^ "All Whites | Ivan Vicelich". Onsport.co.nz. 30 September 1976. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Ivan Vicelich » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Ivan Vicelich at Soccerway
  20. ^ Ivan Vicelich at National-Football-Teams.com
  21. ^ "Ivan Robert Vicelich – International Appearances". RSSSF.
  22. ^ "New Year honours list 2015". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Honours List". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 25 July 2008.
  24. ^ Landrigan, John. "Big year for Vicelich and football". The Aucklander. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  25. ^ "Ivan Vicelich honoured by FoF". Friends of Football. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  26. ^ "IFFHS MAN TEAM – OFC – OF THE DECADE 2011-2020". IFFHS. 31 January 2021.

External links edit