Samir Toplak

Samir Toplak

Personal information
Date of birth	(1970-04-23) 23 April 1970
Place of birth	Varaždin, SFR Yugoslavia
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1998	Varteks
1998–2002	Bochum	69	(3)
2002–2005	Varteks
2005–2006	Graničar Tučenik
International career
1994	Croatia	2	(0)
Managerial career
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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Samir Toplak (born 23 April 1970) is a Croatian football coach and a former player. Toplak was born in Varaždin to Croatian parents 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. 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. In 2003 he moved to lower league side Graničar Tučenik and stayed there until the summer of 2006.

Career statistics

Updated 28 September 2014."

Club performance			League		Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Croatia			League		Croatian Cup		Total
1992–93	NK Varteks	Prva HNL	27	0
1993–94			28	1
1994–95			29	0
1995–96			24	0
1996–97			14	0
1997–98			28	1
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Total
1998-99	VfL Bochum	Bundesliga	23	1	2	0	25	1
1999-00		2. Bundesliga	15	1	1	0	16	1
2000-01		Bundesliga	10	0	0	0	10	0
2001-02		2. Bundesliga	17	1	1	0	18	1
Croatia			League		Croatian Cup		Total
2002–03	NK Varteks	Prva HNL	22	0
2003–04	NK Varteks	Prva HNL
2004–05	NK Varteks	Prva HNL
2005–06	Graničar Tučenik	Četvrta HNL
Total	Croatia
	Germany		65	3	4	0	69	3
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.

External links

• Samir Toplak at National-Football-Teams.com
• Profile at worldfootball.net