Dražen Brnčić

Croatian-born Belgian football manager and former player

Dražen Brnčić
Personal information
Date of birth	(1971-07-17) 17 July 1971 (age 52)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Central Midfielder
Youth career
1989–1991	HNK Segesta
1991–?	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1995	ACHE	?	(?)
1995–1998	Charleroi	74	(10)
1998–1999	Cremonese	22	(2)
1999–2000	Monza	37	(9)
2000–2001	Milan	1	(0)
2001	→ Vicenza (loan)	4	(0)
2001–2003	Internazionale	0	(0)
2001–2002	→ Ancona (loan)	2	(0)
2002–2003	→ Venezia (loan)	28	(1)
2003–2007	MVV	100	(21)
2007–2009	Visé	?	(?)
2009–2010	Seraing	?	(?)
Total		268	(43)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dražen Brnčić (born 17 July 1971) is a Croatian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He also holds Belgian citizenship.

Playing career

Brnčić started his youth career in SR Croatia but left for Belgium after Croatia declared its independence.

He joined a local side ACHE (Hemptinne-Eghezée) for a year before transferring to Charleroi, where he played regularly in the Belgian First Division and spotted by European teams. He eventually transferred to Serie B side Cremonese,^[1] before moving to Lombardy to join Monza. He played 37 Serie B matches for Monza as they were relegated; the next season, he was loaned to Serie B club Vicenza and won promotion to Serie A.

In the 2000–01 season he joined A.C. Milan, but only played one league matches, three Coppa Italia matches^[2]^[3] and one Champions League match due to injuries.

Before the start of the following season, he was signed by Internazionale^[4] as part of the transfer that saw Andrea Pirlo move to Milan. He never played for Inter and spent his two years at the club on loan to Serie B sides Ancona and Venezia.

In June 2003, he was released by Inter and went on trial at Vitesse Arnhem^[5] before joining MVV in the Eerste Divisie.

In 2007, he joined Belgian Third Division team Visé, where he played as a defender and scored 4 goals.

Managerial career

In 2012, he became the trainer of RSC Verviers (Belgium third division) for 4 month to maintain club in third division.

In the 2013–14 season with RSC Vervier, he finished in second place. Because of the club did not receive the division 2 license, the team could not play the final round to be promoted in second division.

In the 2014–15 season, he was the trainer of Union St Giloise (Belgium third division). He did fantastic work and his team was promoted to the second division.

For the 2015 season, he was the trainer of Patro Maasmechelen (Belgium second division). He decided to stop after 4 months because the club had no ambition.

Now, he is the trainer of Seraing United (Belgium second division). This club has more ambitions and wants to go to the Belgium first division.

Since November 2016 he will take the lead of the fresh reborn RWDM the traditional football club of Molenbeek. The club has a lot of ambition and matches. Under Brnčić leadership the club clinches (easily) two titles a row (2017 and 2018) for climbing from level 5 to level 3 of Belgian football, and knocking on the door of Belgian professional football.

Personal life

Brnčić married a Belgian woman and received Belgian nationality.

References

^ "Cremonese: male Vidalle, in prova il croato Brncic" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 30 July 1998. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
^ http://www.forzamilan.com/sep2000.htm
^ http://www.forzamilan.com/nov2000.htm
^ "Lecce, due novità in attacco" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 9 July 2001. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
^ "Atlético get papal blessing". UEFA. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 30 January 2010.

"Drazen Brncic – Ebauche de Curriculum Vitae" (in French). CS Visé. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2010.