Croatian football coach Otto Barič, a former coach of the national teams of his country, Austria and Albania, died today at the age of 87.
His death was reported by the Croatian association, and according to the media, he died in a hospital in Zagreb from complications associated with coronavirus infection.
The Croatian national team led to Euro 2004, but became famous especially in Austria, where it celebrated great success at the club level. Together with Wacker Innsbruck, Salzburg and Rapid, Vienna won a total of seven championship titles.
He triumphed with Rapid three times, the first in the 1982/82 season was led by Antonín Panenka, who played for Rapid under his leadership until 1985. Together they also won the Austrian Cup three times and in the 1984/85 season experienced the unsuccessful Cup Winners’ Cup final against Everton (1: 3).
Both were also included in the ideal eleven Austrian league of the 1980s this year, Panenka as a player and Barič as a star selection coach.
In 1994, Barič also played the UEFA Cup final against Inter Milan in Salzburg (0: 2). In his country, he won the title and the cup trophy with Croatia Zagreb. He also worked in Stuttgart, Fenerbahce, Linz and Graz. His last engagement was with the Albanian national team, where he ended in 2007.
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