Zoran Zekić (; born 29 April 1974) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Bosnian Premier League club Sarajevo.
Managerial career Early career In July 2010, Zekić was appointed manager of Zagreb-based local football club Maksimir, which he managed until 2013. One year later he moved to Moldova, where he managed Sheriff-2 Tiraspol in 2014, after which he became Sheriff Tiraspol manager. He won the double with Sheriff in the 2014–15 season, winning the Divizia Naţională and the national cup.
Osijek On 1 September 2015, Zekić was appointed manager of hometown club Osijek in the Croatian Prva HNL, signing a three-year contract until June 2018. In the 2016–17 season, Osijek finished in fourth place, earning a spot in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League first qualifying rounds. Osijek drew Santa Coloma, Luzern and PSV Eindhoven. Osijek beat PSV with 2–0 on aggregate (0–1, 1–0), being promoted to the play-off round, where the club lost to Austria Wien on away goals. On 29 March 2019, following a string of poor results in the league, Zekić parted ways with Osijek.
Return to Sheriff Tiraspol On 30 April 2019, Zekić came back to manage Sheriff Tiraspol. He led the side to another league and cup triumph, before leaving Sheriff in October 2020.
Diósgyőr, Slaven Belupo and Partizani In January 2021, Zekić was appointed manager of Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Diósgyőr. Following Diósgyőr, he also worked at Slaven Belupo, Partizani, before returning to Osijek.
Sarajevo On 12 June 2024, Zekić was announced as the new manager of Bosnian Premier League club Sarajevo. He signed a two-year contract with the option of extending for a further year. In his first game in charge, Sarajevo beat Aktobe in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League first qualifying round on 11 July 2024. Sarajevo was eliminated in the second qualifying round by Spartak Trnava 3–0 on aggregate. On 4 August 2024, Zekić earned victory in his first match of the league season, as Sarajevo defeated Sloboda Tuzla 3–1 at home. He guided the side to a cup triumph in May 2025, defeating Široki Brijeg 5–1 on aggregate in the final.
Sarajevo started off the 2025–26 season in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round against Universitatea Craiova. Following a 2–1 victory in the first leg, Sarajevo was ultimately eliminated after suffering a 4–0 defeat in the second leg. Zekić's side started off the league season with a 4–4 draw against Radnik Bijeljina on 3 August 2025, only narrowly escaping defeat with a late equaliser despite initially being 3–0 up. Subsequently, Zekić resigned as manager on 5 August.
Return to Sarajevo Zekić returned as Sarajevo manager on 9 June 2026, on a contract until June 2027, succeeding compatriot Mario Cvitanović.
Managerial statistics
TeamFromToRecordGWDLWin %Sheriff Tiraspol14 August 201426 May 2015Osijek1 September 201529 March 2019Sheriff Tiraspol30 April 201921 October 2020Diósgyőr7 January 20219 May 2021Slaven Belupo31 August 202130 June 2023Partizani Tirana12 June 202310 October 2023Osijek13 October 202321 May 2024Sarajevo12 June 20245 August 2025Sarajevo9 June 2026PresentTotal
Honours Player Kamen Ingrad Druga HNL: 2000–01
Maccabi Haifa Israeli Premier League: 2003–04
Manager Sheriff Tiraspol Divizia Naţională: 2019 Moldovan Cup: 2014–15, 2018–19
Sarajevo Bosnian Cup: 2024–25
References
External links
HRnogomet.com