1. Playing Career
Slaviša Jokanović's playing career saw him develop through Yugoslav football before gaining prominence in Spain and England, and representing his national team at the highest level.
1.1. Early career and background
Born on 16 August 1968, in Novi Sad, Vojvodina, in what was then SFR Yugoslavia, Jokanović began his football journey with his hometown club Novi Sad. He quickly progressed to senior football, making his debut with neighboring Vojvodina.
1.2. Club career
Jokanović's club career was marked by significant achievements and contributions across various leagues, showcasing his abilities as a robust midfielder.
1.2.1. Vojvodina
Jokanović made his senior debut with Vojvodina, helping the club secure its second national title in the 1988-89 season. During this period, he scored four goals in 24 matches, playing a crucial role in the team's success at just 20 years old.
1.2.2. Partizan
In 1990, Jokanović joined Belgrade-based club Partizan. In his second year with the team, the 1991-92 season, he helped them win the domestic cup. In his third season, 1992-93, he achieved a career-best by scoring 13 league goals, contributing to Partizan's league conquest. He was one of several players to score in double digits, as the team collectively netted 103 goals in 36 matches.
1.2.3. Spanish League
Following his impressive performances at Partizan, Jokanović moved to Spain, where he spent seven seasons in La Liga with three different clubs, making 208 appearances and scoring 31 goals.
1.2.4. Chelsea
Following his single season with Deportivo, Jokanović signed with Chelsea in October 2000 for 1.70 M GBP. Under coach Claudio Ranieri, he made 39 Premier League appearances over two consecutive seasons and played a total of 53 matches for the Blues. He was released by the club in July 2002.
1.3. International career
Jokanović had an extensive international career spanning eleven years, representing both Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro in major tournaments.
He earned six caps for SFR Yugoslavia, making his debut on 27 February 1991 in a friendly match against Turkey, coming on as a substitute for Željko Petrović. He participated in some qualifying matches for UEFA Euro 1992, where the national team topped its group. However, Yugoslavia was suspended from the tournament due to the Yugoslav Wars. Jokanović scored the last goal ever for SFR Yugoslavia in their final official game on 28 May 1992 against Fiorentina in Florence, a match played just two days before the announcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 757 which forbade Yugoslavia's participation in Euro 1992. Fiorentina won the game 2-1.
Subsequently, Jokanović represented FR Yugoslavia in an additional 58 matches, bringing his total international caps to 64 with 10 goals. He featured for the nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. In the 1998 World Cup, he scored his first two international goals in an 8-1 away victory over the Faroe Islands during qualification. He played four complete matches as FR Yugoslavia reached the round-of-16. In Euro 2000, he made three appearances, notably being sent off in a 3-4 loss against Spain, as the team progressed to the quarter-finals.
2. Coaching Career
Slaviša Jokanović transitioned from a distinguished playing career to a highly successful managerial one, marked by several promotions and trophy wins across different leagues.
2.1. Beginning of coaching career
In September 2007, while residing in Madrid, Jokanović joined the technical staff of Tercera División club Pinto. Just three months later, he was appointed as the head coach of his former club, Partizan, succeeding Miroslav Đukić, who had left to manage the national team. His family, including his wife and three children, remained in the Spanish capital.
2.2. Partizan
Under Jokanović's management, Partizan achieved a historic double in May 2008, winning both the league and the cup. He was recognized as the "Best Coach in Serbia" by the Football Association of Serbia, an award he declined to accept due to Partizan's disappointing performance in the group stage of the UEFA Cup.
In his first full season, Jokanović led Partizan to another double in the 2008-09 season, securing the league title with a significant 19-point margin over his former team, Vojvodina. This achievement made him the first coach in Partizan's history to successfully defend the league title. However, on 5 September 2009, he departed the club by mutual consent, bidding farewell through an open letter.
2.3. Asia and Eastern Europe
Jokanović expanded his coaching experience with stints in Asian and Eastern European football leagues.
2.3.1. Muangthong United
On 28 February 2012, Jokanović was officially introduced as the new head coach of Muangthong United in Thailand, signing a one-year contract with an option for an additional two years. In his inaugural and sole season, he guided the team to their third Thai Premier League title in history, achieving an impressive undefeated season. His first match in charge was a 0-0 friendly draw against Nakhon Ratchasima at the Nakhon Ratchasima Stadium. His first league match saw Muangthong United defeat BEC Tero Sasana 2-1 at SCG Stadium, with goals from Datsakorn Thonglao and Dagno Siaka. For his outstanding performance, he was named the Thai Premier League Coach of the Year for 2012.
2.3.2. Levski Sofia
In mid-July 2013, Jokanović took over as manager of Bulgarian team Levski Sofia, replacing Nikolay Mitov. However, his tenure was brief, as he was relieved of his duties in October of the same year due to poor results. Despite the club's decision, some supporters believed he should have been given more time to implement his changes.
2.4. Spain
Jokanović also had a brief coaching spell in Spain.
2.4.1. Hércules
On 5 May 2014, Hércules appointed Jokanović as coach until the end of the season. He replaced Quique Hernández, who had been sacked with the team in last place in the Segunda División table. Jokanović managed only one win in his five matches in charge, and the team was ultimately relegated in the 2013-14 season.
2.5. English Clubs
Jokanović achieved notable success in English football, particularly by securing promotion to the Premier League with two different clubs.
2.5.1. Watford
On 7 October 2014, Jokanović was appointed on a short-term contract as the manager of English Championship club Watford, becoming their fourth coach in five weeks. Under his leadership, Watford secured promotion to the Premier League in the 2014-15 season with one match to spare, sealing it with a 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on 25 April 2015. This marked his 15th win in 20 matches. The team was also minutes away from winning the league title in the final match but conceded an injury-time equalizer to Sheffield Wednesday, allowing Bournemouth to overtake them. On 5 June, Jokanović departed after failing to agree to a new deal and was replaced by Quique Sánchez Flores. He received the EFL Championship Manager of the Month award for April 2015.
2.5.2. Maccabi Tel Aviv
On 14 June 2015, Jokanović was appointed as the coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv. On 25 August, he successfully led the club to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in eleven years, overcoming Basel on the away goals rule. He remained in the role for just over six months before returning to the Championship.
2.5.3. Fulham
Jokanović joined Fulham as head coach on 27 December 2015. After successfully avoiding relegation by 11 points in the 2015-16 season, he set a target of a top-six finish for his first full season at Craven Cottage in 2016-17. He was named the EFL Championship Manager of the Month for April 2018, having collected 16 points from 18 available, matching his earlier award with Watford.
Jokanović led Fulham to promotion to the Premier League by defeating Aston Villa 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 26 May 2018. However, on 14 November, following seven consecutive winless results and with the team at the bottom of the Premier League table, he was dismissed and replaced by Claudio Ranieri.
2.5.4. Sheffield United
On 27 May 2021, Jokanović was appointed manager of newly relegated Sheffield United on a three-year deal, becoming the club's first overseas manager. He was sacked on 25 November 2021, having won six of 19 Championship games, and was replaced by Paul Heckingbottom.
2.6. Other Clubs
Jokanović has also managed clubs outside of Europe and England.
2.6.1. Al-Gharafa
On 16 June 2019, Jokanović was appointed manager of Qatari club Al-Gharafa on a two-year deal. In his first year in the Qatar Stars League, he was nominated for Manager of the Season.
2.6.2. Dynamo Moscow
On 17 June 2022, Jokanović signed a contract with Russian Premier League club Dynamo Moscow for the upcoming season, with an option for two further years based on performance. He was dismissed by Dynamo on 14 May 2023, following a 0-3 home loss to Akhmat Grozny, with Dynamo in seventh place in the league.
3. Career Statistics
Slaviša Jokanović's career statistics reflect his extensive playing career as a midfielder and his subsequent managerial roles across various clubs.
3.1. Player statistics
Jokanović represented Yugoslavia and later FR Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) over an eleven-year international career.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFR Yugoslavia | 1991 | 6 | 0 |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | |
| FR Yugoslavia | 1993 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 11 | 3 | |
| 1998 | 13 | 3 | |
| 1999 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 10 | |
Scores and results list FR Yugoslavia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jokanović goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 1996 | Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | 2-0 | 8-1 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 6-1 | |||||
| 3 | 12 June 1997 | Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | Ghana | 1-1 | 3-1 | 1997 Korea Cup |
| 4 | 16 June 1997 | Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | South Korea | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1997 Korea Cup |
| 5 | 20 August 1997 | Petrovsky, Saint Petersburg, Russia | Russia | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 28 January 1998 | El Menzah, Tunis, Tunisia | Tunisia | 2-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 3-0 | |||||
| 8 | 22 April 1998 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia | South Korea | 3-1 | 3-1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 3 September 2000 | Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 6 October 2001 | Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia | Luxembourg | 1-0 | 6-2 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
3.2. Manager statistics
The table below details Slaviša Jokanović's managerial record by team and tenure.
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Partizan | 26 December 2007 | 5 September 2009 | 54|12|10|71.05 | ||||
| Muangthong United | 27 February 2012 | 4 June 2013 | 34|12|8|62.96 | ||||
| Levski Sofia | 15 July 2013 | 8 October 2013 | 6|4|2|50.00 | ||||
| Hércules | 5 May 2014 | 11 June 2014 | 1|1|3|20.00 | ||||
| Watford | 7 October 2014 | 5 June 2015 | 21|5|10|58.33 | ||||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1 July 2015 | 26 December 2015 | 13|4|12|44.83 | ||||
| Fulham | 27 December 2015 | 14 November 2018 | 64|36|45|44.14 | ||||
| Al-Gharafa | 1 July 2019 | 27 May 2021 | 25|10|19|46.30 | ||||
| Sheffield United | 27 May 2021 | 25 November 2021 | 8|6|8|36.36 | ||||
| Dynamo Moscow | 1 July 2022 | 14 May 2023 | 15|11|12|39.47 | ||||
| Total | 241|101|129|51.17 | ||||||
4. Honours
Slaviša Jokanović has accumulated numerous team and individual honours throughout his career as both a player and a manager.
4.1. Player honours
Jokanović won several significant titles as a player with clubs in Yugoslavia and Spain.
4.1.1. Vojvodina
- Yugoslav First League: 1988-89
4.1.2. Partizan
- First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1992-93
- Yugoslav Cup: 1991-92
4.1.3. Deportivo
- La Liga: 1999-2000
- Supercopa de España: 2000
4.2. Manager honours
As a manager, Jokanović has achieved multiple league titles and promotions.
4.2.1. Partizan
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2007-08, 2008-09
- Serbian Cup: 2007-08, 2008-09
4.2.2. Muangthong United
- Thai Premier League: 2012
4.2.3. Fulham
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2018
4.3. Individual honours
Jokanović has also received individual accolades for his managerial performance.
- EFL Championship Manager of the Month: April 2015, April 2018
- Thailand Premier League Coach of the Year: 2012