Rale Rasic, the first coach to take the Socceroos to a World Cup, has died at the age of 87.
The Bosnian-born coach arrived in Australia in 1962 and in 1974 he led the Socceroos to their first World Cup appearance, lining up against West and East Germany and Chile.
Rasic’s career also included stints at Pan Hellenic from 1977–78 and South Melbourne FC from 1987–88.
In 2004, Rasic was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to soccer as a player, coach and administrator.
In a statement, Football Australia Chairman, Chris Nikou, expressed his heartfelt condolences on behalf of the entire Australian football community.
“Today, we mourn the passing of a giant of Australian football in Rale Rasic,” Nikou said.
“His dedication to representing Australia and his remarkable achievements as a player, coach, and administrator will forever be etched in our nation’s football history.”
