Josip Pirmajer

Josip Pirmajer (14 February 1944 – 24 June 2018) was a Slovenian footballer who played for Yugoslavia and later became a manager.

Josip Pirmajer
Pirmajer in May 1966 ahead of Partizan's European Cup Final versus Real Madrid.
Personal information
Date of birth (1944-02-14)14 February 1944
Place of birth Trifail, Nazi-occupied Slovenia[a]
Date of death 24 June 2018(2018-06-24) (aged 74)
Place of death Srbobran, Serbia
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Elan Srbobran
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1963 RFK Novi Sad 47 (8)
1964–1968 Partizan 130 (36)
1968–1972 Vojvodina 81 (15)
1972–1975 Nîmes Olympique 60 (5)
1975–1977 RFK Novi Sad ? (12)
National team
1964 Yugoslavia 4 (0)
Teams managed
RFK Novi Sad
Jedinstvo Novi Bečej
1997–1998 Vojvodina
Elan Srbobran
Beograd
2006 Sileks
Big Bul Bačinci
Bečej
2011 Sloga Erdevik
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Club

Pirmajer was born in Trbovlje in present-day Slovenia. At the time of his birth, Trbovlje was renamed Trifail by the occupying Nazi German forces. He moved with his family to Serbia to Srbobran in 1947.[1] His football skills were spotted while he was in elementary school and he joined the youth-team of Elan Srbobran.[1] When he was 16, with a special medical permission, he was allowed to start playing in the main team of Elan Srbobran.[1] After a handful of games he attracted attention from bigger clubs, and shortly after he joined RFK Novi Sad.[1] He debuted in the season 1960–61 in which Novi Sad made their historical promotion to the Yugoslav First League after winning the 1960–61 Yugoslav Second League East. Pirmajer played the following two and a half seasons with Novi Sad in the First League, until the winter-break of the 1963–64 season when he was brought by FK Partizan. Pirmajer moved to the capital and played with Partizan a total of four and a half seasons during which he won one championship and was European vice-champion after losing the 1966 European Cup Final. During his spell in Partizan he got the record of having played 252 consecutive competitive matches.[2]

In summer 1967 Pirmajer returned to Novi Sad this time joining FK Vojvodina where he played further four seasons in Yugoslav top-flight. Afterwards, he played two and half seasons abroad, in France, with Nîmes Olympique in League 1. During the winter-break of 1974–75, Pirmajer returned to Yugoslavia and, aged 30, he joined his former club RFK Novi Sad playing with them until summer 1977 in the Yugoslav Second League.[2]

International

Pirmajer played for all youth levels of the Yugoslav national team, including the Olympic team, before debuting for Yugoslav national team in 1964. He made four appearances for Yugoslavia.[2]

Managerial career

After retiring, Pirmajer became a coach and he worked at RFK Novi Sad, FK Jedinstvo Novi Bečej, FK Vojvodina, FK Elan Srbobran, FK Beograd, FK Sileks, FK Big Bul Bačinci and FK Bečej.[2]

Pirmajer continued living in Serbia where he became president of FK Srbobran.[3]

In January 2009, the Sports Association of the municipality of Srbobran gave Pirmajer a special award as recognition of him as the most successful sportsman from Srboobran and for his overall contribution for development of sport in the municipality. As well as being an excellent footballer, Pirmajer played also handball with RK Bačka, basketball with KK Akademik, and table tennis.[4]

Death

Pirmajer died on 24 June 2018 in Srbobran, Serbia at the age of 74.[5]

Honours
Novi Sad
Partizan

Notes

References
  1. "Istorija fudbala u Srbobranu, page 135 (in Serbian)
  2. Josip Pirmajer at reprezentacija.rs (in Serbian)
  3. Pirmajer podigao na noge Bačku Topolu at srbobran.net, 16-10-2013, retrieved 19-7-2016 (in Serbian)
  4. Josip Pirmajer - legenda koja živi at srbobran.net, 15-1-2009, retrieved 19-7-2016 (in Serbian)
  5. Novosti.rs article
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