Jerko Tipurić


Jerko Tipurić is a Croatian former football defender and football manager. He also has Belgian nationality since 1998.
He is known as a somewhat eccentric person. For example, he taught his players in which angle they had to look when they were dribbling the ball and he let his players wear special shoes during training to strengthen their back muscles. He also controlled the urine of his players. Tipurić even made it to één-television program Man Bijt Hond with his special attention for these details. For the 2006-07 football season in Belgium, he was an analyst for the één-program Studio 1.

Managerial career

Tipurić' main successes as manager were the 1996 Belgian Cup final and the 2002 second division championship, both as manager of Cercle Brugge. Also particular about his managerial career is the fact that he does not mind to train lower league teams when he receives no interest from professional clubs. Tipurić currently is manager of BS Poperinge, playing in the highest level of West-Flanders. That is the fifth level in Belgian football, just under the lowest nationwide division. He promoted with Poperinge in 2009 to 4th division. With BS Poperinge, Tipurić survived the battle against relegation in their first season, the second season was more relaxed. His contract was not renewed however because the board felt that it was time for a change.