Ivan Prelec

Ivan Prelec

Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-07-24) 24 July 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Managerial career
Years	Team
2014	Dinamo Zagreb Academy
2014–2017	Dinamo Zagreb U17
2017–2018	Gorica (assistant)
2018	Gorica
2018	Legia Warsaw (assistant)
2019–2020	Istra 1961
2020–2021	Dinamo Zagreb II
2022–2024	Vejle
2025	Vejle

Ivan Prelec (born 24 July 1987) is a Croatian professional football manager.

Managerial career

He started as a manager in 2006, with only 19 years. He led the youth team of Dinamo Zagreb in 2014, while later he became the manager of the U17 team.

In 2017, he went to HNK Gorica, where, at first, he served as an assistant manager, but in February 2018, he was named the head coach of the club. Managing Gorica, he won the 2017–18 Croatian Second Football League. ^[1] In June 2018, he left Gorica and became the assistant manager of Legia Warsaw under the coaching staff of Dean Klafurić.

On 15 June 2019, he was named the new manager of NK Istra 1961, succeeding Igor Cvitanović. ^[2]

On 15 March 2022, he became manager of Danish Superliga club Vejle Boldklub. ^[3] He managed the club until 23 September 2024, when he resigned due to a bad start to the season, where Vejle had lost all 10 games. ^[4]

In June 2025, Prelec returned to Vejle Boldklub as head coach, with the club announcing his reappointment effective 16 June on a two-year contract. ^[5] On 3 November 2025, with Vejle bottom after taking seven points from 14 league matches, the club ended his tenure; assistants Morten Bisgaard and Steffen Kielstrup were placed in interim charge for the remainder of the autumn programme. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Managerial statistics

As of match played 2 November 2025

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Gorica	10 January 2018	14 June 2018	14	9	3	2	6	13	−7	064.29
Istra 1961	15 July 2019	15 August 2020	42	8	10	24	59	48	+11	019.05
Dinamo Zagreb II	14 October 2020	6 April 2021	15	3	3	9	6	13	−7	020.00
Vejle Boldklub	15 March 2022	23 September 2024	96	39	21	36	140	119	+21	040.63
Vejle Boldklub	16 June 2025	3 November 2025	17	4	4	9	27	28	−1	023.53
Total			184	63	41	80	238	221	+17	034.24

Honours

Manager

HNK Gorica

• Croatian Second League: 2017–18

Vejle

• Danish 1st Division: 2022–23 ^[9]

References

1. "Ivan Prelec: Prilike se pruže samo jednom u životu". www.zagrebacki.hr. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
2. "Ivan Prelec novi je trener NK Istre 1961". www.istrasport.eu. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
3. "Vejle Boldklub henter kroatisk cheftræner". vejle-boldklub.dk. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
4. "Ivan Prelec stopper i Vejle Boldklub". bold.dk. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
5. "Vejle Boldklub henter Ivan Prelec tilbage til Nørreskoven". Vejle Boldklub (in Danish). 5 June 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
6. "Vejle Boldklub stopper samarbejdet med cheftræneren". Vejle Boldklub (in Danish). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
7. Porse, Kristian (3 November 2025). "Vejle-boss erkender: En fejl at genansætte Prelec" [Vejle boss admits: Rehiring Prelec was a mistake]. Bold (in Danish). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
8. Bellaiche, Emil (3 November 2025). "De tager over for Ivan Prelec" [They replace Ivan Prelec]. Tipsbladet (in Danish). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
9. Baunsgaard, Casper Hede (21 May 2023). "Mesterlig Mucolli-træffer da Vejle vandt NordicBet Ligaen". Bold (in Danish). Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2025.