Ivan Vuksich
Encyclopedia
Ivan Vuksich is a New Zealand
association football administrator. He is the chairman of Central United Football Club
(1992–present) and also of Auckland City Football Club
(2004–present).
and was educated at St Peter's College
(1959–1965) where he played rugby union
and cricket
.
twice, in 1999 & 2001 and the Chatham Cup
four times, in 1997, 1998, 2005 & 2007. Vuksich has overseen Auckland City claim the ASB Premiership in four of the past seven years - 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. The club also claimed the Oceania Champions League
in 2006, 2009 and 2011. They represented the Oceania Confederation
at the FIFA Club World Cup
in Japan
in 2006 and in Abu Dhabi
in 2009. The club followed their 6th placing in 2006 by winning two of their three matches at the tournament in 2009, including a 3-2 victory over TP Mazembe
(Democratic Republic of the Congo
), the champions of the African Confederation
, in the 5th place play-off match. No New Zealand side had previously won a match at this tournament and the side's final placing equalled that of Sydney FC
(Australia
) in 2005 as Oceania's best result at the FIFA Club World Cup. The club will once again return to this tournament as Oceania's representative in 2011. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Japan from 8-18 December 2011.
Vuksich was also a member of FIFA's Club World Cup Task Force
in 2006 & 2007.
His six National League titles, four Chatham Cup victories and three Oceania championships is believed to be a record haul for a chairman in NZ football.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
association football administrator. He is the chairman of Central United Football Club
Central United
Central United Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand...
(1992–present) and also of Auckland City Football Club
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a football club based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. The club competes in the eight-team ASB Premiership which is the highest level of domestic football in the country...
(2004–present).
Early life
Vuksich spent his childhood in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and was educated at St Peter's College
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
(1959–1965) where he played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
Football administration career
Central United was formed in 1962 and Auckland City was formed in 2004 after New Zealand Football introduced the new franchise-based ASB Premiership. Under Vuksich's reign Central United has won the national leagueNew Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
twice, in 1999 & 2001 and the Chatham Cup
Chatham Cup
The Chatham Cup, currently known as the ASB Chatham Cup for sponsorship purposes, is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's football...
four times, in 1997, 1998, 2005 & 2007. Vuksich has overseen Auckland City claim the ASB Premiership in four of the past seven years - 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. The club also claimed the Oceania Champions League
OFC Champions League
The Oceania Champions League 2007 was held in January 2007 with six clubs from five member associations of the Oceania Football Confederation: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The six clubs were split into two groups of three for home and away matches.Auckland City...
in 2006, 2009 and 2011. They represented the Oceania Confederation
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
at the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2006 and in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
in 2009. The club followed their 6th placing in 2006 by winning two of their three matches at the tournament in 2009, including a 3-2 victory over TP Mazembe
TP Mazembe
Tout Puissant Mazembe, formerly known as Englebert, are a Congolese football club based in Lubumbashi. Their home games are played at Stade Municipal de Lubumbashi. Its nickname is Les corbeaux despite having a crocodile with a ball in its mouth on the team crest...
(Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
), the champions of the African Confederation
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
, in the 5th place play-off match. No New Zealand side had previously won a match at this tournament and the side's final placing equalled that of Sydney FC
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) in 2005 as Oceania's best result at the FIFA Club World Cup. The club will once again return to this tournament as Oceania's representative in 2011. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Japan from 8-18 December 2011.
Vuksich was also a member of FIFA's Club World Cup Task Force
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
in 2006 & 2007.
His six National League titles, four Chatham Cup victories and three Oceania championships is believed to be a record haul for a chairman in NZ football.