AFCON 2025: Vladimir Petkovic, the Bosnian tactician on a mission with Algeria

Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Place of birth: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Age: 62 years

Favorite game system: 4-3-3

Journey as a coach

Vladimir Petkovic started his coaching career at AC Bellizona (Switzerland) where he also ended his playing career in 1997. The defensive midfielder who was technical but cantankerous during, will turn into an evangelist of the beautiful game.

After this first experience as a player-coach, it was at FC Malcantone Agno, still in Switzerland, that he really started as a full-time coach in 1999. Then, Petkovic went through FC Lugano (2004-2005) before returning to Bellizona (2005-2008) then the Young Boys from 2008 to 2011 before flying to Turkey. But he will only spend one season at Samsunspor (2011-2012).

Back in Switzerland, which has become almost his adopted country, Vladimir Petkovic took the reins of FC Sion but will last only a short month (May-June 2012) before leaving for Italy where Lazio Rome hired him for two years (2012-2014). Under his management, Lazio have always finished in the Top 10 of Serie A, 7th for their first season and 9th for the second one and even won the Italian Cup in 2013 by beating AS Roma in the final (1-0). Then came the opportunity to become a coach.

As is obvious, it was Switzerland that offered Vladimir Petkovic this confidence which will last seven years (2014-2021). After a short stint in Bordeaux (July 2021-February 2022), he returns to the bench of a selection, that of Algeria where he has been since February 2024.

Proven experience in international competitions

In seven years on the bench of Switzerland, Vladimir Petkovic has shown that he is a great coach. The Bosnian has participated in three international competitions (2 Euros and a World Cup) with Nati and never his team was eliminated in the first round.

The very first one was the Euro 2016 in France. After eight years of absence, Switzerland was making a comeback in the tournament and the Nati did not disappoint, holding down France (0-0), host country at the passage during the group stage. Switzerland will finally stop in the eighth of final, eliminated by Poland (1-1; 4-5 at t.a.b).

The 2018 World Cup in Russia was the second tournament that Vladimir Petkovic led with Switzerland. And there again, the Nati passed the first round before losing against Sweden in the last 16 (1-0). Finally, there was Euro 2020 where he took Switzerland to the quarter-finals before falling against Spain, eliminating France from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappé in the quarter-finals.

A flamboyant style of play

In his 4-3-3 fetish, Vladimir Petkovic has always bet on creative players, capable of creating danger. The Bosnian relies on intensity in the game with a constant pressing at the loss of the ball to maintain pressure on the opponent. 

He is a coach who asks a lot of his players, especially physically and athletically in order to compose a homogeneous team and not only artists who perform as soloists, even if players like Riyad Mahrez can always make the difference individually.

Apart from the 3-5-2 used in a friendly against Zimbabwe (victory 3-1), Vladimir Petkovic has always been faithful to his principles of play since his arrival in Algeria. And it is with these cardinal values that he qualified the Fennecs for AFCON 2025 and the 2026 World Cup. The numbers speak for him by the way. In 20 games, Petkovic has 15 wins, 3 draws and only 2 defeats.

In Morocco, Algeria is housed in Group E alongside Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, its first opponent on 24 December. Mentioned among the favourite countries, Algeria can count on the experience of their coach to respect their rank, after being eliminated in the first round of the last two editions of the editions.

“It is clear that we are the favourites of our group, and we must take on this responsibility. Our first goal will be to qualify for the second round, then we’ll see",

confided Vladimir Petkovic to Cafonline after the draw last January.