MIRKO JOZIĆ: THE ONLY EUROPEAN MANAGER TO HAVE WON THE COPA LIBERTADORES

Under Jozi's leadership in the early 1990s, Colo-Colo not only won the Chilean Primera División three times, but also became the first and so far only national club to win the Copa Libertadores in 1991. Indeed, Jozi is the only European manager to have won the Copa Libertadores to date.

Most of South America's top players and managers are constantly on the search for possibilities in Europe. The leagues in the Old Continent are the most competitive, wealthy, and rewarding. A breakthrough performance by a South American player or manager is viewed as a stepping stone to Europe.

Some attempt to catch the attention of scouts sent by prominent European teams to track their growth. Even the comparably less gifted South American players dream to play in Europe. For decades, this has been the situation. In such circumstances, it's no surprise that few European managers have visited South America, despite the abundance of footballing delights on offer.

When Chile held the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1987, Jozi's first taste of success in South America came with the Yugoslav under-20 team, which included Davor uker, Predrag Mijatovi, Robert Jarni, Robert Prosineki, and Zvonimir Boban. They won the title gloriously, defeating West Germany in the final at Santiago's Estadio Nacional.

It was Yugoslav football's final collective success before its fragmentation into seven independent countries.

While Jozi had excelled with the younger teams, he had little experience with club football. Peter Dragicevi, the president of Colo-Colo and a leader of Croatian heritage, saw an opening and offered Jozi the opportunity to oversee the junior teams at the Chilean giants.

The selection was a masterstroke, as Jozi not only did an admirable job with the Colo-Colo youth teams, but also traveled across Chile scouting and training outstanding youngsters, laying the framework for the future.

Jozic was ready to lead the senior Colo-Colo squad to victory when he took over as coach in 1990. In his first season, he won the Primera División and the Copa Apertura, completing the league and cup double. The club's biggest success, however, came in 1991.

Apart from recovering the title, Colo-Colo earned their biggest piece of silverware to date, defeating defending champions Club Olimpia of Paraguay over two legs to win the Copa Libertadores, being the first Chilean football team to do so.

In what was a great era for the Santiago squad, Jozi also guided the club to the Recopa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the UEFA Super Cup, and another league victory in 1993. It speaks a lot about the Croat that Colo-Colo haven't reached the same heights since his departure in 1993.

Needless to say, Chilean football, and especially Colo-Colo fans, are anticipating the return of one of their most cherished heroes, Mirko Jozi.