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Matjaž Kek, the current manager of the Slovenia national football team, was born in Maribor, 1961. He has held his position with his homeland's national team since being appointed following a disappointing era in 2018.
He has had something of an unusual career path, both in his time as a manager and as a player. He began his life in the game as young boy playing for his local youth team Zekeznicar Maribor. After several years in the club's youth system, the manager decided it was time for Kek to make the step up and in 1979 he made his debut for the club, playing as a centre-back. He impressed almost immediately and, in his one and only season with the club, won many plaudits from all around his homeland.
He later joined a bigger local club, Maribor. For them he played 114 times and, remarkably for a defender, scored 36 goals. His time with Maribor was trophy-laden to say the least; during his time with the club they won the Slovenian Prva Liga three times in three successive seasons and the Slovenian Cup twice in three attempts between 1996 and 1999. These would prove to be the last trophies of his playing career, although he would go on to win more as a manager.
He joined Spittal for three seasons before moving on to GAK where he played 86 times and scored 15 goals in a lengthy seven years spell. He later returned to maribor where he would make another 126 appearances and score 17 goals before deciding age had caught up with him and it was best to retire.
After two years coaching with Maribor, Kek became assistant manager of the club in 2000. He graduated to caretaker status following the previous incumbents dismissal in 2001. And, in 2002, he was appointed as manager of the club on a permanent basis. Like his time as a player, his era in charge of Maribor was full of silverware. They won the Prva Liga twice, again in successive seasons; and the Slovenian cup once, in his final year in charge.
In an odd career move, he decided to take a job coaching Slovenia's under 15 and 16 teams between 2006 and 2007 before being promoted to senior manager of his national team for the first time in 2006. He would remain at the helm for four years which included taking the side to the World Cup, before stepping down in 2011.
After this he had a brief spell in the Middle East with Al-Ittihad before moving to Croatia to coach Rijeka. He won yet more silverware with Rijeka as he led them to success in the Prva HNL once, the Croatian Cup twice, and the Croatian Super Cup once. After this successful spell he was reappointed as Slovenia manager, the position he holds to this day.