Zlatko Portner

Zlatko Portner (Serbian Cyrillic: Златко Портнер; 16 January 1962 – 23 September 2020)^[1][2] was a Serbian handball coach and player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Zlatko Portner
Personal information
Full name	Zlatko Portner
Born	(1962-01-16)16 January 1962 Ruma, FPR Yugoslavia
Died	23 September 2020(2020-09-23) (aged 58) Switzerland
Nationality	Serbian / Swiss
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
Team
	Sloga Hrtkovci
Senior clubs
Years	Team
	Crvenka
1982–1989	Metaloplastika
1989–1992	Barcelona
1992–1994	Vénissieux Rhône-Alpes
	BSV Bern
	TV Zofingen
2002–2003	BSC Grosshöchstetten
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Yugoslavia	98	(355)
Teams managed
	BSV Bern
	BSC Grosshöchstetten
	Espace Handball
Medal record Men's handball Representing  Yugoslavia Olympic Games 1988 Seoul Team World Championship 1986 Switzerland Team

Club career

After playing for Crvenka, Portner joined Yugoslav champions Metaloplastika, becoming a member of the squad that won consecutive European Cup titles (1984–85 and 1985–86). He also won six consecutive national championships with the club.

During the 1989–90 season, Portner joined Barcelona as a replacement for his compatriot Milan Kalina.^[3][4] He reunited with his former Metaloplastika teammate Veselin Vujović, helping the club win the European Cup in 1991. The next year, Portner went to France and spent two seasons with Vénissieux Rhône-Alpes (1992–1994). He later also played for Swiss teams BSV Bern, TV Zofingen, and BSC Grosshöchstetten.^[5]

International career

At international level, Portner represented Yugoslavia in two World Championships, winning the 1986 edition in his debut appearance. He was also a member of the team that won the bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.^[6]

Coaching career

While playing in Switzerland, Portner started his coaching career with BSV Bern. He also served as head coach of several other Swiss teams.^[7]

Personal life

Portner was the father of fellow handball player Nikola Portner.^[8]

Honours

Metaloplastika

• Yugoslav Handball Championship: 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88
• Yugoslav Handball Cup: 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
• European Cup: 1984–85, 1985–86

Barcelona

• Liga ASOBAL: 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92
• European Cup: 1990–91