without contract, Kek took over Croatian top division club HNK Rijeka. He led Rijeka to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in both the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons. In the 2016–17 season, Kek led Rijeka to their first-ever championship title and the historic double. He also won the 2013–14 and 2016–17 editions of the Croatian Cup, as well as the 2014 Croatian Super Cup. In the 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons of the Croatian First League, Rijeka finished as the runners-up. With over five years at the club, Kek holds numerous club records, including for most wins and appearances for a manager. On 24 October 2016, he became Rijeka's longest-serving manager by single appointment. In June 2017, Kek signed a new three-year contract with Rijeka, which ties him with the club until June 2020. On 7 September 2017, Kek became the longest-serving manager by single appointment in the history of the Croatian First Football League. He resigned on 6 October 2018 after a 2–1 defeat against HNK Gorica. Return to the national team On 27 November 2018, Kek was appointed as the manager of Slovenia for the second time in his career, replacing caretaker manager Igor Benedejčič. He managed the team in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers, where Slovenia finished in fourth place with four wins out of ten games. In 2020, Slovenia went undefeated for a record eight consecutive games, and also finished first in Group 3 of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C and was thus promoted to League B. Personal life Matjaž's father, Franc Kek, played for NK Maribor during the early 1960s, earning 51 appearances for the club and scoring one goal in the process. His son Matjaž is also a footballer. Managerial statistics Honours Player Maribor Slovenian PrvaLiga: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99 Slovenian Cup: 1996–97, 1998–99 Manager Maribor Slovenian PrvaLiga: 1999–2000, 2002–03 Slovenian Cup: 2003–04 Rijeka Croatian First League: 2016–17 Croatian Cup: 2013–14, 2016–17 Croatian Super Cup: 2014 References 1961 births Living people Sportspeople from Maribor Yugoslav footballers Slovenian footballers Slovenia international footballers Association football defenders NK Železničar Maribor players NK Maribor players SV Spittal players Grazer AK players Austrian Football Bundesliga players Slovenian PrvaLiga players Slovenian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Austria Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Austria Slovenian football managers NK Maribor managers Slovenia national football team managers 2010 FIFA World Cup managers Ittihad FC managers HNK Rijeka managers Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in