MILAN MISUTA

A true friend of local, state, national and international soccer, Milan Misuta passed away, Friday April 3, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer.  He had a soccer ball at his feet, a cross on his pillow and was surrounded by adoring members of his, close “soccer family”.  Milan was a soccer genius in every sense of the word.  He lived and breathed soccer and was an absolute soccer purist.  He was a brilliant player who was both “the engine” and “the maestro” on the field.  He was also a fantastic coach who was both dedicated and demanding.  He was an absolute perfectionist and he led by example.  Even near the end of his life he was known to jump into the practice and demonstrate to all his passion and love of the game.  Milan was all soccer all the time.  Soccer was his one true love.  Fellow teammates, opponents, players and parents were his “Family”.  If you loved soccer you had a “Brother” in Milan.  His home was wherever there was a soccer ball, soccer field, soccer practice or soccer game.  He could always be found at the soccer fields, at the coffee shop writing practice plans or holding court with his soccer family.  He was also an avid fan who enjoyed watching soccer at home or at the local soccer pub with his friends.   Milan's passion for soccer was contagious.  All of us in the soccer community benefited from knowing Milan.  Through soccer, Milan passed along the traits of hard work, discipline, dedication and excellence.  The teams he coached played beautiful soccer and the players were successful on and off the pitch.

            Milan was born on June 9th, 1943 in the village of Solcany in Czechoslovakia (what is now Slovakia.)  The region was known for producing numerous talented professional soccer players, and Milan was the best of the best.  His technical skill and energy level were incredible.  He began his professional career with Solcany.  In a scene reminiscent of “Hoosiers,” Milan led tiny Solcany to the Third Division of Czechoslovakian soccer. He was then sold to a larger club.  The money the club received was used to build the stadium in Solcany.  Today this stadium is still known as the “House that Milan Built.”  Milan played for many high-level Czechoslovakian teams including Iskra Partizanske, Dukla Eherske Hradiste and FC Chomutov.   At age of 30, in 1973, Milan defected and found his way to a refugee camp in Austria.  He was sponsored by a family from Chicago and moved to the United States.  He found his way from Chicago to Milwaukee to play for the Milwaukee Bavarians and work as a machinist in a small tool and die shop. With the Bavarians, Milan had a great deal of success winning countless leagues and tournaments, including a national championship in 1976.  Milan became a United States citizen in 1979.  In 1982, Milan left Milwaukee and moved to Colorado. He played for the Denver Kickers and countless other teams.  He coached at Boulder High School and for FC Boulder and NOVA soccer clubs. He went on to coach the University of Colorado men's and women's soccer teams and won the national championship with the women's soccer team in 1994.  In 2009 Milan was named to the Wisconsin State Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2014, he joined a good friend and former Bavarian teammate and moved to Appleton Wisconsin to continue coaching with Appleton soccer club, now NEW United.  He coached multiple teams and was a fixture at the USA fields, at Soccer Heaven and anywhere he could find practice or game.  Everywhere Milan went he added to his soccer family.  At the time of his death, Milan had a “family” of thousands.  Milan left his earthly family on April 3rd and immediately joined a new game in Heaven. Members of his adoring soccer family are sure he had a hat trick in his first game!

Milan is survived by his sisters Maria Hanusova and Antonia Sokolovska in Slovakia and his immense soccer family of thousands in the United States. He is preceded in his death by his mother, Maria Misutova, his father Stefan Misuta and his brother Jozef Misuta. 

A celebration of Milan's life will be held in Appleton, Milwaukee and Boulder and he will be buried next to his family in Solcany, Slovakia after the current pandemic ends. A memorial will be established which will go to provide scholarships for players at Milwaukee Bavarians, FC Boulder, NOVA SC, and NEW United. 

Milan wishes to thank Dr. Weiss and his amazing team at ThedaCare Cancer Care, and the ThedaCare Hospice team.

Goodbye Milan, Milanco, General, Coach, Brother, Grandpa- Milan, until we meet again. We love you!