Croatia Soccer Profile

Ozren Podnar Gets Up to Speed on Football in Croatia

Domestic League Winners | The Big Name Clubs in Croatia | Croat-English Dictionary | More Key Vocabulary for the Serious Fan

CROATIA

COUNTRY INFO

Surface: 56.500 km2
Population: 4,45 million
Capital: Zagreb (900,000)
Currency: Kuna
Language: Croatian (Slavic group)
Ethnicity: 92% Croatian, 5% Serbian, others incl. Italian, Slovene, Bosnian Moslem
Religions: Roman Catholic, Christian Orthodox
System: Republic
Status: EU candidate
Situation: Southeast Europe
Neighbours: Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Italy

SOCCER INFO

Federation: Hrvatski nogometni savez
Address: Rusanova 13, 10000 Zagreb
President: Vlatko Markovic
Secretary general: Zorislav Srebric
National team manager: Zlatko Kranjcar
Telephone: + 385 (0)1 2361-555
Telefax: + 385 (0)1 2441-500; 2441-501
E-mail: hns-cff[at]zg.tel.hr
Home page: www.hns-cff.hr/
Founded: 1912 (1991)
Admitted to FIFA: 1941 (1992)
Admitted to UEFA: 1992
International honours: Third place at the 1998 WC; quarterfinals at Euro 1996
Club honours: Fairs' Cup (now UEFA Cup): Dinamo Zagreb 1967; Fairs' Cup finals: Dinamo Zagreb 1963;
Cup Winners' Cup semifinals: Dinamo Zagreb 1961, Hajduk Split 1973; UEFA Cup semifinals: Hajduk Split 1984.

Big players: Franjo Wölfl, Frano Matosic, Stjepan Bobek, Bernard Vukas, Branko Zebec, Vladimir Beara, Zlatko Cajkovski, Drazan Jerkovic, Ivan Horvat, Slaven Zambata, Rudolf Belin, Mladen Ramljak, Jurica Jerkovic, Ivan Surjak, Ivan Buljan, Slavisa Zungul, Ivan Gudelj, Nenad Gracan, Zlatko and Zoran Vujovic, Velimir Zajec, Marko Mlinaric, Drazen Ladic, Aljosa Asanovic, Robert Jarni, Igor Stimac, Slaven Bilic, Dario Simic, Dado Prso, Darijo Srna, Zvonimir Boban, Davor Suker

Big coaches: Zlatko Cajkovski, Branko Zebec, Tomislav Ivic, Miroslav Blasevic, Ivan Katalinic, Branko Ivankovic

DOMESTIC COMPETITION WINNERS

CROATIAN CHAMPIONS

1992. Hajduk Split
1993. Croatia Zagreb*
1994. Hajduk Split
1995. Hajduk Split
1996. Croatia Zagreb
1997. Croatia Zagreb
1998. Croatia Zagreb
1999. Croatia Zagreb
2000. Dinamo Zagreb
2001. Hajduk Split
2002. Zagreb
2003. Dinamo Zagreb
2004. Hajduk Split
2005. Hajduk Split
*since 2000 Dinamo Zagreb

CROATIAN CUP WINNERS

1992. Inker Zapresic
1993. Hajduk Split
1994. Croatia Zagreb*
1995. Hajduk Split
1996. Croatia Zagreb
1997. Croatia Zagreb
1998. Croatia Zagreb
1999. Osijek
2000. Hajduk Split
2001. Dinamo Zagreb
2002. Dinamo Zagreb
2003. Hajduk Split
2004. Dinamo Zagreb
2005. Rijeka
*since 2000 Dinamo Zagreb

CROATIAN CLUBS WINNING YUGOSLAV LEAGUE

1923. Gradjanski Zagreb
1926. Gradjanski Zagreb
1927. Hajduk Split
1928. Gradjanski Zagreb
1929. Hajduk Split
1930. Concordia Zagreb
1932. Concordia Zagreb
1937. Gradjanski Zagreb
1938. HASK Zagreb
1940. Gradjanski Zagreb
1948. Dinamo Zagreb
1950. Hajduk Split
1952. Hajduk Split
1954. Dinamo Zagreb
1955. Hajduk Split
1958. Dinamo Zagreb
1971. Hajduk Split
1974. Hajduk Split
1975. Hajduk Split
1979. Hajduk Split
1982. Dinamo Zagreb

CROATIAN CLUBS WINNING YUGOSLAV CUP

1951. Dinamo Zagreb
1960. Dinamo Zagreb
1963. Dinamo Zagreb
1965. Dinamo Zagreb
1967. Hajduk Split
1969. Dinamo Zagreb
1972. Hajduk Split
1973. Hajduk Split
1974. Hajduk Split
1976. Hajduk Split
1977. Hajduk Split
1978. Rijeka
1979. Rijeka
1980. Dinamo Zagreb
1983. Dinamo Zagreb
1984. Hajduk Split
1987. Hajduk Split
1991. Hajduk Split

BIGGEST CROATIAN CLUBS

NK Dinamo Zagreb
Founded: 1911
Colours: blue shirts, blue shorts
Address: Maksimirska 128, Zagreb 10000
Stadium: Maksimir (38,000)
Home page: www.nk-dinamo.hr
Chairman: Mirko Barisic
Vicepresident: Zdravko Mamic
Coach: Josip Kuze
Name changes: 1911-1945 Gradjanski, 1945-91 Dinamo, 1991-93 HASK-Gradjanski, 1993-2000 Croatia, 2000-today Dinamo
Honours: 18 League titles (9 in Yugoslavia, 9 in Croatia), 14 FA Cups (7 in Yugoslavia, 7 in Croatia),
1 European Intercity Fairs' Cup (now UEFA Cup)
Ultras: Bad Blue Boys (English style)

NK Hajduk Split
Founded: 1911
Colours: white shirts, blue shorts
Address: Mediteranskih igara 2, Split 21000
Stadium: Poljud (38,000)
Home page: www.hnkhajduk.hr
Chairman: Branko Grgic
Coach: Luka Bonacic (as of February 2006)
Honours: 15 League titles (9 in Yugoslavia, 6 in Croatia), 13 FA Cups (9 in Yugoslavia, 4 in Croatia)
Ultras: Torcida (Italian style)

NK Rijeka
Founded: 1946
Colours: all white
Address: Portic 3, Rijeka 51000
Stadium: Kantrida (15,000)
Home page: www.nk-rijeka.hr
Chairman: Robert Jezic
Director: Marinko Koljanin
Coach: Dragan Skocic
Honours: 3 FA Cups (2 in Yugoslavia, 1 in Croatia)
Ultras: Armada (Italian style)

OTHER MAJOR CLUBS

NK Osijek (Osijek)
NK Zagreb (Zagreb)
Varteks (Varazdin)
Slaven Belupo (Koprivnica)

SOCCER DICTIONARY

COMMON PHRASES

Bravo, majstore! Well done, genius!*
Daj mu karton! Show him a card!**
Dobar udarac! Good shot!
Dobra obrana! Good save!
Dva piva, molim. Two beers, please.
Dvije karte molim. Two tickets, please.
Igrajte, pederi! Play football, faggots!***
Iskljuèi ga! Send him off!
Jesi slijep? Are you blind?
Koji je rezultat? What's the score?
Koliko kosta? What's the price? How much is it?
Losa obrana! Lousy save!
Los udarac! Lousy shot!
Naprijed, Dinamo! Come on, Dinamo!
Pored gola. Wide.
Preko gola. Over the bar.
Sudac je idiot/peder! Ref's an idiot/faggot!
Tko je zabio? Who scored?

Notes:
*praising own player
** when calling for a yellow card
***when angry with own team

Ozren Podnar

Croatian Soccer
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