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Croatian Footballer of the Year

Annual football award in Croatia

Croatian Footballer of the Year
Summary

Annual football award in Croatia

The Croatian Footballer of the Year () is the most prestigious annual association football award in Croatia. It is awarded by the newspaper Večernji list to the best Croatian football player in the preceding year, regardless of the league they play in, based on a points system which measures their performances for both club and country. The award is usually presented in a ceremony hosted by the Croatian Football Federation.

The award was established in 1972 and, until 1990, the award was given to the best Yugoslav player in the preceding year. Since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the award is given to the best Croatian player. Luka Modrić holds the record for most wins, with thirteen awards. Davor Šuker is second with six awards. They are followed by Dado Pršo with three wins from 2003 to 2005.

In 1995, a separate award, the Hope of the Year (Croatian: Nada godine), was introduced. It is awarded to the best young Croatian player. As of 2020, only Ivica Olić and Luka Modrić have won both the Hope of the Year and Footballer of the Year awards.

List of winners

Yugoslav Footballer of the Year (1972–90)

† denotes shared wins

YearYugoslav Footballer of the YearPlayer (Wins)AgePos.Club
197224FWYUG Velež
197325GKYUG Velež
197426DFYUG Željezničar
197526DFYUG Hajduk Split
197623MFYUG Hajduk Split
197724MFYUG Hajduk Split
1978†28DFYUG Dinamo Zagreb
†22DFYUG Partizan
1979†24MFYUG FK Sarajevo
†23MFYUG Dinamo Zagreb
198025MFYUG Red Star
198123FWYUG Hajduk Split
198222MFYUG Hajduk Split
198329GKYUG Hajduk Split
1984(2)28MFGRE Panathinaikos
198526MFYUG Hajduk Split
198622MFYUG Velež
198727MFYUG Dinamo Zagreb
198823MFYUG Red Star
1989(2)24MFYUG Red Star
199021MFYUG Red Star

Croatian Footballer of the Year (1991–present)

[[Luka Modrić]] holds the record for most wins with thirteen awards
[[Davor Šuker]] won the title six times
[[Ivica Olić]], along with Luka Modrić, is the only player to win both the Croatian Footballer of the Year and the Hope of the Year awards
YearCroatian Footballer of the YearHope of the YearPlayer (Wins)AgePos.ClubPlayerAgePos.Club
199123MFITA Milan
199225FWESP Sevilla
199323FWITA Lazio
1994(2)27FWESP Sevilla
1995(3)28FWESP Sevilla20DFCRO Croatia Zagreb
1996(4)29FWESP Real Madrid20FWCRO Hajduk Split
1997(2) †28MFCRO Croatia Zagreb22MFCRO Croatia Zagreb
(5) †30FWESP Real Madrid
1998(6)31FWESP Real Madrid18MFCRO Osijek
1999(2)31MFITA Milan22FWCRO Croatia Zagreb
200029MFCRO Osijek21FWCRO NK Zagreb
200123DFITA Juventus22FWCRO NK Zagreb
200223GKCRO Hajduk Split18MFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
200329FWFRA Monaco20FWCRO Osijek
2004(2)30FWSCO Rangers19MFCRO Inter Zaprešić
2005(3)31FWSCO Rangers22FWCRO Varteks
2006Eduardo23FWCRO Dinamo Zagreb20FWCRO Šibenik
200722MFCRO Dinamo Zagreb19FWCRO Hajduk Split
2008(2)23MFENG Tottenham Hotspur21MFCRO Zadar
200930FWGER Bayern Munich20MFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
2010(2)31FWGER Bayern Munich18DFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
2011(3)26MFENG Tottenham Hotspur17MFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
201226FWGER Bayern Munich21MFCRO Hajduk Split
2013(2)27FWGER Bayern Munich20FWITA Fiorentina
2014(4)29MFESP Real Madrid19DFGER Bayer Leverkusen
201527MFESP Barcelona18MFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
2016(5)31MFESP Real Madrid19DFCRO Dinamo Zagreb
2017(6)32MFESP Real Madrid19MFCRO Lokomotiva
2018(7)33MFESP Real Madrid
2019(8)34MFESP Real Madrid
2020(9)35MFESP Real Madrid
2021(10)36MFESP Real Madrid
2022(11)37MFESP Real Madrid
2023(12)38MFESP Real Madrid
2024(13)39MFESP Real Madrid

Notes on club name changes:

  • Dinamo Zagreb changed their name to "HAŠK Građanski" in June 1991 and then again in February 1993 to "Croatia Zagreb". They reverted to "Dinamo Zagreb" in February 2000.
  • The NK Varteks changed their 52-year-old name to "NK Varaždin" in June 2010, then folded in 2015. Two newer clubs, both unassociated with the defunct team, use the defunct club's names: NK Varteks (founded 2011) and NK Varaždin (founded 2012 as "Varaždin ŠN", picked up the "NK Varaždin" name when the older club folded).

Multiple winners

Players in bold are still active. Wins in italics denote wins in Yugoslav competition before 1991.

WinsPlayerWinning yearsClub(s)
13Luka Modrić2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
6Davor Šuker1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998Sevilla, Real Madrid
3Dado Pršo2003, 2004, 2005Monaco, Rangers
2Velimir Zajec1979, 1984Dinamo Zagreb, Panathinaikos
Dragan Stojković1988, 1989Red Star Belgrade
Robert Prosinečki1990, 1997Red Star Belgrade, Croatia Zagreb
Zvonimir Boban1991, 1999Milan
Ivica Olić2009, 2010Bayern Munich
Mario Mandžukić2012, 2013Bayern Munich

References

References

  1. (24 December 2018). "Za njega ništa nije nemoguće, nadmašio je čak i Šukera!". vecernji.hr.
  2. (29 December 2019). "Modrića nisu uljuljale silne nagrade, samo su ga motivirale da opet bude - najbolji!". vecernji.hr.
  3. (8 January 2020). "Čast je imati takvog kapetana: Modrić postao prvi nogometaš kojem je ovo uspjelo!". vecernji.hr.
  4. (14 January 2023). "Modrić već 11. put slavi prestižnu nagradu, trofej osvojio ispred Gvardiola". www.vecernji.hr.
  5. (14 January 2024). "Večernji je 52. put odabrao 'Nogometaša godine': Luka Modrić osvojio dvanaestog popularnog Sikiricu!". www.vecernji.hr.
  6. (14 January 2025). "Luka Modrić 13. put osvojio Večernjakovu nagradu koja je postala prestižna i prepoznatljiva u svijetu". www.vecernji.hr.
  7. Puric, Bojan. (2 January 2005). ""Vecernji list" Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  8. (27 December 2014). "VL Player of the Year 2014". Vecernji List.
  9. (10 January 2017). "Luka Modrić dobio još jednu renomiranu nagradu: 'O ovome sam maštao!'". Vecernji List.
  10. (1 January 2018). "Modric equals Suker with Croatian Footballer of the Year award – FourFourTwo".
  11. Flak, Igor. (31 December 2010). "U Bayernu će se još jednom klanjati Ivici Oliću". Večernji list.
Wikipedia Source

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