The Croatian Footballer of the Year (Croatian: Nogometaš godine) 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 eleven awards.[1][2][3][4] Davor Šuker is second with six awards.[5][6][7][8] They are followed by Dado Pršo with three wins from 2003 to 2005.[5]

In 1995, a separate award, the Hope of the Year (Croatian: Nada godine), was introduced. It is awarded to the best young Croatian player.[9] 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

Year Yugoslav Footballer of the Year
Player (Wins) Age Pos. Club
1972Dušan Bajević24FWSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Velež
1973Enver Marić25GKSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Velež
1974Josip Katalinski26DFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Željezničar
1975Ivan Buljan26DFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1976Ivica Šurjak23MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1977Dražen Mužinić24MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1978Vilson Džoni †28DFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dinamo Zagreb
Nenad Stojković †22DFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan
1979Safet Sušić †24MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia FK Sarajevo
Velimir Zajec †23MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dinamo Zagreb
1980Vladimir Petrović25MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star
1981Zlatko Vujović23FWSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1982Ivan Gudelj22MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1983Zoran Simović29GKSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1984Velimir Zajec (2)28MFGreece Panathinaikos
1985Blaž Slišković26MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split
1986Semir Tuce22MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Velež
1987Marko Mlinarić27MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dinamo Zagreb
1988Dragan Stojković23MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star
1989Dragan Stojković (2)24MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star
1990Robert Prosinečki21MFSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Red Star

Croatian Footballer of the Year (1991–present)

Luka Modrić holds the record for most wins with eleven 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
Year Croatian Footballer of the Year Hope of the Year
Player (Wins) Age Pos. Club Player Age Pos. Club
1991Zvonimir Boban23MFItaly Milan—
1992Davor Šuker25FWSpain Sevilla—
1993Alen Bokšić23FWItaly Lazio—
1994Davor Šuker (2)27FWSpain Sevilla—
1995Davor Šuker (3)28FWSpain SevillaDario Šimić20DFCroatia Croatia Zagreb
1996Davor Šuker (4)29FWSpain Real MadridJurica Vučko20FWCroatia Hajduk Split
1997Robert Prosinečki (2) †28MFCroatia Croatia ZagrebSilvio Marić22MFCroatia Croatia Zagreb
Davor Šuker (5) †30FWSpain Real Madrid
1998Davor Šuker (6)31FWSpain Real MadridJurica Vranješ18MFCroatia Osijek
1999Zvonimir Boban (2)31MFItaly MilanTomo Šokota22FWCroatia Croatia Zagreb
2000Nenad Bjelica29MFCroatia OsijekKrunoslav Lovrek21FWCroatia NK Zagreb
2001Igor Tudor23DFItaly JuventusIvica Olić22FWCroatia NK Zagreb
2002Stipe Pletikosa23GKCroatia Hajduk SplitNiko Kranjčar18MFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2003Dado Pršo29FWFrance MonacoGoran Ljubojević20FWCroatia Osijek
2004Dado Pršo (2)30FWScotland RangersLuka Modrić19MFCroatia Inter Zaprešić
2005Dado Pršo (3)31FWScotland RangersLeon Benko22FWCroatia Varteks
2006Eduardo23FWCroatia Dinamo ZagrebAnte Rukavina20FWCroatia Šibenik
2007Luka Modrić22MFCroatia Dinamo ZagrebNikola Kalinić19FWCroatia Hajduk Split
2008Luka Modrić (2)23MFEngland Tottenham HotspurMarin Tomasov21MFCroatia Zadar
2009Ivica Olić30FWGermany Bayern MunichMilan Badelj20MFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2010Ivica Olić (2)31FWGermany Bayern MunichŠime Vrsaljko18DFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2011Luka Modrić (3)26MFEngland Tottenham HotspurMateo Kovačić17MFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2012Mario Mandžukić26FWGermany Bayern MunichFranko Andrijašević21MFCroatia Hajduk Split
2013Mario Mandžukić (2)27FWGermany Bayern MunichAnte Rebić20FWItaly Fiorentina
2014Luka Modrić (4)29MFSpain Real MadridTin Jedvaj19DFGermany Bayer Leverkusen
2015Ivan Rakitić27MFSpain BarcelonaAnte Ćorić18MFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2016Luka Modrić (5)31MFSpain Real MadridFilip Benković19DFCroatia Dinamo Zagreb
2017Luka Modrić (6)32MFSpain Real MadridLovro Majer19MFCroatia Lokomotiva
2018Luka Modrić (7)33MFSpain Real Madrid—
2019Luka Modrić (8)34MFSpain Real Madrid—
2020Luka Modrić (9)35MFSpain Real Madrid—
2021Luka Modrić (10)36MFSpain Real Madrid—
2022Luka Modrić (11)37MFSpain 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.

Wins Player Winning years Club(s)
11 Luka Modrić 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
6 Davor Šuker 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 Sevilla, Real Madrid
3 Dado Pršo 2003, 2004, 2005 Monaco, Rangers
2 Velimir Zajec 1979, 1984 Dinamo Zagreb, Panathinaikos
Dragan Stojković 1988, 1989 Red Star Belgrade
Robert Prosinečki 1990, 1997 Red Star Belgrade, Croatia Zagreb
Zvonimir Boban 1991, 1999 Milan
Ivica Olić 2009, 2010 Bayern Munich
Mario Mandžukić 2012, 2013 Bayern Munich

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Za njega ništa nije nemoguće, nadmašio je čak i Šukera!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 24 December 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "Modrića nisu uljuljale silne nagrade, samo su ga motivirale da opet bude - najbolji!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 29 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Čast je imati takvog kapetana: Modrić postao prvi nogometaš kojem je ovo uspjelo!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 8 January 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Modrić već 11. put slavi prestižnu nagradu, trofej osvojio ispred Gvardiola". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 Puric, Bojan (2 January 2005). ""Vecernji list" Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "VL Player of the Year 2014". Vecernji List. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Luka Modrić dobio još jednu renomiranu nagradu: 'O ovome sam maštao!'". Vecernji List. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Modric equals Suker with Croatian Footballer of the Year award – FourFourTwo". 1 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  9. ↑ Flak, Igor; Jurišić, Predrag (31 December 2010). "U Bayernu će se još jednom klanjati Ivici Oliću" (in Croatian). Večernji list. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
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