Bernard Vukas
Encyclopedia
Bernard "Bajdo" Vukas was a Croatia
n football
player.
Bernard Vukas played as a left winger/forward and is mostly remembered for his extraordinary dribbling ability. In 2000, he was voted by the Croatian Football Federation
as the best Croatian player of all Time, and in a poll by Večernji List
, he was voted the best Croatian athlete of the 20th century.
Vukas started his career in the youth ranks of Concordia Zagreb. After WW2, he spent some time in NK Amater Zagreb before moving to Hajduk Split in 1947. He stayed in Hajduk until 1957, playing 202 games and scoring 89 goals. With Hajduk, Vukas won the Yugoslav First League
title on three occasions, in 1950, 1952 and 1955, and he was the leagues top scorer in the 1954/55 season with 20 goals. In 1950, Vukas helped Hajduk win the Yugoslav First League
undefeated, a record which has never been broken.
In 1957 he moved to Bologna F.C. 1909
, where he stayed for 2 years playing 48 games and scoring 2 goals, but his time there was overshadowed by serious illness. He returned to Hajduk in 1959 and remained until 1963, playing 65 games and scoring 5 goals. He spent his last days as a football player in Austria, playing for Austria Klagenfurt, Grazer AK
and Kapfenberger SV
.
Counting friendlies, Vukas played a total of 615 games for Hajduk Split and scored 300 goals.
On 23 October 1953, Vukas, along with Branko Zebec
, Vladimir Beara
and Zlatko Čajkovski, played for FIFA's 'Rest of the World' team against England
at Wembley
- in a match to celebrate 90 years of English Football Association. The match ended 4:4, with Vukas assisting in two goals and being awarded penalty. Two years later, on the 13th of August 1955, Vukas was invited to play for the UEFA-Team in a friendly match against Great Britain
played in Belfast
, where Vukas scored a hatrick.
With Yugoslavia
he won 2 silver medals in the Olympic games.
He died on 4 April 1983. There are streets in Split
and Zagreb
named after him.
, he played 59 games between 1948 and 1957, and scored 22 goals. He was also a part of the Yugoslavian team in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cups.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player.
Bernard Vukas played as a left winger/forward and is mostly remembered for his extraordinary dribbling ability. In 2000, he was voted by the Croatian Football Federation
Croatian Football Federation
The Croatian Football Federation is the governing body of association football in Croatia. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of Zagreb. The organisation is a member of both FIFA and UEFA, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia...
as the best Croatian player of all Time, and in a poll by Večernji List
Vecernji list
Večernji list is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Zagreb.The newspaper was started in the 1950s and it is today one of two largest daily newspapers in Croatia...
, he was voted the best Croatian athlete of the 20th century.
Vukas started his career in the youth ranks of Concordia Zagreb. After WW2, he spent some time in NK Amater Zagreb before moving to Hajduk Split in 1947. He stayed in Hajduk until 1957, playing 202 games and scoring 89 goals. With Hajduk, Vukas won the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
title on three occasions, in 1950, 1952 and 1955, and he was the leagues top scorer in the 1954/55 season with 20 goals. In 1950, Vukas helped Hajduk win the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
undefeated, a record which has never been broken.
In 1957 he moved to Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
, where he stayed for 2 years playing 48 games and scoring 2 goals, but his time there was overshadowed by serious illness. He returned to Hajduk in 1959 and remained until 1963, playing 65 games and scoring 5 goals. He spent his last days as a football player in Austria, playing for Austria Klagenfurt, Grazer AK
Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
and Kapfenberger SV
Kapfenberger SV
Kapfenberger SV is an Austrian association football club from Kapfenberg. In the 2007/08 Austrian Football First League season they became champion and advanced to Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1919 as Kapfenberger SC...
.
Counting friendlies, Vukas played a total of 615 games for Hajduk Split and scored 300 goals.
On 23 October 1953, Vukas, along with Branko Zebec
Branko Zebec
Branislav "Branko" Zebec was a Croatian football player and coach...
, Vladimir Beara
Vladimir Beara
Vladimir Beara is a retired Croatian-born Serb football player, as goalkeeper, and also football manager.-Early life:...
and Zlatko Čajkovski, played for FIFA's 'Rest of the World' team against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
- in a match to celebrate 90 years of English Football Association. The match ended 4:4, with Vukas assisting in two goals and being awarded penalty. Two years later, on the 13th of August 1955, Vukas was invited to play for the UEFA-Team in a friendly match against Great Britain
United Kingdom national football team
No United Kingdom national football team currently exists, as there are separate teams representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in football. These national teams compete in the World Cup and European Championships and other internationals. A UK team has played in friendly...
played in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, where Vukas scored a hatrick.
With Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
he won 2 silver medals in the Olympic games.
He died on 4 April 1983. There are streets in Split
Split
Split or The Split may refer to:-Places:* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia* Split Island, an island in Hudson Bay, Canada* Split Island, Falkland Islands* Hạf’liua or Split Island, an island in the Rotuma Group of Fiji...
and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
named after him.
Teams
- 1938 - 1945 Youth player at Concordia Zagreb
- 1945 - 1946 Amater Zagreb
- 1946 - 1947 NK ZagrebNK ZagrebNK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
- 1947 - 1957 NK Hajduk Split
- 1957 - 1958 AC Bologna
- 1958 - 1963 NK Hajduk Split
- 1963 - 1967 Austria Klagenfurt, Grazer AKGrazer AKGrazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletik-Sport Klub , is an Austrian sports club, from the city of Graz in the federal state of Styria . The football section is one of the most traditional Austrian clubs, most successful in the decade 1995 – 2005...
, Kapfenberger SVKapfenberger SVKapfenberger SV is an Austrian association football club from Kapfenberg. In the 2007/08 Austrian Football First League season they became champion and advanced to Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1919 as Kapfenberger SC... - 1967 - 1968 NK Hajduk Split
National team
For the Yugoslav national teamYugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, he played 59 games between 1948 and 1957, and scored 22 goals. He was also a part of the Yugoslavian team in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cups.
Achievements
- In Hajduk, Vukas won Yugoslav leagueYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
titles three times, 1950, 1952 and 1955, whereupon the championship of 1950 was achieved without a defeat. This record is still alive. - Twice the Yugoslav national team including Bernard Vukas won the silver medal at the Olympic Games (1948 and 1952).
- In the 1954/55 season, he led the Yugoslav league as the top goalscorer, with 20 goals.
- He played 615 games for Hajduk Split and scored 300 times.
- On 21 October 1953 he played in Wembley for the "Rest of the World" team against England. The final result was 4:4.
- On 13 August 1955 he was invited to play for the UEFA-team (Continental Team) in Belfast against Great Britain. The game ended 4:1 with a hat trick by Bernard Vukas.
- He was also a part of the Yugoslavia team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup1950 FIFA World CupThe 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
and 1954 FIFA World Cup1954 FIFA World CupThe 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
. - In 2000 he was elected for the best Croatian football player of all times.