Croatian Football Federation
Encyclopedia
The Croatian Football Federation (Croatian
: Hrvatski nogometni savez or HNS) 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. Its current president is Vlatko Marković
, who was first appointed to his position in December 1998, and was subsequently re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
The HNS sanctions all competitive football matches in Croatia, either directly, beginning with the 3. HNL
on down, or indirectly through the associations of professional football clubs, who manage 1. HNL and 2. HNL, the first and second divisions of Croatia, respectively, as well as the Croatian Cup
. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's
, women's
and youth national football teams. As of 2009, the HNS had 118,316 registered players (650 of them professionals) and a total of 1,732 registered association football and futsal
clubs.
football club. Present-day HNS considers its foundation date to be 13 June 1912, when the football section of the Croatian Sports Federation was established, and its head, Milovan Zoričić
, as its first president.
After World War I
and the dissolution of Austria–Hungary, representatives from Građanski, HAŠK
, Hajduk Split
and Concordia football clubs met in Zagreb on 14 April 1919 and founded the Football Association of Yugoslavia
(Jugoslavenski nogometni savez), as a successor of the Croatian Sports Federation's football section, and appointed Hinko Würth as its president. The organization then became the chief governing body of football in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
and launched the Yugoslav First League
, the first country-wide national competition held initially in a cup format. Five other regional sub-federations were also created (based in Belgrade
, Ljubljana
, Sarajevo
, Split and Subotica
), each organizing their own regional tournaments with winners qualifying for the national championship.
In 1929, following disagreements between the Zagreb and Belgrade sub-federations, the Football Association of Yugoslavia was dissolved. It was then re-established in May 1930 in Belgrade, this time with the Serbian-language name Fudbalski savez Jugoslavije. The Belgrade-based association then continued organizing the national league until 1939, when the Banovina of Croatia
was created as an administrative region within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. On 6 August 1939 the Croatian Football Federation (Hrvatski nogometni savez or CFF) was established as a football governing body in the newly created province, and Croatian and Slovenian clubs soon began leaving the Yugoslav League to join the CFF-run Croatian-Slovenian Football League in protest of the alleged centralization of sports around Belgrade. The split was eventually rectified with the promise of an increase in the number of Croatian and Slovenian clubs in the league, and because of this a shortened ten-round league was played in the 1939–40 Yugoslav First League season. In 1940 CFF also played a part in organizing the first ever Croatia national football team matches which played four international friendlies between April and December 1940. However the federation was not yet recognized by FIFA as Croatia was at the time still a province of Yugoslavia.
In April 1941 Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by Axis Powers
and was effectively dissolved. However, the Croatian Football Federation continued to run a competition called the Croatian national football league in the territory of Independent State of Croatia
(NDH), a fascist puppet state which enjoyed relative peace during World War II, and which included most of present-day countries of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
. On 17 July 1941 CFF was admitted to FIFA as the top level federation of NDH, and the national team representing NDH played fourteen international matches in the period from 1941 to 1944.
, Croatia became a part of SFR Yugoslavia and the Belgrade-based Football Association of Yugoslavia
took over as the main football-governing body in the country. Also, the new communist government issued a decree in 1945 which effectively dissolved all football clubs which were active during the war as a form of punishment for their participation in the fascist-run football championship. Among others, Zagreb-based powerhouses Concordia, HAŠK
and Građanski all ceased to exist, their property was nationalised, and several other clubs, most notably Dinamo Zagreb, were formed to take their place. On the other hand, Hajduk Split
was spared as their players had escaped from their Italian-occupied home town of Split
during WWII and joined Yugoslav Partisans in 1944. For this reason, Hajduk Split is the only major Croatian club which can claim continuity since its foundation in 1911.
In the period from 1945 to 1990 the Belgrade-based Yugoslav Football Federation was in charge of football in the entire country, while Zagreb was turned into its major regional hub and administrative branch. In this period Croatian clubs competed within the Yugoslav league system and Croatian players were eligible for the Yugoslavia national football team
. In the following decades Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split became two of the Yugoslav Big Four (along with Belgrade-based Partizan
and Red Star
), a quartet of clubs which significantly dominated football in communist Yugoslavia. Dinamo and Hajduk won a combined total of 11 Yugoslav First League
titles and 16 Yugoslav Cup
s. In addition, Croatian club Rijeka won 2 Yugoslav Cup titles. Dinamo Zagreb also won the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which made them the first Yugoslav side to win a continental competition, and were the only Yugoslav club with European silverware until Red Star's 1990–91 European Cup win 24 years later.
friendly was held at the same stadium, and some 20,000 Croatian fans booed the Yugoslav national anthem and cheered for the Dutch team instead. On 26 September 1990 Hajduk Split fans staged a violent pitch invasion
at Poljud
during a league fixture against Partizan
. On 17 October 1990 the first match of the newly established Croatia national football team was held, a friendly against United States
, and following the end of the 1990–91 season Croatian clubs decided to abandon Yugoslav competitions.
After Croatia had officially declared independence on 8 October 1991, the Croatian Football Federation sought international recognition, and was finally re-admitted to FIFA on 3 July 1992 and to UEFA on 17 June 1993.
In February 1992 the inaugural season of the Croatian top league Prva HNL kicked off, and in March 1992 the first edition of the Croatian Cup
was launched.
In late 2010, the Federation held an election for its President, with Vlatko Marković opposed by Igor Štimac
. Marković won by a single vote, and the assembly was marred with controversies. Štimac later appealed, calling for another meeting of the Federation. His supporters organized a new assembly and elected him the new President despite the opposing faction's boycott, leading to an impasse.
List of presidents 1912–1990
1990–present
Men's football:
Youth football:
Women's football:
Men's:
Women's:
Futsal:
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
: Hrvatski nogometni savez or HNS) is the governing body of association football in Croatia
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 ...
. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of 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...
. The organisation is a member of both FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia. Its current president is Vlatko Marković
Vlatko Markovic
Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković (born 1 January 1937 in Bugojno, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a former football player, football manager, and current president of Croatian Football Federation ....
, who was first appointed to his position in December 1998, and was subsequently re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
The HNS sanctions all competitive football matches in Croatia, either directly, beginning with the 3. HNL
Treća HNL
The Croatian Third Football League is the third tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.-Subdivisions:...
on down, or indirectly through the associations of professional football clubs, who manage 1. HNL and 2. HNL, the first and second divisions of Croatia, respectively, as well as the Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, women's
Croatia women's national football team
The Croatia women's national football team represents the Republic of Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country.-World Cup record:...
and youth national football teams. As of 2009, the HNS had 118,316 registered players (650 of them professionals) and a total of 1,732 registered association football and futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
clubs.
Early years (1912–1945)
The organisation traces its roots to the Croatian Sports Federation (Hrvatski športski savez), which was founded on 8 October 1909 in Zagreb, at the time when Croatia was part of Austria–Hungary. The federation organised all sports in the country and its first president was Hinko Würth, the chairman of HAŠKHAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...
football club. Present-day HNS considers its foundation date to be 13 June 1912, when the football section of the Croatian Sports Federation was established, and its head, Milovan Zoričić
Milovan Zoricic
Milovan Zoričić was a Croatian football official and criminal judge.Zoričić was one of the founders of HAŠK Zagreb in 1904. He translated the rules of football into Croatian in 1908. He also worked as a referee and in 1912 he became the first president of the Croatian Football Federation.By...
, as its first president.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the dissolution of Austria–Hungary, representatives from Građanski, HAŠK
HAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...
, Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
and Concordia football clubs met in Zagreb on 14 April 1919 and founded the Football Association of Yugoslavia
Football Association of Yugoslavia
The Football Association of Yugoslavia was the governing body of football in Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, with a major administrative branch in Zagreb....
(Jugoslavenski nogometni savez), as a successor of the Croatian Sports Federation's football section, and appointed Hinko Würth as its president. The organization then became the chief governing body of football in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
and launched the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
, the first country-wide national competition held initially in a cup format. Five other regional sub-federations were also created (based in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Split and Subotica
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
), each organizing their own regional tournaments with winners qualifying for the national championship.
In 1929, following disagreements between the Zagreb and Belgrade sub-federations, the Football Association of Yugoslavia was dissolved. It was then re-established in May 1930 in Belgrade, this time with the Serbian-language name Fudbalski savez Jugoslavije. The Belgrade-based association then continued organizing the national league until 1939, when the Banovina of Croatia
Banovina of Croatia
The Banovina of Croatia or Banate of Croatia was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1939 and 1943 . Its capital was at Zagreb and it included most of present-day Croatia along with portions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia...
was created as an administrative region within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. On 6 August 1939 the Croatian Football Federation (Hrvatski nogometni savez or CFF) was established as a football governing body in the newly created province, and Croatian and Slovenian clubs soon began leaving the Yugoslav League to join the CFF-run Croatian-Slovenian Football League in protest of the alleged centralization of sports around Belgrade. The split was eventually rectified with the promise of an increase in the number of Croatian and Slovenian clubs in the league, and because of this a shortened ten-round league was played in the 1939–40 Yugoslav First League season. In 1940 CFF also played a part in organizing the first ever Croatia national football team matches which played four international friendlies between April and December 1940. However the federation was not yet recognized by FIFA as Croatia was at the time still a province of Yugoslavia.
In April 1941 Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by Axis Powers
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
and was effectively dissolved. However, the Croatian Football Federation continued to run a competition called the Croatian national football league in the territory of Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
(NDH), a fascist puppet state which enjoyed relative peace during World War II, and which included most of present-day countries of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. On 17 July 1941 CFF was admitted to FIFA as the top level federation of NDH, and the national team representing NDH played fourteen international matches in the period from 1941 to 1944.
CFF in Yugoslavia (1945–1990)
Following the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Croatia became a part of SFR Yugoslavia and the Belgrade-based Football Association of Yugoslavia
Football Association of Yugoslavia
The Football Association of Yugoslavia was the governing body of football in Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, with a major administrative branch in Zagreb....
took over as the main football-governing body in the country. Also, the new communist government issued a decree in 1945 which effectively dissolved all football clubs which were active during the war as a form of punishment for their participation in the fascist-run football championship. Among others, Zagreb-based powerhouses Concordia, HAŠK
HAŠK
HAŠK was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the period between the two World Wars...
and Građanski all ceased to exist, their property was nationalised, and several other clubs, most notably Dinamo Zagreb, were formed to take their place. On the other hand, Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
was spared as their players had escaped from their Italian-occupied home town of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
during WWII and joined Yugoslav Partisans in 1944. For this reason, Hajduk Split is the only major Croatian club which can claim continuity since its foundation in 1911.
In the period from 1945 to 1990 the Belgrade-based Yugoslav Football Federation was in charge of football in the entire country, while Zagreb was turned into its major regional hub and administrative branch. In this period Croatian clubs competed within the Yugoslav league system and Croatian players were eligible for the Yugoslavia national football team
Yugoslavia 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...
. In the following decades Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split became two of the Yugoslav Big Four (along with Belgrade-based Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
and Red Star
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
), a quartet of clubs which significantly dominated football in communist Yugoslavia. Dinamo and Hajduk won a combined total of 11 Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
titles and 16 Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
s. In addition, Croatian club Rijeka won 2 Yugoslav Cup titles. Dinamo Zagreb also won the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which made them the first Yugoslav side to win a continental competition, and were the only Yugoslav club with European silverware until Red Star's 1990–91 European Cup win 24 years later.
Modern era (1990–present)
When the breakup of Yugoslavia began to unfold in the early 1990s, the political situation was reflected on football pitches. On 13 May 1990 an infamous riot occurred at Maksimir in Zagreb and interrupted the Dinamo Zagreb – Red Star league fixture. On 3 June 1990 the pre-scheduled Yugoslavia–NetherlandsYugoslavia v Netherlands (1990)
On June 3, 1990 Yugoslavia hosted the Netherlands in an international friendly at Zagreb's Maksimir stadium. The match was the last preparation friendly for Ivica Osim's Yugoslavia side ahead of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy...
friendly was held at the same stadium, and some 20,000 Croatian fans booed the Yugoslav national anthem and cheered for the Dutch team instead. On 26 September 1990 Hajduk Split fans staged a violent pitch invasion
Pitch invasion
A pitch invasion or field invasion, known as rushing the field in the United States, occurs when a crowd of people who are watching a sports game run onto the field, to celebrate or protest about an incident...
at Poljud
Gradski stadion u Poljudu
Stadion Poljud is a multi-use stadium in the Croatian city of Split. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Poljud, and is located on the northern side of the Split peninsula. its original name is "Gradski stadion u Poljudu" . The stadium was built for the 1979 Mediterranean Games and is the...
during a league fixture against Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
. On 17 October 1990 the first match of the newly established Croatia national football team was held, a friendly against United States
Croatia v United States (1990)
On October 17, 1990 Croatia hosted the United States in an international friendly in Zagreb's Maksimir stadium. This was Croatia's first international match.-Background:...
, and following the end of the 1990–91 season Croatian clubs decided to abandon Yugoslav competitions.
After Croatia had officially declared independence on 8 October 1991, the Croatian Football Federation sought international recognition, and was finally re-admitted to FIFA on 3 July 1992 and to UEFA on 17 June 1993.
In February 1992 the inaugural season of the Croatian top league Prva HNL kicked off, and in March 1992 the first edition of the Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
was launched.
In late 2010, the Federation held an election for its President, with Vlatko Marković opposed by Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac is a retired Croatian football player. He is now a football agent and a manager...
. Marković won by a single vote, and the assembly was marred with controversies. Štimac later appealed, calling for another meeting of the Federation. His supporters organized a new assembly and elected him the new President despite the opposing faction's boycott, leading to an impasse.
Presidents
Notes- The first three presidents 1912–1919 were heads of football sections within the Croatian Sports Federation, the top sports governing body in Croatia (which was at the time within Austria-HungaryAustria-HungaryAustria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
). Following World War I and the formation of Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of YugoslaviaThe Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
the organisation was re-established in 1919 in Zagreb as the Football Association of YugoslaviaFootball Association of YugoslaviaThe Football Association of Yugoslavia was the governing body of football in Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, with a major administrative branch in Zagreb....
as a national-level federation and was later moved to the capital Belgrade in 1929. Although city-level subfederations continued to exist in the 1920s and 1930s there was no separate football organisation on the level of Croatia between 1919 and 1939, hence the 20-year gap. - In 1939 the Banovina of CroatiaBanovina of CroatiaThe Banovina of Croatia or Banate of Croatia was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1939 and 1943 . Its capital was at Zagreb and it included most of present-day Croatia along with portions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia...
was created as a province within Yugoslavia and a new provincial federation carrying the present-day football federation's name was established. Ivo Kraljević headed the Banovina body between 1939 and 1941. - Following the April 1941 invasion of YugoslaviaInvasion of YugoslaviaThe Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
and the establishment of the Independent State of CroatiaIndependent State of CroatiaThe Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
, a fascist-sponsored puppet state which included most of present-day Croatia and Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the federation governed football in this entire territory and organized national-level league championships during WWII. In this period it also became member of FIFA and organised national team matches. Presidents 1941–1945 headed the CFF during this time. - After 1945 and the establishment of the communist SFR Yugoslavia the CFF was in charge of football in SR Croatia, one of six federal republics in the country. Presidents from 1945–1990 headed the CFF in this period.
- After Croatia proclaimed independence in 1991 the CFF became the top football governing body in the nation. The country was internationally recognized by early 1992 and CFF was admitted to FIFA (again) in July 1992 and to UEFA in June 1993.
List of presidents 1912–1990
- Milovan ZoričićMilovan ZoricicMilovan Zoričić was a Croatian football official and criminal judge.Zoričić was one of the founders of HAŠK Zagreb in 1904. He translated the rules of football into Croatian in 1908. He also worked as a referee and in 1912 he became the first president of the Croatian Football Federation.By...
(1912–1914) - Vladimir Očić (1914)
- Milan Graf (1914–1919)
- Ivo Kraljević (1939–1941)
- Rudolf HitrecRudolf HitrecRudolf Hitrec was a Croatian footballer and international manager.He played for Concordia Zagreb from 1919 to 1921 and Građanski Zagreb from 1921 to 1930. He won the national championship of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1923, 1926 and 1928.Hitrec played for the Yugoslav national...
(1941–1942) - Vatroslav Petek (1942–1944)
- Rinaldo Čulić (1944–1945)
- Mijo Hršak (1945–1947)
- Lazo Vračarić (1947–1950)
- Boris Bakrač (1950–1953)
- Vlado Ranogajec (1953–1957)
- Mirko Oklobdžija (1957–1959)
- Pero Splivalo (1959–1965)
- Luka Bajakić (1965–1966)
- Bruno KneževićBruno KneževicBruno Knežević was a Croatian footballer. He was president of the Football Federation of Croatia from 1968 to 1971.-References:...
(1966–1971) - Ivan Kolić (1971–1976)
- Vlado Bogatec (1976–1978)
- Ljubo Španjol (1978–1981)
- Željko Huber (1981–1982)
- Dušan Veselinović (1982–1984)
- Milivoj Ražov (1984–1985)
- Adam Sušanj (1985–1986)
- Antun Ćilić (1986–1988)
- Paško Viđak (1988–1990)
1990–present
- Mladen Vedriš (September 1990 – July 1994)
- Damir MatovinovićDamir MatovinovicDamir Matovinović is a retired football referee from Croatia. He is mostly known for supervising one match at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.-References:*...
(8 July 1994 – 10 March 1995) - Đuro Brodarac (10 March 1995 – 8 June 1995)
- Nadan VidoševićNadan VidoševićNadan Vidošević is a Croatian politician, businessman and entrepreneur. He was a long-time member of the Croatian Democratic Union, before he launched an independent and ultimately unsuccessful candidacy in the 2009-2010 Croatian presidential election.-Overview:Vidošević graduated from Faculty of...
(8 June 1995 – 17 August 1996) - Josip Šoić (17 August 1996 – 2 June 1997)
- Branko MikšaBranko MikšaBranko Mikša is a former mayor of Zagreb, Croatia. He was a Minister of Economy and then of Tourism and Trade , and later the mayor of Zagreb ....
(2 June 1997 – 5 October 1998) - Vlatko MarkovićVlatko MarkovicVladimir "Vlatko" Marković Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković (born 1 January 1937 in Bugojno, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a former football player, football manager, and current president of Croatian Football Federation ....
(18 December 1998 – present)
Competitions
It organizes the following competitions:Men's football:
- 1. HNL (or Prva HNL); First league
- 2. HNL (or Druga HNL); Second league
- 3. HNLTreća HNLThe Croatian Third Football League is the third tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.-Subdivisions:...
(or Treća HNL); Third league - Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
- Croatian SupercupCroatian SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
Youth football:
- 1. HNL Academy; First league for academy sides, with two age categories, Under 19s (Juniori) and Under 17s (Kadeti) sides
Women's football:
- 1. HNLŽ (or Prva HNL za žene); First Women's Division
- Croatian Women's CupCroatian Women's CupThe Croatian Women's Cup is the national women's football cup competition in Croatia. It is run by the Croatian Football Federation. The competition was established in 1992, following the breakup of Yugoslavia and Croatia's independence...
National teams
The Croatian Football Federation also organises national football teams representing Croatia at all age levels:Men's:
- Croatia national football teamCroatia national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
(currently managed by Slaven BilićSlaven BilicSlaven Bilić is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatia national team. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany and England...
) - Croatia U21 national football teamCroatia national under-21 football teamThe Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
(currently managed by Ivo ŠušakIvo ŠušakIvo Šušak is a Croatian football manager. He was the head coach of Dinamo Vinkovci, NK Zagreb, NK Osijek, NK Publikum Celje, NK Maribor , Dinamo Tbilisi .Also he was the head coach of Croatia U21 team and Georgian national team....
) - Croatia U19 national football teamCroatia national under-19 football team-2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship :-2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship :-Latest squad:...
(currently managed by Ivan Grnja) - Croatia U17 national football teamCroatia national under-17 football teamThe Croatia national under-17 football team represents Croatia in international football at this age level and is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Croatia.The Head Coach is Ivan Gudelj...
(currently managed by Ivan GudeljIvan GudeljIvan Gudelj is a Croatian former football midfielder who represented Yugoslavia.Born in the town of Imotski, he grew up in the nearby village of Zmijavci.- Club career :...
) - Croatia U15 national football team (currently managed by Marijan BrnčićMarijan BrncicMarijan Brnčić is a former Croatian football player. He capped 10 times for Yugoslavia.-References:*...
)
Women's:
- Croatia women's national football teamCroatia women's national football teamThe Croatia women's national football team represents the Republic of Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country.-World Cup record:...
(currently managed by Dean Klafurić)
Futsal:
- Croatia national futsal teamCroatia national futsal teamThe Croatia national futsal team represents Croatia during international futsal competitions.-FIFA World Cup:-UEFA European Futsal Championship:-External links:* * ...
External links
- Official website
- Croatia at FIFA.com
- Croatia at UEFA.com