Miljenko Mumlek
Encyclopedia
Miljenko Mumlek is a Croatia
n football
midfielder
.
, Mumlek started his professional career in his hometown with Varteks Varaždin in early 1992 and went on to establish himself as one of the club's key players during the 1990s. In the 1998-99 season, he was an important part of the Varteks team that reached the quarter-finals of the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
, appearing in all of the six matches played by the team in the competition that season, as well as scoring three goals in the two matches against SC Heerenveen in the second round of the competition. After grabbing a 5-4 aggregate win against the Dutch side in the extra time of the second leg at home in Varaždin, Varteks faced RCD Mallorca
in the quarter-finals, losing the return leg 3-1 after a goalless draw at home in the first leg.
In the summer of 1999, Mumlek left Varteks for Dinamo Zagreb
(then known as Croatia Zagreb) and went on to make four appearances for the club in the UEFA Champions League
group stage, appearing in both home and away fixtures against Manchester United
and Olympique de Marseille
before Dinamo were knocked out of the competition after finishing 4th out of 4 teams in their group, one point behind the 3rd-place Sturm Graz
. Mumlek made just nine appearances for Dinamo in the Croatian First League and went on to return to Varteks in January 2000, staying with the club until August 2003, when he moved to Belgian
side Standard Liège
, which was the only time during his career that he had played his club football outside of Croatia.
After spending two seasons with the Belgian side, he returned to Croatia in July 2005 and signed with Slaven Belupo
. In June 2007, he returned to Varteks for his third spell with the club.
In June 2010, he was one of the players arrested under allegations of being involved in match fixing
in the Croatian top flight during the 2009-10 season. According to the club's chairman, he had been in negotiations to sign a one-year contract extension with Varteks at the time. He remained in custody until 16 July 2010. After that, the Croatian Football Federation
allowed him to return to training and play in competitive matches. However, as his contract with Varteks (meanwhile renamed NK Varaždin) expired on 30 June 2010, he is currently without a club. NK Varaždin stated that they will wait whether or not there will be any legal action taken against him before possibly considering to offer him a new contract.
, making his only appearance for the team in a friendly match against Slovenia
on 17 March 1993 in Varaždin. Later, he also occasionally played for the Croatian national football team
. He won a total of 8 full international caps and scored one goal for the national team, although all of his international appearances came in friendly matches.
He made his full international debut on 20 April 1994 in a 4-1 defeat for Croatia against Slovakia
in Bratislava
, coming on as a half-time substitute for Dean Računica
. In his second international appearance, against Israel
in Tel Aviv
on 17 August 1994, he scored the final goal in a 4-0 win for Croatia. His third international appearance came in 1997 at the Kirin Cup
, a minor international tournament in Japan
, where he appeared as a substitute in a 1-1 draw against Turkey
.
Following the Kirin Cup tournament, he remained uncapped for over four years, apart from appearing for Croatia B in a friendly match against France
on 19 January 1999. In November 2001, he made his comeback to the full international side during a two-match tour in South Korea
, where he appeared in both of Croatia's friendlies against the home side
. After that, he won another three international caps, with his final international appearance coming on 12 February 2003 in a goalless draw against Poland
in Split
.
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...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Club career
Born in VaraždinVaraždin
Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...
, Mumlek started his professional career in his hometown with Varteks Varaždin in early 1992 and went on to establish himself as one of the club's key players during the 1990s. In the 1998-99 season, he was an important part of the Varteks team that reached the quarter-finals of the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
, appearing in all of the six matches played by the team in the competition that season, as well as scoring three goals in the two matches against SC Heerenveen in the second round of the competition. After grabbing a 5-4 aggregate win against the Dutch side in the extra time of the second leg at home in Varaždin, Varteks faced RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
in the quarter-finals, losing the return leg 3-1 after a goalless draw at home in the first leg.
In the summer of 1999, Mumlek left Varteks for Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
(then known as Croatia Zagreb) and went on to make four appearances for the club in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage, appearing in both home and away fixtures against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
before Dinamo were knocked out of the competition after finishing 4th out of 4 teams in their group, one point behind the 3rd-place Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
. Mumlek made just nine appearances for Dinamo in the Croatian First League and went on to return to Varteks in January 2000, staying with the club until August 2003, when he moved to Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
side Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
, which was the only time during his career that he had played his club football outside of Croatia.
After spending two seasons with the Belgian side, he returned to Croatia in July 2005 and signed with Slaven Belupo
NK Slaven Belupo
NK Slaven Belupo, often referred to simply as Slaven and known internationally as NK Slaven Koprivnica, is a Croatian football club based in the city of Koprivnica in the north of the country...
. In June 2007, he returned to Varteks for his third spell with the club.
In June 2010, he was one of the players arrested under allegations of being involved in match fixing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
in the Croatian top flight during the 2009-10 season. According to the club's chairman, he had been in negotiations to sign a one-year contract extension with Varteks at the time. He remained in custody until 16 July 2010. After that, 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...
allowed him to return to training and play in competitive matches. However, as his contract with Varteks (meanwhile renamed NK Varaždin) expired on 30 June 2010, he is currently without a club. NK Varaždin stated that they will wait whether or not there will be any legal action taken against him before possibly considering to offer him a new contract.
International career
Mumlek made his international debut with the Croatian national under-21 football teamCroatia national under-21 football team
The 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....
, making his only appearance for the team in a friendly match against Slovenia
Slovenia national under-21 football team
The Slovenia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Current squad:...
on 17 March 1993 in Varaždin. Later, he also occasionally played for the Croatian national football team
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...
. He won a total of 8 full international caps and scored one goal for the national team, although all of his international appearances came in friendly matches.
He made his full international debut on 20 April 1994 in a 4-1 defeat for Croatia against Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, coming on as a half-time substitute for Dean Računica
Dean Racunica
Dean Računica, , is a former Croatian footballer. He is currently assistant manager at Hajduk Split.Računica played for HNK Hajduk Split in the Croatian Prva HNL.-References:...
. In his second international appearance, against Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
on 17 August 1994, he scored the final goal in a 4-0 win for Croatia. His third international appearance came in 1997 at the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
, a minor international tournament in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he appeared as a substitute in a 1-1 draw against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
.
Following the Kirin Cup tournament, he remained uncapped for over four years, apart from appearing for Croatia B in a friendly match against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 19 January 1999. In November 2001, he made his comeback to the full international side during a two-match tour in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, where he appeared in both of Croatia's friendlies against the home side
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
. After that, he won another three international caps, with his final international appearance coming on 12 February 2003 in a goalless draw against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
in 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...
.
International goal
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 17 August 1994 | Tel Aviv Tel Aviv Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with... , Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
External links
- Miljenko Mumlek international stats at the Croatian Football FederationCroatian Football FederationThe 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...
website