Nino Zec
Encyclopedia
Ninoslav "Nino" Zec is a retired Yugoslavia
n professional footballer who played as midfielder
or striker.
. In 1978, Zec moved to the United States
to play in the NASL
, signing with the Tulsa Roughnecks
. He moved to the Atlanta Chiefs
in 1979 and was traded to the Houston Hurricane
during the season. In 1980, the league terminated the Houston franchise and in December 1980 the Jacksonville Tea Men
signed Zec. In 1983, the Tea Men moved to the American Soccer League
. Zec spent the 1983 season with the Tea Men in the ASL. When the ASL collapsed at the end of the season, Zec and his team mates moved to the United Soccer League
. He also played six games for the Pittsburgh Spirit
during the 1979-1980 Major Indoor Soccer League
season. He played another three games for the Tulsa Roughnecks
during the 1983-1984 NASL indoor season.
He currently lives in Florida where he owns a flooring business.
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n professional footballer who played as 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...
or striker.
Career
Zec began his professional career in 1968 with OFK BeogradOFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
. In 1978, Zec moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to play in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, signing with the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
. He moved to the Atlanta Chiefs
Atlanta Chiefs
The Atlanta Chiefs were a soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia that played in the NPSL and NASL from 1967 to 1972. Their home fields were Atlanta Stadium and Tara Stadium . The club was the brainchild of Dick Cecil, then Vice President of the Atlanta Braves baseball franchise who were the Chiefs'...
in 1979 and was traded to the Houston Hurricane
Houston Hurricane
The Houston Hurricane was a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was the Astrodome. Their colors were orange, white and red....
during the season. In 1980, the league terminated the Houston franchise and in December 1980 the Jacksonville Tea Men
Jacksonville Tea Men
The Jacksonville Tea Men were an American soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Overall, the Tea Men played a total of four seasons in Jacksonville, first in the major league-level North American Soccer League from 1980–1982, then in the lower level American Soccer League and United...
signed Zec. In 1983, the Tea Men moved to the American Soccer League
American Soccer League
The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...
. Zec spent the 1983 season with the Tea Men in the ASL. When the ASL collapsed at the end of the season, Zec and his team mates moved to the United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
. He also played six games for the Pittsburgh Spirit
Pittsburgh Spirit
Pittsburgh Spirit were an indoor soccer team based out of Pittsburgh and were one of the original six teams that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League...
during the 1979-1980 Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
season. He played another three games for the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
during the 1983-1984 NASL indoor season.
He currently lives in Florida where he owns a flooring business.