Tomislav Crnkovic
Encyclopedia
Tomislav Crnković was a Croatian
footballer.
He was born in Kotor
in what was still the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. As a defender, he played for HAŠK
, Metalac and Dinamo Zagreb
. Abroad, he later played at Wiener Sportclub
and Servette FC
.
With the Yugoslavian national team
, he had 51 caps. He was part of the team that won silver at the 1952 Olympics
, and was also a member of Yugoslavia's 1954
and 1958 FIFA World Cup
squads.
With his 439 caps at Dinamo, Crnkovic was part of their Yugoslav First League-winning club in 1954 and 1958 as well as their Yugoslav Cup - winning team in 1951 and 1960. Crnkovic is regarded to be one of Dinamo's greatest defenders of all time. In 2006, he was also the founder of the Croatian Football Federation. After his football career ended, Crnkovic spent a brief time as a journalist and later the owner of a popular restaurant in Zagreb.
Crnkovic was a well known womanizer, and was married at least five times in his life. He also found himself in financial trouble after being involved in a car accident where he was injured. He insisted to pay money to the other victims of the accident as well which left him nearly bankrupt.
He also coached 1. Simmeringer SC.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
footballer.
He was born in Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
in what was still the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. As a defender, he played for 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...
, Metalac and 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...
. Abroad, he later played at Wiener Sportclub
Wiener Sportclub
The Wiener Sport-Club, commonly referred to simply as WSC, was established in 1883 playing in club colours of black and white. It is one of the Austrian capital Vienna's oldest athletics clubs, their traditional home is in the Dornbach quarter of the city....
and Servette FC
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss football club, based in Geneva currently playing in the Swiss Super League. They were playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second highest tier of Swiss football having been relegated from the Swiss Super League at the end of 2004/05 season...
.
With the Yugoslavian national 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...
, he had 51 caps. He was part of the team that won silver at the 1952 Olympics
Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to...
, and was also a member of Yugoslavia's 1954
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 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...
and 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
squads.
With his 439 caps at Dinamo, Crnkovic was part of their Yugoslav First League-winning club in 1954 and 1958 as well as their Yugoslav Cup - winning team in 1951 and 1960. Crnkovic is regarded to be one of Dinamo's greatest defenders of all time. In 2006, he was also the founder of the Croatian Football Federation. After his football career ended, Crnkovic spent a brief time as a journalist and later the owner of a popular restaurant in Zagreb.
Crnkovic was a well known womanizer, and was married at least five times in his life. He also found himself in financial trouble after being involved in a car accident where he was injured. He insisted to pay money to the other victims of the accident as well which left him nearly bankrupt.
He also coached 1. Simmeringer SC.