Ljubo Bencic
Encyclopedia
Ljubomir "Ljubo" Benčić was a Croatia
n and Yugoslav
football
player.
Spending his entire career at Hajduk Split, Benčić was a renowned right winger and centre forward. He started playing top flight football in 1921 and by 1923 he became the club's best all-time scorer with a total of 43 goals. In 1925 he played his 100th game for the Whites, and in 1930 he scored his 300th goal for Hajduk. Until his retirement in 1935 he scored an amazing 355 goals in 353 official games for Hajduk, which makes him currently Hajduk's third all-time goalscorer (behind Frane Matošić
with 729 and Leo Lemešić
with 445 goals). With Hajduk he won two Yugoslav championship titles, in 1927 and 1929, and was also the league's top scorer in 1928, scoring 8 goals in 5 games.
Between 1924 and 1927 Benčić earned 5 caps and scored 2 goals for Yugoslavia national football team
. He debuted on 28 September 1924 against Czechoslovakia
and his last game for the national team was on 28 October 1927 against Czechoslovakia
in Prague
. The game ended in a disastrous 7–1 defeat, and Benčić scored the only goal for Yugoslavia.
After he stopped playing in 1935 he stayed in football and had two stints as manager of Hajduk: from 1939 to 1941 (the last two seasons before World War II
, during the war, and then the first few seasons after the war from 1946 to 1948. When he moved to Zagreb
he managed NK Milicioner (which later merged with NK Borac to form NK Zagreb
). In 1957 he managed Bologna FC
with Bernard Vukas
. Upon returning to Croatia he managed NK Trešnjevka
and NK Zadar
. Benčić died in 1992 in Zagreb.
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 and Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
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.
Spending his entire career at Hajduk Split, Benčić was a renowned right winger and centre forward. He started playing top flight football in 1921 and by 1923 he became the club's best all-time scorer with a total of 43 goals. In 1925 he played his 100th game for the Whites, and in 1930 he scored his 300th goal for Hajduk. Until his retirement in 1935 he scored an amazing 355 goals in 353 official games for Hajduk, which makes him currently Hajduk's third all-time goalscorer (behind Frane Matošić
Frane Matošic
Frane Matošić was a Croatian football player and coach. Born in Split, he played on the position of the striker.He was the best goalscorer of HNK Hajduk Split of all times and its biggest football player legend....
with 729 and Leo Lemešić
Leo Lemešić
Leo Lemešić was a Croatian football striker and later a football manager.On the national level he played for Yugoslavia national team and spent his entire club career with Hajduk Split....
with 445 goals). With Hajduk he won two Yugoslav championship titles, in 1927 and 1929, and was also the league's top scorer in 1928, scoring 8 goals in 5 games.
Between 1924 and 1927 Benčić earned 5 caps and scored 2 goals for 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...
. He debuted on 28 September 1924 against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
and his last game for the national team was on 28 October 1927 against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The game ended in a disastrous 7–1 defeat, and Benčić scored the only goal for Yugoslavia.
After he stopped playing in 1935 he stayed in football and had two stints as manager of Hajduk: from 1939 to 1941 (the last two seasons before World War II
World 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...
, during the war, and then the first few seasons after the war from 1946 to 1948. When he moved to 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...
he managed NK Milicioner (which later merged with NK Borac to form NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK 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...
). In 1957 he managed Bologna FC
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...
with Bernard Vukas
Bernard Vukas
Bernard "Bajdo" Vukas was a Croatian football player.Bernard Vukas played as a left winger/forward and is mostly remembered for his extraordinary dribbling ability...
. Upon returning to Croatia he managed NK Trešnjevka
NK Trešnjevka
NK Trešnjevka is a Croatian football club based in the city of Zagreb. Formed in 1926 under the name Panonija and since 1929 has the name Trešnjevka. Trešnjevka was promoted to the Yugoslavia top flight in 1963 and played European that same season. However the club never had high results in its...
and NK Zadar
NK Zadar
NK Zadar is a Croatian football club based in Zadar, a city on the Adriatic coast. The club was founded in 1945.Josip Skoblar, Đovani Roso, Dado Pršo and Luka Modrić, are among their most notable former players....
. Benčić died in 1992 in Zagreb.
Honours
- Yugoslav championshipYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
(2): 1927, 1929 - Yugoslav championship top scorer: 1928
External links
- Profile at the Football Association of SerbiaFootball Association of SerbiaThe Football Association of Serbia is the governing body of football in Serbia, based in Belgrade. It organizes Serbian football leagues, namely the Serbian Superliga, the Serbia national football team, as well as the Second Leagues....
website