Mladen Rudonja
Encyclopedia
Mladen Rudonja (born 26 July 1971 in Koper) is a retired Slovenia
n footballer who represented his country at two major tournaments - Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup
.
He most often played as a forward
or a winger
(usually on the left). Despite this, he did not score a goal for the Slovenian national side
until his 53rd cap - in the second leg of a playoff for the 2002 World Cup
against Romania
in Bucharest
. The match finished 1-1, a result that was enough to secure Slovenia's qualification, having won the first leg 2-1 in Ljubljana
. He has always been very popular with the fans (who nicknamed him "Turbo Rudi") and after this match he gained almost national hero status. All in all, he accumulated 65 caps for the national side, which makes him the 6th most capped player in Slovenia's history. He was voted 3rd best national team player in a TV competition.
His main assets were speed and seemingly endless stamina. His performance against Spain
in Korea
saw Joe Royle
(British commentator) note that he never stopped for 90 minutes. As a result, he gained a position that was possibly unique in world football: a purely defensive centre forward
. Some observers thought his success in this position may lead to more players adopting his style in international games, as part of the global shift to more defensive tactics, however this proved unfounded. His club career never really caught on in the same way, after a good spell with K. Sint-Truidense V.V. he left for Portsmouth
where he achieved little. After the 2002 World Cup, he left for NK Olimpija Ljubljana to wind down his career, playing alongside Croatia
n legend and former Portsmouth teammate Robert Prosinečki
as Olimpija sought to recapture former glories. He has now retired from professional football, although he occasionally plays in charity games and amateur friendlies.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n footballer who represented his country at two major tournaments - Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
.
He most often played as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or a winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
(usually on the left). Despite this, he did not score a goal for the Slovenian national side
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
until his 53rd cap - in the second leg of a playoff for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 199 teams entered the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. and , as the co-hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition....
against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. The match finished 1-1, a result that was enough to secure Slovenia's qualification, having won the first leg 2-1 in 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...
. He has always been very popular with the fans (who nicknamed him "Turbo Rudi") and after this match he gained almost national hero status. All in all, he accumulated 65 caps for the national side, which makes him the 6th most capped player in Slovenia's history. He was voted 3rd best national team player in a TV competition.
His main assets were speed and seemingly endless stamina. His performance against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in 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...
saw Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
(British commentator) note that he never stopped for 90 minutes. As a result, he gained a position that was possibly unique in world football: a purely defensive centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. Some observers thought his success in this position may lead to more players adopting his style in international games, as part of the global shift to more defensive tactics, however this proved unfounded. His club career never really caught on in the same way, after a good spell with K. Sint-Truidense V.V. he left for Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
where he achieved little. After the 2002 World Cup, he left for NK Olimpija Ljubljana to wind down his career, playing alongside 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 ...
n legend and former Portsmouth teammate Robert Prosinečki
Robert Prosinecki
Robert Prosinečki is a Croatian football manager and former football midfielder. Prosinečki is regarded by many as the player with best technique that ever played in and for Croatia. Former national squad teammate Zvonimir Boban, humbly, also agreed with this. His dribbling is considered...
as Olimpija sought to recapture former glories. He has now retired from professional football, although he occasionally plays in charity games and amateur friendlies.
External links
- Player profile - PrvaLiga
- Player profile - NZS