Nenad Gracan
Encyclopedia
Nenad Gračan is a retired Croatia
n footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current coach.
, amassing nearly 150 official appearances. He then moved to another club in Croatia
, HNK Hajduk Split
, for which he appeared intermittently over the course of four full seasons.
Late into 1989, Gračan signed with La Liga
club Real Oviedo
. Joined by compatriots Janko Janković
and Nikola Jerkan
in his second season, he helped the Asturias
team finish sixth and qualify for the UEFA Cup, contributing with 26 matches, and eventually appearing in more than 100 games overall.
Aged almost 31, Gračan left Oviedo and returned to his country, now independent. After two years of inactivity, he played a handful of games with first professional club Rijeka, but retired shortly after. In the following decade, he took up coaching, starting with his last team as a player, but he rarely settled.
10 times for Yugoslavia
, but never attended any major international tournament.
In 1984
, the 21-year old helped the Olympic squad win
the bronze medal
in Los Angeles
, appearing in all but one games and scoring in the quarterfinals against West Germany
(5–2).
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 footballer who played as a central midfielder, and a current coach.
Club career
Gračan started playing professionally for hometown side NK RijekaNK Rijeka
HNK Rijeka is a Croatian football club, from Rijeka on the Croatian coast.-History:The club was founded as NK Kvarner in 1946, after Rijeka passed from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. During its early period in Yugoslavia, the club had moderate success in various Yugoslav...
, amassing nearly 150 official appearances. He then moved to another club in 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 ...
, HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
, for which he appeared intermittently over the course of four full seasons.
Late into 1989, Gračan signed with La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
club Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo
Real Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2....
. Joined by compatriots Janko Janković
Janko Janković
Janko Janković ia a retired Croatian footballer who played as a forward.-Football career:After playing in his country with NK Solin, HNK Hajduk Split , RNK Split and NK Rijeka, 25-year old Janković moved to Spain, where he would remain for nearly one full decade until his retirement.He started at...
and Nikola Jerkan
Nikola Jerkan
Nikola Jerkan is a former football defender from Croatia.Jerkan was born in Split and started playing football professionally for NK Zagreb. In 1983 he moved to Dinamo Vinkovci where he would spend three years before moving to Hajduk Split in 1986. In 1988 he started playing for the first team and...
in his second season, he helped the Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
team finish sixth and qualify for the UEFA Cup, contributing with 26 matches, and eventually appearing in more than 100 games overall.
Aged almost 31, Gračan left Oviedo and returned to his country, now independent. After two years of inactivity, he played a handful of games with first professional club Rijeka, but retired shortly after. In the following decade, he took up coaching, starting with his last team as a player, but he rarely settled.
International career
Gračan was cappedCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
10 times for Yugoslavia
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...
, but never attended any major international tournament.
In 1984
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, the 21-year old helped the Olympic squad win
Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics started on July 29 and ended on August 11. It featured only a men's tournament, as women's football had yet to become an Olympic event. It was the first Olympic football competition in which professionals were allowed...
the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, appearing in all but one games and scoring in the quarterfinals against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
(5–2).