Nenad Pralija
Encyclopedia
Nenad Pralija, is a former Croatia
n footballer
.
where he spent three years before moving to the local powerhouse Hajduk Split
. In his first season at Hajduk, the club had a successful Champions League
campaign and Pralija is still dearly remembered by Hajduk fans for his spectacular volley in the group stage game against Anderlecht
which was unstoppable for the Belgian side's goalkeeper Filip de Wilde
, even though Pralija played the whole game playing as a left back - a position he never played at before. His form kept improving in subsequent seasons, and he finished the 1996–97 season as the club's top scorer with 17 goals in 26 appearances. He instantly became Hajduk fans' favourite player and was awarded the Heart of Hajduk Award
two years in a row, in 1995 and 1996.
After three successful years at Hajduk, Pralija moved to La Liga
club Espanyol
where he started off as a first-team regular under José Antonio Camacho
, but soon fell out of the manager's favour so he returned to Hajduk for the second half of the 1998–99 season. After that he spent a year at Serie A
club Reggina
, before moving to the Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa
. At Maccabi Pralija had a very successful spell, playing alongside fellow Croat Đovani Roso and coached by Avram Grant. During this time he won two Israeli championships and played in the Champions League once again, this time scoring against Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena
. He is still regarded as one of the best Maccabi players of the early 2000s.
After Maccabi, he returned to Hajduk once again in 2003. At first he was a first-team regular and even captained the team for a while, but soon after Niko Kranjčar
and Ivan Leko
came to the club his increasingly poor performances pushed him out of the squad. During the 2005–06 season winter break he quietly left the club and moved to the lower level minnows NK Trogir where he ended his playing career and six months later took over as the club's sports director. He oversaw the club's promotion to Druga HNL but resigned soon afterwards.
on 11 June 1995 against Ukraine
, coming on as a substitute for Aljoša Asanović
. He played a total of 11 games for the national side (and scored a single goal in a friendly versus Czech Republic
), but failed to leave a deeper mark during Miroslav Blažević
's reign. He was quoted as saying that he was "born in a wrong era, since it was impossible to win a place on the team which had the likes of players such as Aljoša Asanović
, Zvonimir Boban
and Robert Prosinečki
." His last appearance for Croatia was on 12 June 1997 in the starting lineup of a friendly against Turkey
, and was substituted by Miljenko Mumlek
just after the hour mark.
daily in 2003 Croatia stats at Croatian Football Association official website Profile of Nenad Pralija on Maccabi Haifa's official website Profile and statistics of Nenad Pralija on One.co.il
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
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...
.
Club career
Pralija started his career at his hometown club RNK SplitRNK Split
RNK Split is a Croatian football club based in the city of Split.-History:Radnički nogometni klub means "Workers' football club".The club was known as workers' club. The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard...
where he spent three years before moving to the local powerhouse 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...
. In his first season at Hajduk, the club had a successful Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
campaign and Pralija is still dearly remembered by Hajduk fans for his spectacular volley in the group stage game against Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
which was unstoppable for the Belgian side's goalkeeper Filip de Wilde
Filip De Wilde
Filip Alfons de Wilde is a retired Belgian football goalkeeper, who played mainly with R.S.C. Anderlecht.-Club career:...
, even though Pralija played the whole game playing as a left back - a position he never played at before. His form kept improving in subsequent seasons, and he finished the 1996–97 season as the club's top scorer with 17 goals in 26 appearances. He instantly became Hajduk fans' favourite player and was awarded the Heart of Hajduk Award
Heart of Hajduk Award
Heart of Hajduk is an annual football award established in 1994 and officially awarded by the Hajduk Split supporters' association Torcida Split to the Hajduk player of the year, e.g. the team's best performing player during the season....
two years in a row, in 1995 and 1996.
After three successful years at Hajduk, Pralija moved to 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 Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
where he started off as a first-team regular under José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho Alfaro is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender, and the current coach of the China PR national football team....
, but soon fell out of the manager's favour so he returned to Hajduk for the second half of the 1998–99 season. After that he spent a year at Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
, before moving to the Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. At Maccabi Pralija had a very successful spell, playing alongside fellow Croat Đovani Roso and coached by Avram Grant. During this time he won two Israeli championships and played in the Champions League once again, this time scoring against Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena
BayArena
The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:...
. He is still regarded as one of the best Maccabi players of the early 2000s.
After Maccabi, he returned to Hajduk once again in 2003. At first he was a first-team regular and even captained the team for a while, but soon after Niko Kranjčar
Niko Kranjcar
Niko Kranjčar is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.He represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005...
and Ivan Leko
Ivan Leko
Ivan Leko is a Croatian football player who plays for Belgian Pro League outfit Sporting Lokeren.-Club career:...
came to the club his increasingly poor performances pushed him out of the squad. During the 2005–06 season winter break he quietly left the club and moved to the lower level minnows NK Trogir where he ended his playing career and six months later took over as the club's sports director. He oversaw the club's promotion to Druga HNL but resigned soon afterwards.
International career
He debuted for CroatiaCroatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
on 11 June 1995 against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
, coming on as a substitute for Aljoša Asanović
Aljoša Asanovic
Aljoša Asanović is a retired Croatian soccer player best known from his performances in the mid-to-late 90's when he played for Derby County and for Croatia during Euro 96 and World Cup 98...
. He played a total of 11 games for the national side (and scored a single goal in a friendly versus Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
), but failed to leave a deeper mark during Miroslav Blažević
Miroslav Blaževic
Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević is a Bosnian Croat football manager. He is the current head coach of Mes Kerman in Iran Pro League....
's reign. He was quoted as saying that he was "born in a wrong era, since it was impossible to win a place on the team which had the likes of players such as Aljoša Asanović
Aljoša Asanovic
Aljoša Asanović is a retired Croatian soccer player best known from his performances in the mid-to-late 90's when he played for Derby County and for Croatia during Euro 96 and World Cup 98...
, Zvonimir Boban
Zvonimir Boban
Zvonimir Boban is a Croatian former football midfielder who played most of his professional career for Serie A club Milan, with whom he won four Serie A titles and the Champions League. He was a member of the Croatia national team which attained third place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, with Boban...
and 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...
." His last appearance for Croatia was on 12 June 1997 in the starting lineup of a friendly against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, and was substituted by Miljenko Mumlek
Miljenko Mumlek
Miljenko Mumlek is a Croatian football midfielder.-Club career:Born in Varaždin, Mumlek started his professional career in his hometown with Varteks Varaždin in early 1992 and went on to establish himself as one of the club's key players during the 1990s...
just after the hour mark.
Club
- Croatian Championship: 1993–94, 1994–95, 2003–04, 2004–05
- Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
: 1994–95 - Croatian SupercupCroatian SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
: 1993, 1994, 2004, 2005 - Israeli Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02
- Toto CupToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
: 2002
External links
Nenad Pralija Interview published by Slobodna DalmacijaSlobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans in a cave on Mosor, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various...
daily in 2003 Croatia stats at Croatian Football Association official website Profile of Nenad Pralija on Maccabi Haifa's official website Profile and statistics of Nenad Pralija on One.co.il