Nikola Pokrivac
Encyclopedia
Nikola Pokrivač is a Croatia
n footballer who plays as midfielder
for Dinamo Zagreb.
and Varteks Varaždin, eventually advancing to the first team at Varteks in the summer of 2004.
Making his domestic league debut for Varteks against Zadar
on 7 August 2004, Pokrivač went on to establish himself as a regular at the club in 2005. He also appeared in some European matches for the club, playing in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
in the summer of 2005 and the UEFA Cup
qualifying a year later. In 2006, he also played for Varteks in the two-legged final of the Croatian Cup
, where they lost to Rijeka
on away goals after a 5-5 draw on aggregate.
in the winter break of the 2006-07 season. He quickly became a regular at his new club and also helped them winning both the Croatian league and cup titles in 2007. He also collected further experience in European competitions with Dinamo, making a total of 10 appearances in both the UEFA Champions League
qualifying and the UEFA Cup during the first half of the 2007-08 season.
Ligue 1
side AS Monaco
on a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made his league debut on 23 February 2008 in Monaco's 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain, playing the full 90 minutes. He continued to appear regularly for the club over the following two months, until being sent off with a straight red card in the final moments of the club's away match against OGC Nice
on 19 April 2008. He made a total of 9 appearances in the Ligue 1 during his first six months with the club.
Struggling to regain his place as a regular with Monaco during his second season with the club, he scored his first goal in the Ligue 1 in Monaco's 3-1 win at home to AS Nancy-Lorraine on 29 October 2008, also recording an assist in the same match. A month later, he scored the only goal in Monaco's 1-0 win at AJ Auxerre
in the Ligue 1. He finished the 2008-09 season with a total of 23 appearances in the Ligue 1. On 4 March 2009, he also scored one goal for Monaco in their 2-0 win at AC Ajaccio
in the Coupe de France
round of 16.
n side Red Bull Salzburg. He made his debut for the club on 29 August 2009 in their Bundesliga match against Kapfenberg, coming on as a substitute for Simon Cziommer
in the 55th minute and scoring his first goal for the club when he netted the final goal in Salzburg's 4-0 win six minutes later.
On 26 September 2009, he scored his second Bundesliga goal for Salzburg in their 2-1 win at Austria Kärnten and delivered a superb performance in a 7-1 home win against the same club on 4 October 2009, participating in all of Salzburg's three goals in the first half. He first set up the opening goal of the match for Christoph Leitgeb
in the 3rd minute, then scored the second goal in the 34th minute, before setting up the third goal of the match for Marc Janko
in the 41st minute.
and has also represented the country at both the under-17 and under-19 levels. He won a total of 39 international caps and scored three goals for all Croatian youth national teams between 2001 and 2006.
On 5 May 2008, he received his first call-up for the Croatian national team
at senior level, being added to their 23-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 finals in Austria
and Switzerland
. He went on to make his international debut on 24 May 2008 in a friendly match against Moldova
in Rijeka
, coming on as a substitute for Niko Kovač
in the 59th minute. At the UEFA Euro 2008 finals, he only appeared in Croatia's final group match against Poland
, completing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory for Croatia.
Pokrivač went on to make five appearances in Croatia's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, appearing in both matches against Kazakhstan
and England
as well as the away fixture at Andorra
. He only started one of the five matches, being in the starting line-up for Croatia in their 5-1 defeat to England at Wembley
. However, he was substituted at half-time after a poor performance in the first half.
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 plays as midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Dinamo Zagreb.
NK Varteks Varaždin
Pokrivač started to play football with amateur side Bratstvo Jurovec, near his hometown. He went on to continue his youth career with ČakovecNK Cakovec
NK Čakovec is a Croatian football club based in Čakovec, in the northern part of the country. They are currently playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football....
and Varteks Varaždin, eventually advancing to the first team at Varteks in the summer of 2004.
Making his domestic league debut for Varteks against 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....
on 7 August 2004, Pokrivač went on to establish himself as a regular at the club in 2005. He also appeared in some European matches for the club, playing in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
in the summer of 2005 and the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualifying a year later. In 2006, he also played for Varteks in the two-legged final of the Croatian Cup
Croatian Cup
The 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...
, where they lost to Rijeka
NK 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...
on away goals after a 5-5 draw on aggregate.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb
His good performances at Varteks eventually secured him a move to Croatia's top club Dinamo ZagrebDinamo 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...
in the winter break of the 2006-07 season. He quickly became a regular at his new club and also helped them winning both the Croatian league and cup titles in 2007. He also collected further experience in European competitions with Dinamo, making a total of 10 appearances in both the UEFA 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...
qualifying and the UEFA Cup during the first half of the 2007-08 season.
AS Monaco
On 30 January 2008, Pokrivač moved to FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
side AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
on a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made his league debut on 23 February 2008 in Monaco's 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain, playing the full 90 minutes. He continued to appear regularly for the club over the following two months, until being sent off with a straight red card in the final moments of the club's away match against OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
on 19 April 2008. He made a total of 9 appearances in the Ligue 1 during his first six months with the club.
Struggling to regain his place as a regular with Monaco during his second season with the club, he scored his first goal in the Ligue 1 in Monaco's 3-1 win at home to AS Nancy-Lorraine on 29 October 2008, also recording an assist in the same match. A month later, he scored the only goal in Monaco's 1-0 win at AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
in the Ligue 1. He finished the 2008-09 season with a total of 23 appearances in the Ligue 1. On 4 March 2009, he also scored one goal for Monaco in their 2-0 win at AC Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...
in the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
round of 16.
Red Bull Salzburg
On 24 August 2009, it was announced that Pokrivač signed a three-year contract with AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n side Red Bull Salzburg. He made his debut for the club on 29 August 2009 in their Bundesliga match against Kapfenberg, coming on as a substitute for Simon Cziommer
Simon Cziommer
Simon Cziommer is a German footballer currently playing for FC Red Bull Salzburg.- Career :Since he joined FC Twente in 1999 he has scored 28 goals for various clubs. He has played in UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League games, the latter with his former club FC Schalke 04...
in the 55th minute and scoring his first goal for the club when he netted the final goal in Salzburg's 4-0 win six minutes later.
On 26 September 2009, he scored his second Bundesliga goal for Salzburg in their 2-1 win at Austria Kärnten and delivered a superb performance in a 7-1 home win against the same club on 4 October 2009, participating in all of Salzburg's three goals in the first half. He first set up the opening goal of the match for Christoph Leitgeb
Christoph Leitgeb
Christoph Leitgeb is an Austrian football midfielder currently playing in the Austrian Bundesliga for Red Bull Salzburg...
in the 3rd minute, then scored the second goal in the 34th minute, before setting up the third goal of the match for Marc Janko
Marc Janko
Marc Janko is an Austrian football player, who currently plays for Dutch Eredivisie side FC Twente.Janko has in various seasons been known as a goal-getter, scoring 77 goals in 121 Austrian Bundesliga matches...
in the 41st minute.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb
On 16 August 2011, Pokrivač signed a four-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb.International career
Pokrivač has played for the Croatian under-21 national teamCroatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
and has also represented the country at both the under-17 and under-19 levels. He won a total of 39 international caps and scored three goals for all Croatian youth national teams between 2001 and 2006.
On 5 May 2008, he received his first call-up for the Croatian national team
Croatia 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...
at senior level, being added to their 23-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 finals in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He went on to make his international debut on 24 May 2008 in a friendly match against Moldova
Moldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
in Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, coming on as a substitute for Niko Kovač
Niko Kovac
Niko Kovač is a former Croatian footballer who last played as a midfielder for Red Bull Salzburg. He was the long-standing captain of Croatia before retiring from international football in January 2009...
in the 59th minute. At the UEFA Euro 2008 finals, he only appeared in Croatia's final group match against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, completing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory for Croatia.
Pokrivač went on to make five appearances in Croatia's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, appearing in both matches against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team represents Kazakhstan in international men's association football and is directed by Football Federation of Kazakhstan. They split from the Soviet Union national football team after independence in 1991 and joined the Asian Football Confederation's Central and...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
as well as the away fixture at Andorra
Andorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
. He only started one of the five matches, being in the starting line-up for Croatia in their 5-1 defeat to England at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. However, he was substituted at half-time after a poor performance in the first half.