Robert Jarni
Encyclopedia
Robert Jarni is a retired Croatia
n footballer who played as left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010.
Jarni started his professional career with Hajduk Split
in 1986, and went on to spend 10 years playing for various clubs in Italy
and Spain
before finishing his career as a player in Greece
with Panathinaikos in 2002.
He was a regular in the Croatian national football team
between 1990 and 2002, winning a total of 81 international caps
for Croatia and being the national team's record cap holder until June 2006, when his record was beaten by Dario Šimić
. Prior to Croatia's independence, he also won 7 international caps for Yugoslavia
.
Jarni participated in three FIFA World Cup
finals, in 1990
with Yugoslavia and in 1998
and 2002
with Croatia, making a total of 11 appearances in the competition. The crowning moment of his career was the 1998 World Cup in France
, where he appeared in all of Croatia's 7 matches at the tournament and helped them win the bronze medals in their first World Cup appearance. He also scored his only international goal for Croatia during the tournament, netting the opening goal in their 3-0 win over Germany
in the quarter-finals.
After his retirement from professional football as a player, he spent several seasons playing futsal
, even winning two international caps for Croatia
in the sport, and also started his managerial career with Hajduk Split in 2007.
, Jarni started his career in his hometown with NK Čakovec
, then known as MTČ Čakovec. In June 1985, he was spotted by Hajduk Split while playing for MTČ in a cup match in Split
and started his professional career by joining the club in February 1986. He stayed with Hajduk until 1991, when he moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing with Italian
side Bari
.
After spending two seasons with Bari, he moved to Torino
in 1993, and spent one season with the club before moving to local rivals Juventus
in 1994. He also spent just one season with Juventus, and went on to move to Spanish
side Real Betis
in 1995. He had a fairly successful spell with the Seville
club, appearing in 98 Primera División
matches for the club over the following three seasons, also scoring a total of 19 goals in the league.
In the summer of 1998, Jarni initially moved to English
side Coventry City
, signing for £2.6m from Real Betis. However, when Real Madrid
decided they wanted the player, they successfully bought him from Coventry for £3.4m with Jarni having made no appearances whatsoever. Some believe this was a joint Coventry City and Real Madrid tactic, as Betis refused to sell him to the Madrid
club.
At Real Madrid, Jarni struggled to get his place in the starting line-up and often found himself receiving little playing time as a substitute, although he did manage to finish the season with a total of 27 Primera División appearances on his tally. His only league goal for Real Madrid came in their 5-1 win at Extremadura
on 31 October 1998, when he netted the opening goal of the match in the first minute. One of the highlights of his spell with Real Madrid came 10 days earlier in their third UEFA Champions League
group match that season, when he netted a brace in their 6-1 win at home to Sturm Graz
.
In the summer of 1999, Jarni left Real Madrid for Segunda División
side Las Palmas
, going on to help the club gain promotion to the Primera División for the 2000-01 season, which saw him making another 26 appearances in the Spanish top flight, scoring two goals. After losing his place as a regular at Las Palmas and making no appearances for the club in the first half of the 2001-02 season, Jarni went on to move to Greek
side Panathinaikos on 30 January 2002, signing a short-term contract until the end of the season.
Jarni only appeared in 5 matches for Panathinaikos in the Greek league
, although he also made 3 appearances for the club in the UEFA Champions League in February and March 2002. His contract was not renewed at the end of the season and he subsequently retired from professional football as a player, aged 33.
. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship
in Chile
, alongside his future Croatia
team-mates Davor Šuker
, Zvonimir Boban
, Robert Prosinečki
and Igor Štimac
.
In 1990, Jarni became a full international with Yugoslavia
. He won seven international caps with the team in 1990 and 1991, scoring one goal. He was also part of the Yugoslav squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
finals in Italy
, where he made his World Cup debut as a half-time substitute for Srečko Katanec
in the team's second group match, a 1-0 win against Colombia
.
Jarni's international debut for Croatia came on 22 December 1990 in a friendly match against Romania
. He quickly established himself as a regular with the team and was also part of the Croatian squad for the country's first appearance in the finals of a major tournament, at the UEFA Euro 1996 in England
. He appeared in all of Croatia's four matches at the tournament before they were knocked out in the quarter-finals after losing 2-1 to Germany
, who went on to win the tournament.
Two years later, Jarni was named in the Croatian squad for the country's first World Cup appearance, at the 1998 finals
in France
, and was an important member of the team that went on the win the bronze medals at the tournament. He appeared in all of Croatia's seven matches during the tournament, with his highlight being the opening goal in Croatia's 3-0 win over Germany in the quarter-finals. In the final moments of the first half of the game, Jarni ran onto a Mario Stanić
pass and fired a powerful left-footed shot past Andreas Köpke
from just outside the box
. It was his only international goal for Croatia, although he set up a number of other goals for the national team with numerous assists
resulting from his fast runs through the left flank and precise crosses
or passes into the box. One of those assists came later during 1998 World Cup, when he set up Robert Prosinečki's opening goal in Croatia's 2-1 win against the Netherlands
in the third-place match.
Jarni continued to play regularly for Croatia until 2002, when he retired from football as a player. He also appeared in all of their three group matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
finals in Japan
, where Croatia were eliminated following the group stage. The three appearances made Jarni the only player to feature in all of Croatia's 10 matches in their first two World Cup appearances. Having been a Croatian international for 11 and a half years, Jarni won a total of 81 international caps for the team and was their record cap holder before Dario Šimić
beat his record on 18 June 2006 in Croatia's 0-0 draw against Japan
during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
finals.
at Hajduk Split in late August 2007. However, after Krešić's resignation on 26 October 2007, Jarni was appointed head coach at the club and was initially presented as caretaker manager
until the end of the first part of the Croatian league season in December.
His first match as head coach at Hajduk Split was their 1-0 away victory at Inter Zaprešić
on 27 October 2007. He went on to sign a one-year contract with the club after the match. The season proved to be a disappointment for Hajduk as they only managed to finish 5th in the league, 30 points behind the champions and archrivals Dinamo Zagreb. Jarni was eventually replaced by Goran Vučević
on 20 May 2008, 10 days after the club's final league game of the season.
On 4 August 2010, he was appointed new manager at Istra 1961, where he replaced Ante Miše
, who had been sacked after the club lost their first two matches of the 2010–11 season
in the Croatian first division. On 7 August 2010, he had his first match in charge of the club, suffering a 1-0 defeat in an away fixture at Lokomotiva Zagreb
in the Croatian top flight. He resigned from the managerial post on 19 September 2010, after recording two draws and four defeats in six league matches in charge of the club.
for Croatian club MNK Split. He had his first spell with the club between 2002 and 2007, before leaving due to his managerial duties with Hajduk Split during the 2007-08 season. After being replaced as Hajduk's manager, he returned to MNK Split and continued his career as a futsal player in the summer of 2008.
He also won two international caps and scored two goals for the Croatian national futsal team
in November 2003 during their qualifying campaign for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
brand based near Čakovec, Jarni's hometown, he started his own line of sportswear under the brand name Jarni. The line includes various pieces of sportswear such as football kits, polo shirts and tracksuit
s, and became quite popular among football and handball
clubs in the north Croatian region of Međimurje. For some seasons, Jarni was also the kit supplier of NK Međimurje, a Čakovec-based football club that spent several seasons competing in the Croatian First League.
Jarni also made several appearances as a pundit on Croatian commercial TV station
RTL Televizija
during their live
broadcasts of various international football matches, mostly the away matches of the Croatian national team that were regularly broadcast by the station between 2004 and 2007. Since 2008, however, all of the national team's matches are again broadcast by Croatia's public broadcaster
HRT
.
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 left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010.
Jarni started his professional career with 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 1986, and went on to spend 10 years playing for various clubs in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
before finishing his career as a player in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with Panathinaikos in 2002.
He was a regular in the Croatian national football 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...
between 1990 and 2002, winning a total of 81 international caps
Cap (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...
for Croatia and being the national team's record cap holder until June 2006, when his record was beaten by Dario Šimić
Dario Šimic
Dario Šimić is a retired Croatian football player. Šimić was a versatile defender who played as full-back, sweeper or centre back. A product of Dinamo Zagreb Academy, he later played for Serie A sides Inter Milan and AC Milan and Ligue 1 side Monaco, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2010,...
. Prior to Croatia's independence, he also won 7 international caps 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...
.
Jarni participated in three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals, in 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
with Yugoslavia and in 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and 2002
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...
with Croatia, making a total of 11 appearances in the competition. The crowning moment of his career was the 1998 World Cup in France
France
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...
, where he appeared in all of Croatia's 7 matches at the tournament and helped them win the bronze medals in their first World Cup appearance. He also scored his only international goal for Croatia during the tournament, netting the opening goal in their 3-0 win over 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....
in the quarter-finals.
After his retirement from professional football as a player, he spent several seasons playing futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
, even winning two international caps for Croatia
Croatia national futsal team
The Croatia national futsal team represents Croatia during international futsal competitions.-FIFA World Cup:-UEFA European Futsal Championship:-External links:* * ...
in the sport, and also started his managerial career with Hajduk Split in 2007.
Club career
Born in ČakovecCakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...
, Jarni started his career in his hometown with NK Čakovec
NK 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....
, then known as MTČ Čakovec. In June 1985, he was spotted by Hajduk Split while playing for MTČ in a cup match in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and started his professional career by joining the club in February 1986. He stayed with Hajduk until 1991, when he moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
side Bari
A.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
.
After spending two seasons with Bari, he moved to Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
in 1993, and spent one season with the club before moving to local rivals Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
in 1994. He also spent just one season with Juventus, and went on to move to Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
side Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
in 1995. He had a fairly successful spell with the Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
club, appearing in 98 Primera División
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...
matches for the club over the following three seasons, also scoring a total of 19 goals in the league.
In the summer of 1998, Jarni initially moved to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
side Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, signing for £2.6m from Real Betis. However, when Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
decided they wanted the player, they successfully bought him from Coventry for £3.4m with Jarni having made no appearances whatsoever. Some believe this was a joint Coventry City and Real Madrid tactic, as Betis refused to sell him to the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
club.
At Real Madrid, Jarni struggled to get his place in the starting line-up and often found himself receiving little playing time as a substitute, although he did manage to finish the season with a total of 27 Primera División appearances on his tally. His only league goal for Real Madrid came in their 5-1 win at Extremadura
CF Extremadura
Club de Fútbol Extremadura was a Spanish football team based in Almendralejo, in the autonomous community of Extremadura. Founded in 1924, it played two seasons in La Liga, and held home games at Estadio Francisco de la Hera, with a capacity of 11,580 seats.-History:Extremadura was founded in 1924,...
on 31 October 1998, when he netted the opening goal of the match in the first minute. One of the highlights of his spell with Real Madrid came 10 days earlier in their third 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...
group match that season, when he netted a brace in their 6-1 win at home to Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....
.
In the summer of 1999, Jarni left Real Madrid for Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
side Las Palmas
UD Las Palmas
Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands...
, going on to help the club gain promotion to the Primera División for the 2000-01 season, which saw him making another 26 appearances in the Spanish top flight, scoring two goals. After losing his place as a regular at Las Palmas and making no appearances for the club in the first half of the 2001-02 season, Jarni went on to move to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
side Panathinaikos on 30 January 2002, signing a short-term contract until the end of the season.
Jarni only appeared in 5 matches for Panathinaikos in the Greek league
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
, although he also made 3 appearances for the club in the UEFA Champions League in February and March 2002. His contract was not renewed at the end of the season and he subsequently retired from professional football as a player, aged 33.
International career
As a youngster, Jarni played for the Yugoslav national under-21 football teamYugoslavia national under-21 football team
The Yugoslavia national under-21 football team existed in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the state's dissolution in 1992, the following teams were formed:*Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team...
. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship
1987 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Chile from October 10 to October 25, 1987. The 1987 championship was the 6th contested and won for the first time by Yugoslavia. Remarkably, in the course of the tournament the Yugoslavs defeated each of the three other semi-finalists, and...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, alongside his future Croatia
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...
team-mates Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
, 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...
, 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...
and Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac is a retired Croatian football player. He is now a football agent and a manager...
.
In 1990, Jarni became a full international with 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...
. He won seven international caps with the team in 1990 and 1991, scoring one goal. He was also part of the Yugoslav squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
finals in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he made his World Cup debut as a half-time substitute for Srečko Katanec
Srecko Katanec
Srečko Katanec is a Slovenian football manager and a former player capped for Yugoslavia and Slovenia. His last position was as the manager of the United Arab Emirates national football team.-Career:...
in the team's second group match, a 1-0 win against Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
.
Jarni's international debut for Croatia came on 22 December 1990 in a friendly match 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...
. He quickly established himself as a regular with the team and was also part of the Croatian squad for the country's first appearance in the finals of a major tournament, at the UEFA Euro 1996 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He appeared in all of Croatia's four matches at the tournament before they were knocked out in the quarter-finals after losing 2-1 to 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....
, who went on to win the tournament.
Two years later, Jarni was named in the Croatian squad for the country's first World Cup appearance, at the 1998 finals
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
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...
, and was an important member of the team that went on the win the bronze medals at the tournament. He appeared in all of Croatia's seven matches during the tournament, with his highlight being the opening goal in Croatia's 3-0 win over Germany in the quarter-finals. In the final moments of the first half of the game, Jarni ran onto a Mario Stanić
Mario Stanic
Mario Stanić is a former Croatian football midfielder.-Career:He started his career with Željezničar Sarajevo. He was considered to be one of the most talented young players in former Yugoslavia. In 1992, war began and he went to Croatia, where he played for Dinamo Zagreb...
pass and fired a powerful left-footed shot past Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke is a former German football goalkeeper who was in the German squad that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and was also part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad...
from just outside the box
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
. It was his only international goal for Croatia, although he set up a number of other goals for the national team with numerous assists
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
resulting from his fast runs through the left flank and precise crosses
Cross (football)
In football, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal by applying various kicking techniques. A cross is there to provide a goal-scoring opportunity...
or passes into the box. One of those assists came later during 1998 World Cup, when he set up Robert Prosinečki's opening goal in Croatia's 2-1 win against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in the third-place match.
Jarni continued to play regularly for Croatia until 2002, when he retired from football as a player. He also appeared in all of their three group matches at the 2002 FIFA 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...
finals in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where Croatia were eliminated following the group stage. The three appearances made Jarni the only player to feature in all of Croatia's 10 matches in their first two World Cup appearances. Having been a Croatian international for 11 and a half years, Jarni won a total of 81 international caps for the team and was their record cap holder before Dario Šimić
Dario Šimic
Dario Šimić is a retired Croatian football player. Šimić was a versatile defender who played as full-back, sweeper or centre back. A product of Dinamo Zagreb Academy, he later played for Serie A sides Inter Milan and AC Milan and Ligue 1 side Monaco, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2010,...
beat his record on 18 June 2006 in Croatia's 0-0 draw against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
finals.
Managerial career
Jarni started his managerial career in professional football as assistant manager to Sergije KrešićSergije Krešic
Sergije Krešić is a Croatian football manager and former player, who most recently coached UD Las Palmas. In Spain he is known by the name Sergio Kresic.- Playing career :...
at Hajduk Split in late August 2007. However, after Krešić's resignation on 26 October 2007, Jarni was appointed head coach at the club and was initially presented as caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
until the end of the first part of the Croatian league season in December.
His first match as head coach at Hajduk Split was their 1-0 away victory at Inter Zaprešić
NK Inter Zaprešic
NK Inter Zaprešić is a Croatian football club based in Zaprešić, a town northwest of the capital Zagreb originally founded in 1929. They play in the Prva HNL after they were promoted from Druga HNL at the end of the 2006–07 season...
on 27 October 2007. He went on to sign a one-year contract with the club after the match. The season proved to be a disappointment for Hajduk as they only managed to finish 5th in the league, 30 points behind the champions and archrivals Dinamo Zagreb. Jarni was eventually replaced by Goran Vučević
Goran Vucevic
Goran Vučević is a retired Croatian footballer who played as a central midfielder.-Football career:Born in Split, Vučević started his career at local HNK Hajduk, where he became a key player at only 18, eventually winning the 1992 Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award, issued to the best footballer...
on 20 May 2008, 10 days after the club's final league game of the season.
On 4 August 2010, he was appointed new manager at Istra 1961, where he replaced Ante Miše
Ante Miše
Ante Miše is a former Croatian footballer who in the 1980s and 90s spent most of his career at Hajduk Split. During his playing career with Hajduk he won the Yugoslav cup, three Croatian titles and three Croatian cups...
, who had been sacked after the club lost their first two matches of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Prva HNL
The 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011...
in the Croatian first division. On 7 August 2010, he had his first match in charge of the club, suffering a 1-0 defeat in an away fixture at Lokomotiva Zagreb
NK Lokomotiva
NK Lokomotiva is a Croatian football club based in Zagreb, currently competing in the Prva HNL, the country's top division. Founded originally as ŽŠK Victoria in 1914, the club's only period of success came in the late 1940s and early 1950s before spending most of the following five decades as...
in the Croatian top flight. He resigned from the managerial post on 19 September 2010, after recording two draws and four defeats in six league matches in charge of the club.
Futsal career
Following his retirement from professional football, Jarni went on to play futsalFutsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
for Croatian club MNK Split. He had his first spell with the club between 2002 and 2007, before leaving due to his managerial duties with Hajduk Split during the 2007-08 season. After being replaced as Hajduk's manager, he returned to MNK Split and continued his career as a futsal player in the summer of 2008.
He also won two international caps and scored two goals for the Croatian national futsal team
Croatia national futsal team
The Croatia national futsal team represents Croatia during international futsal competitions.-FIFA World Cup:-UEFA European Futsal Championship:-External links:* * ...
in November 2003 during their qualifying campaign for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.
Other activities
In association with Astrea, a sportswearSportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
brand based near Čakovec, Jarni's hometown, he started his own line of sportswear under the brand name Jarni. The line includes various pieces of sportswear such as football kits, polo shirts and tracksuit
Tracksuit
A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly as what athletes wore over competition clothing and would take off before competition. In modern times, it has become commonly worn...
s, and became quite popular among football and handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
clubs in the north Croatian region of Međimurje. For some seasons, Jarni was also the kit supplier of NK Međimurje, a Čakovec-based football club that spent several seasons competing in the Croatian First League.
Jarni also made several appearances as a pundit on Croatian commercial TV station
Commercial broadcasting
Commercial broadcasting is the broadcasting of television programs and radio programming by privately owned corporate media, as opposed to state sponsorship...
RTL Televizija
RTL Televizija
RTL Televizija is a Croatian commercial broadcaster with national availability that has been broadcasting since April 30, 2004.RTL Televizija is 74% owned by the RTL Group....
during their live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
broadcasts of various international football matches, mostly the away matches of the Croatian national team that were regularly broadcast by the station between 2004 and 2007. Since 2008, however, all of the national team's matches are again broadcast by Croatia's public broadcaster
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
HRT
Croatian Radiotelevision
Croatian Radiotelevision is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite...
.