Snješko Cerin
Encyclopedia
Snježan "Snješko" Cerin (born 18 January 1955) is a retired Croatia
n association football striker
who spent most of his career playing for his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb in the Yugoslav First League
in the 1970s and 1980s.
A native of Zagreb
, Cerin started playing at NK Trnje
, a small local club, in the early 1970s. In 1976 he moved to another local side, the third level minnows NK Zagrebački Plavi (who later merged with NK Zagreb
in 1980). In April 1976 the Yugoslavia national football team
decided to play a training match against Zagrebački Plavi in preparation for their UEFA Euro 1976 qualifier versus Wales
played in Zagreb. The game proved to be a turning point for Cerin as he scored a hat-trick
versus the national team and their stalwart goalkeeper Ognjen Petrović
.
Cerin instantly became sought after by top clubs. He was first invited by Tomislav Ivić
to join Hajduk Split
but the deal never materialised as Ivić had left Hajduk for Netherlands at the end of the 1975–76 season to take over Ajax. Dinamo Zagreb then offered him a contract and Cerin joined the club for the 1976–77 season. Cerin then had to wait for his Dinamo debut almost six months under coach Mirko Bazić - he scored his first goal for Dinamo in a 3–1 friendly win against GOŠK Dubrovnik
on 10 November 1976 and his league debut came a week later on 17 November in a 6–1 home win against Budućnost
in which he scored two goals. Interestingly, his first goal against international opposition came in a 4–0 win against Ajax led by Tomislav Ivić at the Trofej Marjan international tournament played in Split on 17 February 1977.
A very prolific scorer, he led the club to their first league title in 24 years in the 1981–82 season, also becoming the league's top scorer with 19 goals. In his ten seasons with Dinamo between 1976 and 1986 he also won two Yugoslav Cup
s (1980 and 1983) and was the club's leading goalscorer five times. He made a total of 474 appearances and scored 295 goals for the Blues, including 216 appearances and 101 goals in the Yugoslav First League, and holds the record as the club's top scorer of the Yugoslav era. Alongside players such as Marko Mlinarić
and Zlatko Kranjčar
Cerin is regarded as one of the symbols of one of the most successful periods in Dinamo's history, in which they also finished as runners-up in the league twice (1976–77, 1978–79) and runners-up in the cup three times (1982, 1985, 1986). However, in spite of his excellent scoring record, Cerin was constantly overlooked by national team managers and was never called up for Yugoslavia.
In late 1985 Cerin had a short stint in the American Major Indoor Soccer League (where he was referred to as John Cerin) and scored a single goal in three matches for Kansas City Comets
before being recalled to Dinamo by manager Miroslav Blažević
in the winter break of the 1985–86 season. Cerin finally left the club in 1986 and played a single season at SK Austria Klagenfurt (present-day FC Kärnten
) in Austria. He then returned to Zagreb and appeared in a handful of games for another small local side NK Novi Zagreb (present-day Hrvatski Dragovoljac
) before retiring from football.
Cerin then opened a pub in Zagreb which he ran into the 1990s. In 2001 he moved to Privlaka
, a small town near the coastal city of Zadar
, where he runs a small retirement home
.
Individual
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 association football striker
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...
who spent most of his career playing for his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb in the Yugoslav First League
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
in the 1970s and 1980s.
A native of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Cerin started playing at NK Trnje
NK Trnje
NK Trnje is a Croatian football club based in the city of Zagreb....
, a small local club, in the early 1970s. In 1976 he moved to another local side, the third level minnows NK Zagrebački Plavi (who later merged with NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
in 1980). In April 1976 the Yugoslavia national football team
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...
decided to play a training match against Zagrebački Plavi in preparation for their UEFA Euro 1976 qualifier versus Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
played in Zagreb. The game proved to be a turning point for Cerin as he scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
versus the national team and their stalwart goalkeeper Ognjen Petrović
Ognjen Petrovic
Ognjen "Olja" Petrović is a Serbian goalkeeper who played at Euro 76 for SFR Yugoslavia.-References:* *...
.
Cerin instantly became sought after by top clubs. He was first invited by Tomislav Ivić
Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game...
to join 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...
but the deal never materialised as Ivić had left Hajduk for Netherlands at the end of the 1975–76 season to take over Ajax. Dinamo Zagreb then offered him a contract and Cerin joined the club for the 1976–77 season. Cerin then had to wait for his Dinamo debut almost six months under coach Mirko Bazić - he scored his first goal for Dinamo in a 3–1 friendly win against GOŠK Dubrovnik
NK GOŠK Dubrovnik
NK GOŠK Dubrovnik is a Croatian football club based in the city of Dubrovnik. It takes its name from the Gruž neighbourhood of the city .-Team:...
on 10 November 1976 and his league debut came a week later on 17 November in a 6–1 home win against Budućnost
FK Buducnost Podgorica
FK Budućnost is a football club from Podgorica, Montenegro, currently competing in the First League of Montenegro. Its colours are blue and white. FK Buducnost is a part of the Budućnost sport society.-History:...
in which he scored two goals. Interestingly, his first goal against international opposition came in a 4–0 win against Ajax led by Tomislav Ivić at the Trofej Marjan international tournament played in Split on 17 February 1977.
A very prolific scorer, he led the club to their first league title in 24 years in the 1981–82 season, also becoming the league's top scorer with 19 goals. In his ten seasons with Dinamo between 1976 and 1986 he also won two Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
s (1980 and 1983) and was the club's leading goalscorer five times. He made a total of 474 appearances and scored 295 goals for the Blues, including 216 appearances and 101 goals in the Yugoslav First League, and holds the record as the club's top scorer of the Yugoslav era. Alongside players such as Marko Mlinarić
Marko Mlinaric
Marko Mlinarić is a former Croatian football player. He was capped 17 times for Yugoslavia.-External links:* at the Croatian Football Federation website* at the Serbia national football team website...
and Zlatko Kranjčar
Zlatko Kranjcar
Zlatko "Cico" Kranjcar is a Croatian football manager and former striker. He is the currently head coach of Sepahan in Iran Pro League.-Club career:...
Cerin is regarded as one of the symbols of one of the most successful periods in Dinamo's history, in which they also finished as runners-up in the league twice (1976–77, 1978–79) and runners-up in the cup three times (1982, 1985, 1986). However, in spite of his excellent scoring record, Cerin was constantly overlooked by national team managers and was never called up for Yugoslavia.
In late 1985 Cerin had a short stint in the American Major Indoor Soccer League (where he was referred to as John Cerin) and scored a single goal in three matches for Kansas City Comets
Kansas City Comets
The Kansas City Comets were a professional indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. They played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979–1991, when they folded...
before being recalled to Dinamo by manager 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....
in the winter break of the 1985–86 season. Cerin finally left the club in 1986 and played a single season at SK Austria Klagenfurt (present-day FC Kärnten
FC Kärnten
FC Kärnten was an Austrian association football club based in Klagenfurt, Carinthia. It was founded in 1920 under the name of KSK Klagenfurt. They last played home games at the Sportzentrum Fischl.- History :...
) in Austria. He then returned to Zagreb and appeared in a handful of games for another small local side NK Novi Zagreb (present-day Hrvatski Dragovoljac
NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac
NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac is a Croatian football club based in the Novi Zagreb neighbourhood of the country's capital city of Zagreb. The team's fans are known as the "Black Warriors"...
) before retiring from football.
Cerin then opened a pub in Zagreb which he ran into the 1990s. In 2001 he moved to Privlaka
Privlaka, Zadar county
Privlaka is a municipality in Zadar County in Croatia. According to the 2001 census, there are 2,199 inhabitants in the area, 98% of which are Croats....
, a small town near the coastal city of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, where he runs a small retirement home
Retirement home
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some...
.
Honours
Club- Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First LeagueThe Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
(1): 1981–82 - Yugoslav CupYugoslav CupThe Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
(2): 1979–801979–80 Yugoslav CupThe 1979–80 Yugoslav Cup was the 32nd season of the top football knockout competition in SFR Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Cup , also known as the "Marshal Tito Cup" , since its establishment in 1946.-Calendar:...
, 1982–83
Individual
- Yugoslav First League top scorer (1): 1981–82 (19)
External links
- Career summary at Zagreb Blues, Dinamo Zagreb fan site
- Snježan Cerin at WorldFootball.net