Croatia is known as a country of sports and tourism. Recognized as a place for the perfect vacation, Croatia also won attention for having excellent results in sports. From tennis, skiing, and basketball, to the most popular football, Croatia found its place at the top of the world’s list of best sportsmen and sportswomen. Only in the city of Split, there are 73 Olympic medals won since 1948. Many incredible talents present Croatia as a small country great in sports. Among many, football is the most popular sport in the country, and the results and players are widely known and respected. Croatian football was presented to the world when the country joined the World cup in 1998, but the history of football in Croatia dates way back.
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The appearance of football in Croatia dates back to 1873 in the city of Rijeka. As an official game in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, football appeared in 1893, and the first rulebook was published three years later. Football slowly took its place as a physical and disciplinary activity in schools and gymnastics organizations, and in 1903 the first football club was founded in Zagreb. After that, Rijeka, Sisak, Karlovac, Dubrovnik, and Sušak got their clubs. The most significant was in 1911 for the foundation of the prominent Croatian club Hajduk. Right next to it stands Dinamo, the successor to HŠK Građanski, established the same year. The last championship on the territory of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia was in 1912. The next one started in 1914. but it was never finished due to the war. Club Građanski from Zagreb won the first national championship in 1923 in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1941, FIFA recognized the Croatian Football Federation. In 1945, the communist regime demanded changes, so most clubs changed their name. Hajduk refused this change and resisted fascism by keeping his name throughout the fascist rule. Widely known as a very passionate supporters club, Hajduk’s passion is shown in moments of need to this day, whether as help to people affected by catastrophes, raising funds for the less fortunate, or simply being active citizens valuable to their community.
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After the Second World War, a competition was between the republics, among which the Croatian national team won third place. Until 1991, only Hajduk and Dinamo won the championship in the Yugoslav league. The Croatian Football League (HNL) opened during the Homeland War in 1992, and in the same year, the Croatian Football Association was re-admitted to FIFA membership. The national team began to play in the 1990s, but it was about informal matches. In 1994, the competitions became official, and the team was involved in the European Championship qualifiers. In 1998, Croatia participated in the WC for the first time and won 3rd place in defeat by France. The national team returns for a medal in 2018, winning second place in the match against (and again losing to) France, but this time in the World Cup final in Russia. This year, the team won bronze again and became one of the seven national teams winning consecutive medals. We are proud to say only two representations won more since Croatia joined the World Championship in 1998.
With the same dedication and discipline, the next one might be the gold one.
Till then, pomalo.
