Wikipedia

Croatian Football Federation

TheCroatian Football Federation(Croatian:Hrvatski nogometni savez,HNS) is the national governing body offootball in Croatia.It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city ofZagreb.The organisation is a member of bothFIFAandUEFA,and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football inCroatia.Marijan Kustić has served as president of the federation since 2021.[3]

Croatian Football Federation
UEFA
Founded14 June 1912;112 years ago(14 June 1912)
HeadquartersZagreb
FIFAaffiliation17 July 1941
(asIndependent State of Croatia)[1]
3 July 1992
(asCroatia)[2]
UEFAaffiliation16 June 1993
PresidentMarijan Kustić
Websitehns.family

The HNS sanctions all competitive football matches in Croatia, beginning with theHNLdown to3. NL,as well as theCroatian Cup,while low-tiered leagues are sanctioned by inter-county and county associations. It is also responsible for appointing the management of themen's,women'sand youth national football teams.[4]As of 2009, the HNS had 118,316 registered players (650 of them professionals) and a total of 1,732 registered association football andfutsalclubs.[5]

History

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See also:Football in Croatia

Early years (1912–1945)

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The organisation traces its roots to the Croatian Sports Federation (Hrvatski športski savez), which was founded on 8 October 1909 in Zagreb, at the time when Croatia was part ofAustria-Hungary.The federation organised all sports in the country and its first president was Hinko Würth, the chairman ofHAŠKfootball club. Present-day HNS considers its foundation date to be 13 June 1912, when the football section of the Croatian Sports Federation was established, withMilovan Zoričićas its first president.[6]

AfterWorld War Iand the dissolution ofAustria-Hungary,representatives fromGrađanski,HAŠK,Hajduk SplitandConcordiafootball clubs met in Zagreb on 14 April 1919 and founded theFootball Association of Yugoslavia(Jugoslavenski nogometni savez), as a successor of the Croatian Sports Federation's football section, and appointed Hinko Würth as its president.[6]The organization then became the chief governing body of football in theKingdom of Yugoslaviaand launched theYugoslav First League,the first country-wide national competition held initially in a cup format. Five other regional sub-federations were also created (based inBelgrade,Ljubljana,Sarajevo,SplitandSubotica), each organizing their own regional tournament with winners qualifying for the national championship.

In 1929, following disagreements between the Zagreb and Belgrade sub-federations, the Football Association of Yugoslavia was dissolved. It was then re-established in May 1930 in Belgrade, this time with the Serbian-language nameFudbalski savez Jugoslavije.The Belgrade-based association then continued organizing the national league until 1939, when theBanovina of Croatiawas created as an administrative region within Kingdom of Yugoslavia. On 6 August 1939 the Croatian Football Federation (Hrvatski nogometni savezor HNS) was established as a football governing body in the newly created province,[6]and Croatian and Slovenian clubs soon began leaving the Yugoslav League to join the HNS-run Croatian-Slovenian Football League in protest of the alleged centralization of sports around Belgrade. The split was eventually rectified with the promise of an increase in the number of Croatian and Slovenian clubs in the league, and because of this a shortened ten-round league was played in the1939–40 Yugoslav First Leagueseason. In 1940 HNS also played a part in organizing the first ever Croatia national football team matches which played four international friendlies between April and December 1940. However the federation was not yet recognized by FIFA as Croatia was at the time still a province of Yugoslavia.

In April 1941 Kingdom of Yugoslavia wasinvaded by Axis Powersand was effectively dissolved. However, the Croatian Football Federation continued to run a competition called the Croatian national football league in the territory ofIndependent State of Croatia(NDH), a fascist puppet state which enjoyed relative peace during World War II, and which included most of present-day countries of Croatia andBosnia and Herzegovina.On 17 July 1941 HNS was admitted to FIFA as the top level federation of NDH, and the national team representing NDH playedfourteen international matchesin the period from 1941 to 1944.[2]

HNS in Yugoslavia (1945–1990)

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Following the end ofWorld War II,Croatia became a part ofSFR Yugoslaviaand the Belgrade-basedFootball Association of Yugoslaviatook over as the main football-governing body in the country. Also, the new communist government issued a decree in 1945 which effectively dissolved all football clubs which were active during the war as a form of punishment for their participation in the fascist-run football championship. Among others, Zagreb-based powerhousesConcordia,HAŠKandGrađanskiall ceased to exist, their property was nationalised, and several other clubs, most notablyDinamo Zagreb,were formed to take their place. On the other hand,Hajduk Splitwas spared as their players had escaped from their Italian-occupied home city ofSplitduring World War II and joinedYugoslav Partisansin 1944. For this reason, Hajduk Split is the only major Croatian club which can claim continuity since its foundation in 1911.

In the period from 1945 to 1990 the Belgrade-based Yugoslav Football Federation was in charge of football in the entire country, while Zagreb was turned into its major regional hub and administrative branch. In this period Croatian clubs competed within the Yugoslav league system and Croatian players were eligible for theYugoslavia national football team.In the following decades Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split became two of the Yugoslav Big Four (along with Belgrade-basedPartizanandRed Star), a quartet of clubs which significantly dominated football in communist Yugoslavia. Dinamo and Hajduk won a combined total of 11Yugoslav First Leaguetitles and 16Yugoslav Cup.In addition, Croatian clubRijekawon 2 Yugoslav Cup titles. Dinamo Zagreb also won the1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup,which made them the first Yugoslav side to win a continental competition, and were the only Yugoslav club with European silverware until Red Star's1990–91 European Cupwin 24 years later.

Modern era (1990–present)

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When thebreakup of Yugoslaviabegan to unfold in the early 1990s, the political situation was reflected on football pitches. On 13 May 1990 aninfamous riotoccurred atMaksimirin Zagreb and interrupted the Dinamo Zagreb – Red Star league fixture. On 3 June 1990 the pre-scheduledYugoslavia–Netherlandsfriendly was held at the same stadium, and some 20,000 Croatian fans booed the Yugoslav national anthem and cheered for the Dutch team instead. On 26 September 1990 Hajduk Split fans staged a violentpitch invasionatPoljudduring a league fixture againstPartizan.On 17 October 1990 the first match of the newly established Croatia national football team was held, afriendly against the United States,and following the end of the1990–91 seasonCroatian clubs decided to abandon Yugoslav competitions.

After Croatia had officially declared independence on 8 October 1991, the Croatian Football Federation sought international recognition, and was finally re-admitted to FIFA on 3 July 1992 and to UEFA on 17 June 1993.[2][5]

In February 1992 theinaugural seasonof the Croatian top leaguePrva HNLkicked off, and in March 1992 thefirst editionof theCroatian Cupwas launched.

In late 2010, the Federation held an election for its President, with Vlatko Marković opposed byIgor Štimac.Marković won by a single vote, and the assembly was marred with controversies.[7]Štimac later appealed, calling for another meeting of the Federation.[8]His supporters organized a new assembly and elected him the new President despite the opposing faction's boycott, leading to an impasse.[9]

In July 2012, the Federation held an election for its President, withDavor Šukeras the only candidate. All 46 delegates voted in favour of Suker's candidature.

Presidents

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Notes
  • The first three presidents 1912–1919 were heads of football sections within the Croatian Sports Federation, the top sports governing body in Croatia, which was at the time a province withinAustria-Hungary.Following World War I and the formation of theKingdom of Yugoslaviathe organisation was re-established in Zagreb in 1919 as theFootball Association of Yugoslaviaand designed as a national-level governing body. Its seat was moved to Yugoslavia's capital Belgrade ten years later in 1929. Although city-level subfederations continued to exist in the 1920s and 1930s there was no separate regional organisation which would govern the sport in Croatia between 1919 and 1939, hence the 20-year gap.
  • In 1939 theBanovina of Croatiawas created as an autonomous province within Yugoslavia, and a new provincial federation carrying the present-day football federation's name was established. Ivo Kraljević headed this body between 1939 and 1941.
  • Following the April 1941invasion of YugoslaviatheIndependent State of Croatia(NDH), an Axis-allied puppet state which included most of the territories of present-day Croatia andBosnia and Herzegovina,was established. The Zagreb-based football federation thus began to govern football in the entire territory of NDH and continued to organize national-level league championship during World War II. During this period NDH was admitted toFIFAand organised 14 international friendlies involving Croatia. Presidents between 1941 and 1945 headed the HNS during this era.
  • After 1945 and the establishment of the communistSFR Yugoslavia,the HNS again became one of its regional federations, charged with governing football inSR Croatia,which became one of Yugoslavia's six federal republics. Presidents from 1945–1990 headed the HNS in this period.
  • After Croatia proclaimed independence in 1991 and thebreakup of Yugoslaviathe HNS became the top football governing body of the newly independent nations. The country was internationally recognized by early 1992, and HNS was admitted to FIFA (again) in July 1992 and to UEFA in June 1993.
List of presidents (1912–1990)
List of presidents (1990–present)

Competitions

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See also:Croatian football league system

It organizes the following competitions:

Men's football
Women's football
Youth football
  • 1. HNL Academy;First league for academy sides, with three age categories for boys: Under 19 (Juniori), Under 17 (Kadeti) and Under 15 (Pioniri), and two for girls Under 17 (Kadetkinje) and Under 15 (Pionirke).
Futsal
  • 1. HMNL(or Prva HMNL): First league
  • 2. HMNL (or Druga HMNL): Second league
  • 1. HMNLŽ (or Prva HMNLŽ): First women's league
Beach Soccer

National teams

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The Croatian Football Federation also organises national football teams representing Croatia at all age levels:

Men's
Women's
Futsal
Beach soccer
  • Croatia beach soccer national team (currently managed by Emanuel Melon)

References

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  1. ^"History - Croatian Football Federation".hns-cff.hr.Retrieved12 February2018.
  2. ^abc"Goal Programme - Croatian Football Federation - 2006".FIFA.20 January 2009. Archived fromthe originalon June 17, 2007.Retrieved26 April2010.
  3. ^abIndex Sport (29 July 2021)."Smijenjen je Davor Šuker. Marijan Kustić novi predsjednik HNS-a".Index.hr(in Croatian).Retrieved29 July2021.
  4. ^Patković, Nikola (19 March 2014)."Davor Šuker potvrdio da se ukida udruga prvoligaša: 'HNL je naša odgovornost!'"[Davor Šuker confirmed that the association of first league clubs is being abolished: 'HNL is our responsibility!'].Sportske novosti(in Croatian).Retrieved18 July2022.
  5. ^ab"About the Croatian Football Federation - Facts and Figures".Croatian Football Federation.Retrieved26 April2010.
  6. ^abc"About the Croatian Football Federation".Croatian Football Federation.Retrieved26 April2010.
  7. ^Boris Bilas (2010-12-17)."Štimac izgubio, cirkus gotov: Marković ostaje na čelu HNS-a"[Štimac loses, show is over: Marković stays at the helm of the HNS].Nacional(in Croatian). Archived fromthe originalon 6 June 2012.Retrieved2011-02-20.
  8. ^"Bitka za HNS - Štimac predao 23 potpisa za izvanrednu skupštinu".Večernji list(in Croatian). 2011-01-19.Retrieved2011-02-20.
  9. ^"Na izvanrednoj skupštini Štimac izabran za predsjednika HNS-a".Poslovni dnevnik(in Croatian). 2011-02-20. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-21.Retrieved2011-02-20.
  10. ^"Preminuo Ivan Kolić"(in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. 24 July 2007.Retrieved17 May2011.
  11. ^ab"Vlatko Marković novi je, šesti po redu predsjednik Hrvatskog nogometnog saveza".Croatian Radiotelevision(in Croatian). 18 December 1998. Archived fromthe originalon 1 September 2014.Retrieved6 July2010.
  12. ^abcdeAbramović, Zlatko (20 December 1998)."Koliko će trajati Vlatko Marković?".Vjesnik(in Croatian). Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2002.Retrieved6 July2010.
  13. ^"Šuker jednoglasno preuzeo vlast".Index.hr.Retrieved5 July2012.
  14. ^"FOTO Davor Šuker jednoglasno izabran za čelnika HNS-a: 'Trudit ću se dostići uspjehe Vlatka Markovića!'".jutarnji.hr.Archived fromthe originalon 20 December 2014.Retrieved17 March2018.
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