If you are a football fan, you have probably heard of this legendary midfielder, former member of the Croatian national team. Robert Prosinecki was born in 1969. in Schwenningen, Germany, where his parents worked. He came to Croatia at a young age and started playing for Dinamo Zagreb, but coach Miroslav Blazevic fired him saying his (in) famous phrase: “If this boy becomes a real soccer player, I will eat my diploma. coach “.
I’m not sure if his diploma remained intact, but Robert Prosinecki later signed for Red Star Belgrade and made his debut for the young Yugoslavia team. In fact, in 1987. Robi or Zuti (‘the yellow one’, because of his blonde hair) caught the world’s attention at the World Junior Championships in Chile where he was named player of the tournament!
Who would have thought that this midfielder would become the only player in World Cup history to score for two different teams? In Italy 1990, Prosinecki scored a goal for Yugoslavia in a group match against the United Arab Emirates. When Yugoslavia fell apart shortly after that, Robi became a prominent member of the Croatian national team. Eight years later, during the final phase of the FIFA World Cup in France, he scored 2 goals, in a group stage match against Jamaica and in the third-place match against the Netherlands. The second goal included his famous technique, which completely fooled the opposing players.
Croatia won third place that year (with forward Davor Suker as the Golden Boot winner), but among many Croats there is still regret for what might have happened if coach Blazevic had not left Robert Prosinecki on a bench during the semi-final match against France. , which Croatia lost 1: 2.
However, third place in a World Cup will forever remain the crown of his career, but let’s not forget that he also won the European Cup with the Red Star of Belgrade in 1991 and played for the two great clubs in Spain, Real. Madrid and Barcelona. At Portsmouth, where he played only in the 2001/2002 season, Robert is now considered a hero and his nickname was “Croatian Magician”.
I met this soccer genius about 10 years ago, you never guess where, in the art gallery! No, he did not become a painter, but he opened a painting exhibition as a special guest. Calm and down-to-earth, he then gave autographs and took photos with his fans.
Robert Prosinecki ended his playing career in 2004, but his famous dribbling, passing and goals are already part of the great moments in football history.