The Croatian Football Federation has confirmed the death of former national team midfielder Nikola Pokrivac, who passed away in a car accident in central Croatia at the age of 39.
Pokrivac, who earned 15 caps for Croatia between 2008 and 2010, had a distinguished career that saw him play for clubs such as Dinamo Zagreb, AS Monaco, and Red Bull Salzburg.
In 2015, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a condition that brought an early end to his professional career.
However, showing remarkable resilience, he returned to the pitch in 2021 to play amateur football, joining lower-tier side NK Vojnić last year.
According to local reports, Pokrivac was travelling with three teammates on Friday evening when their vehicle was involved in a four-car crash in Karlovac, a city in central Croatia.
A 42-year-old from another vehicle also lost their life, while Pokrivac’s teammates sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized.
Paying tribute, Croatian Football Federation president Marijan Kustić said: “Throughout his life, Nikola remained devoted to football and demonstrated immense bravery in battling illness. His passing is a profound loss to Croatian football and especially heartbreaking for his family.”
