Jurica Jerković facts for kids

Jurica "Jure" Jerković (born February 25, 1950 – died June 3, 2019) was a famous Croatian football player. He was an attacking midfielder, which means he helped both attack and defense. He played for Hajduk Split in the 1970s. People knew him for his amazing skills in setting up goals and his love for the game. He was the captain of Hajduk's best team ever, led by coach Tomislav Ivić.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Hajduk Split

Jurica Jerković was born in Split. He started his football journey at Hajduk Split when he was young. His coach in the youth academy was Tomislav Ivić, who later became his senior team manager. Before playing for the main team, he spent a year on loan at RNK Split.

In 1968, Jerković returned to Hajduk and began his professional career. He was part of a new team built by Tomislav Ivić. This team became very strong in the Yugoslav First League during the 1970s.

Winning Trophies with Hajduk

Jerković won his first trophy in 1971. Hajduk won the Yugoslav championship that year. It was their first league title in 16 years. In 1972, coach Ivić took charge again, and Jerković won his first Yugoslav Cup. He won the cup again the next season.

In 1973, some older players left Hajduk. Tomislav Ivić returned to manage the team. He used the talented young players he had trained, including Jerković. In 1974, Hajduk played OFK Beograd in the last game of the season. They needed to win to become champions. Jurica Jerković scored the second goal in the 89th minute, securing the championship. Hajduk also won the 1974 Yugoslav Cup that year. This was the first time they won both the league and the cup in the same season.

Captain and Star Player

Jurica Jerković became the team captain around this time. He, Ivica Šurjak, and Slaviša Žungul formed a fantastic trio. They created most of the goals for Hajduk. In 1975, Jerković won another Yugoslav championship. This was special because it was the first time Hajduk successfully defended their title. That season, he scored one of his most beautiful goals against FK Velež.

In 1976, Hajduk was fighting FK Partizan for the championship. Hajduk beat Partizan 6–1 in a big match. However, Partizan won the championship in the last round. Jerković still won the Yugoslav Cup that season. In 1977, he won his fifth Yugoslav Cup in a row. Jerković also won the Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award in 1971 and 1976. This award goes to the best player.

European Competitions

Jerković also played in many UEFA club competitions with Hajduk. In 1973, they reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-final. They were knocked out by Leeds United. In 1974, they had a tough loss in the European Cup against AS Saint-Étienne. They won the first game 4–1 but lost the second 1–5.

His biggest success in Europe was reaching the 1975 European Cup quarter-final. They were defeated by PSV Eindhoven. In his last season for Hajduk, they lost on penalties to Rapid Vienna in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals. Jerković left Hajduk in 1978 and moved to FC Zürich.

Hajduk Legacy

Jurica Jerković was known as one of the last "romantic" footballers. Fans loved him very much. Many people still believe he was one of the best players in Hajduk's history. His jersey number, 10, is still given only to the best players at Hajduk. These players must prove they are worthy of wearing it. He played 529 games for Hajduk and scored 219 goals. He is the 6th most capped player in Hajduk's history. In 2011, he was chosen for the Hajduk "Team of the Century." This team features the best 11 players since 1911.

Playing for FC Zürich

In 1978, Jerković moved to FC Zürich in Switzerland. He was 28 years old. While playing there, he helped them win the Swiss championship in 1981. They also won the Swiss League Cup in the same year. He played in the 1981–82 European Cup. In that competition, he scored three goals in one game against Dynamo Berlin.

Jerković won the Swiss Foreign Footballer of the Year award three times: in 1979, 1982, and 1983. He is remembered as one of the best foreign players in the club's history. In 1985, at age 35, he left Zürich for FC Lugano. He played there until he retired from football in 1987.

International Career

Jerković played for the Yugoslavia national team. His first international game was on April 12, 1970, against Hungary. He scored his first goal in a 2–0 win against the Netherlands. This was during the 1972 UEFA Euro qualifiers.

In July 1971, he played in Pelé's farewell match. He scored an amazing long-distance goal in that game. He played three matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Yugoslavia made it to the second round in that tournament. He also helped his team reach the UEFA Euro 1976. He played in both matches there, but Yugoslavia lost them.

His last game for Yugoslavia was on November 29, 1981, against Greece. This was during the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was chosen for the Yugoslav team for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. However, he did not play in any matches there. After the 1982 World Cup, he retired from the national team. He played 43 games for Yugoslavia and scored 6 goals.

International Goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	4 April 1971	Stadion Stari plac, Split	Netherlands	1 – 0	2 – 0	1972 UEFA Euro qualifiers
2	18 July 1971	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	2 – 2	2 – 2	Pelé's farewell match
3	29 June 1972	Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte	Scotland	2 – 2	2 – 2	Exhibition game
4	29 May 1974	Sóstói Stadion, Székesfehérvár	Hungary	2 – 0	2 – 4	Exhibition game
5	23 March 1977	Stadion JNA, Belgrade	Soviet Union	2 – 3	2 – 4	Exhibition game
6	29 November 1981	Karaiskakis Stadium, Athens	Greece	2 – 1	2 – 1	World Cup 1982 Qualifying

Honours

Club

Hajduk Split

• Yugoslav First League (3): 1971, 1974, 1975
• Yugoslav Cup (5): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977

FC Zürich

• Swiss Super League (1): 1981
• Swiss League Cup (1): 1981

Individual

• Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award (2): 1971, 1976
• Swiss Foreign Footballer of the Year (3): 1979, 1982, 1983