Nikola Pokrivač facts for kids
Pokrivač in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 November 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Čakovec, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Date of death | 18 April 2025 (aged 39) | ||
| Place of death | Karlovac, Croatia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1997 | Bratstvo Jurovec | ||
| 1997–2001 | Čakovec | ||
| 2001–2004 | Varteks | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2006 | NK Varteks | 68 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | → Međimurje (loan) | ||
| 2007–2008 | Dinamo Zagreb | 30 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Monaco | 32 | (2) |
| 2009–2011 | Red Bull Salzburg | 30 | (4) |
| 2011–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | 15 | (2) |
| 2013 | → Inter Zaprešić (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | HNK Rijeka | 16 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | Shakhter Karagandy | 22 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Maccabi Petah Tikva | 0 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Slaven Belupo | 11 | (1) |
| 2021–2023 | Pušća | 46 | (13) |
| 2023–2024 | GNK Tigar Sveta Nedelja | 27 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Vojnić '95 | 21 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Croatia U21 | 8 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Croatia | 15 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019 | Rudeš (assistant) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Ravnice (youth team coach) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Pušća (youth team coach) | ||
| 2023–2024 | Rudeš (youth team coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nikola Pokrivač was a Croatian professional football player. He was born on November 26, 1985, and passed away on April 18, 2025. He played as a midfielder, which is a key position in football.
Contents
Nikola Pokrivač's Football Journey
Early Career at NK Varteks
Nikola Pokrivač started playing football at a young age with a local team called Bratstvo Jurovec. He then continued his youth training at Čakovec and NK Varteks. By the summer of 2004, he joined Varteks' main team.
He made his first professional league appearance for Varteks on August 7, 2004, against Zadar. In 2005, he became a regular player for the club. Nikola also played in European matches, including the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2005 and the UEFA Cup qualifiers in 2006. In 2006, he helped Varteks reach the final of the Croatian Football Cup, but they lost to HNK Rijeka in a very close game.
Playing for Dinamo Zagreb
Because of his strong performances at Varteks, Nikola moved to Dinamo Zagreb, one of Croatia's biggest clubs, in early 2007. He quickly became an important player for his new team. He helped Dinamo win both the Croatian league and cup titles in 2007. He also gained more experience in European competitions, playing in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and the UEFA Cup.
Time with AS Monaco
On January 30, 2008, Nikola Pokrivač moved to France to play for AS Monaco in Ligue 1. He signed a contract for four and a half years. His first game for Monaco was on February 23, 2008, against Paris Saint-Germain. He played the entire match, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
During his second season with Monaco, he scored his first goal in Ligue 1 on October 29, 2008, helping Monaco win 3–1 against Nancy. He also set up another goal in that game. A month later, he scored the only goal in Monaco's 1–0 victory over Auxerre. He played 23 games in Ligue 1 during the 2008–09 season. He also scored a goal in the Coupe de France against Ajaccio in March 2009.
Joining Red Bull Salzburg
On August 24, 2009, Nikola signed a three-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He made his debut for the club on August 29, 2009. He came into the game as a substitute and scored his first goal for Salzburg just six minutes later, helping his team win 4–0.
He scored his second goal for Salzburg on September 26, 2009. He also had an amazing game on October 4, 2009, in a 7–1 win. He helped set up two goals and scored one himself in the first half.
Return to Dinamo Zagreb
On August 16, 2011, Nikola Pokrivač signed a four-year contract to return to Dinamo Zagreb.
Loan to Inter Zaprešić
During the winter of 2012–13, Nikola was loaned to Inter Zaprešić for the rest of the season.
Playing for HNK Rijeka
On June 7, 2013, Nikola Pokrivač signed a two-year contract with HNK Rijeka.
Time at Shakhter Karagandy
In the summer of 2014, Nikola joined Shakhter Karagandy.
Slaven Belupo and Retirement
In 2015, Nikola was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. After getting better, he joined Slaven Belupo in Croatia. He scored his last professional goal in April 2016 against his former club, HNK Rijeka. However, his illness returned in 2016 and 2017. He received a special medical procedure called a bone marrow transplant from his mother, Ana. After fully recovering, he announced his retirement from professional football in November 2017.
Amateur Football Comeback
In September 2021, Nikola returned to football, but this time as an amateur player. He joined NK Pušća, a team in the sixth division. In his second season there, his team won their league and a local cup. After that, Nikola moved to GNK Tigar in Sveta Nedelja, a fifth-tier club. After one year, he moved to another fifth-tier club, Vojnić '95.
International Football for Croatia
Nikola Pokrivač played for the Croatia under-21 national team. He also represented his country at the under-17 and under-19 levels. Between 2001 and 2006, he played a total of 39 international games for Croatia's youth teams and scored three goals.
On May 5, 2008, he was called up to play for the senior Croatia national team for the first time. He was part of the 23-player squad for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. His first game for the national team was on May 24, 2008, in a friendly match against Moldova. At Euro 2008, he played in Croatia's final group match against Poland, where Croatia won 1–0.
Nikola played in five matches during Croatia's qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in games against Kazakhstan and England. He earned a total of 15 caps (appearances) for the national team. His last international game was a friendly match against Norway in October 2010.
Personal Life and Passing
Nikola Pokrivač was married to Katarina Pokrivač, and they had one daughter. He bravely faced his health challenges after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Nikola Pokrivač passed away on April 18, 2025, in a car accident near Karlovac. The accident involved four cars and sadly resulted in another person's death, with three others seriously injured.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| NK Varteks | 2002–03 | Prva HNL | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 25 | 1 | ||||
| 2005–06 | 28 | 0 | 8 | 1 | – | 6 | 0 | 42 | 1 | |||
| 2006–07 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||
| Međimurje Čakovec (loan) | 2003–04 | Druga HNL | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2006–07 | Prva HNL | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | 28 | 5 | |||
| Monaco | 2007–08 | Ligue 1 | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 28 | 3 | |||
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2009–10 | Austrian Bundesliga | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2010–11 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | – | 7 | 1 | 17 | 3 | |||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Inter Zaprešić (loan) | 2012–13 | Prva HNL | 12 | 0 | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| HNK Rijeka | 2013–14 | Prva HNL | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | 26 | 3 | |
| Shakhter Karagandy | 2014 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 | 1 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Maccabi Petah Tikva | 2015–16 | Israeli Premier League | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Slaven Belupo | 2015–16 | Prva HNL | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Career total | 237 | 17 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 3 | 321 | 21 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2008 | 5 | 0 |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 0 | |
Honours and Achievements
Nikola Pokrivač won several titles during his career:
- Međimurje Čakovec
- Druga HNL: 2003–04
- Dinamo Zagreb
- Croatian First Football League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
- Croatian Football Cup: 2007, 2008, 2012
- Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Football Bundesliga: 2009–10
- HNK Rijeka
- Croatian Football Cup: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Nikola Pokrivač para niños
