Zvonimir Boban facts for kids
Boban in 2008
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 8 October 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Imotski, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1981 | Mračaj Runović | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Hajduk Split | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1985 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1991 | Dinamo Zagreb | 112 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–2001 | AC Milan | 178 | (21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | → Bari (loan) | 17 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | → Celta Vigo (loan) | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 311 | (68) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | Yugoslavia U20 | 6 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1991 | Yugoslavia | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1999 | Croatia | 49 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zvonimir Boban (born 8 October 1968) is a famous Croatian former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and is known for his time with the Italian club AC Milan. With AC Milan, he won four Serie A titles and one UEFA Champions League title.
Boban also captained the Croatia national team. He led them to a fantastic third-place finish at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Before Croatia's national team was officially recognized, Boban played for the Yugoslavia under-20 team. They won the 1987 World Youth Championship. Boban scored three goals in that tournament, including one in the final. He also scored the winning penalty in the shootout.
He played seven times for the senior Yugoslavia team, scoring once. After Croatia became independent, Boban joined their national team. He played 49 games for Croatia between 1992 and 1999, scoring 12 goals.
After he stopped playing football in 2002, Boban earned a history degree from the University of Zagreb. He also became a football expert on TV in Croatia and Italy. Since June 2025, he has been the chairman of the board for GNK Dinamo Zagreb.
Contents
Club Football Career
Starting at Dinamo Zagreb
Zvonimir Boban was born in Imotski, Croatia. He began his football journey with Dinamo Zagreb. He played his first game for the team in the 1985–86 season when he was just 16 years old. Over six seasons, he played 109 games for the club. He scored 45 goals and became the team captain at 19.
Famous Incident at Dinamo Zagreb
On 13 May 1990, during a game against Red Star Belgrade, a riot broke out. Boban famously kicked a police officer who was hurting a Dinamo fan. This event made Boban a symbol of resistance in Croatia. Many people saw it as a sign of Croatian unhappiness with the government at the time.
Because of this incident, Boban was not allowed to play for the Yugoslav national team. This meant he missed the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In 2011, CNN called this match one of "five football games that changed the world." The police officer involved later forgave Boban.
Playing in Italy: Serie A
AC Milan signed Boban in 1991 for a large sum of money. Milan first loaned him to Bari. They wanted him to get used to playing in Italy. Bari was relegated that season, but Boban showed his great skills.
He then returned to AC Milan and stayed there for nine seasons. He had amazing success with the club. He helped them win the Champions League title in 1994. They also reached the final in 1995. Boban played 251 games for Milan and scored 30 goals. He won four Serie A titles and three Italian Supercups.
In 2001, AC Milan signed another player, Rui Costa, which meant Boban played less. He was loaned to La Liga team Celta Vigo in Spain. He only played four league matches there. He was not happy being a substitute, so he decided to retire in October 2001.
International Football Career
Playing for Yugoslavia
Boban was a key player for Yugoslavia when they won the 1987 World Youth Championship. He scored three goals in this tournament. He also scored a crucial penalty in the final shootout.
For the senior national team, he played seven games for Yugoslavia. This was between 1988 and 1991. He scored his only goal for Yugoslavia in his last game against the Faroe Islands in May 1991.
Playing for Croatia
When Croatia became an independent country, Boban chose to play for the Croatia. His first international game for Croatia was against Romania in December 1990. This game was not officially recognized by FIFA at the time.
Boban played his last game for Croatia in a friendly match against France in November 1999. He said back pain made him decide to stop playing for the national team. In total, Boban played 49 games for Croatia and scored 12 goals.
1998 World Cup Success
Boban was the captain of the Croatian team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Croatia finished third in the tournament, which was a huge achievement. He also captained the team at the 1996 European Championship.
At the 1998 World Cup, Boban had a unique haircut. The number 10 (his jersey number) was shaved onto the back of his head and colored red. In the semi-final, he made a mistake that allowed France to score right after Croatia had taken the lead. Boban was injured during this game but stayed on until the 65th minute. France won 2–1 and went on to win the tournament.
Croatia then played against the Netherlands for third place. Boban made a great pass to Davor Šuker who scored the winning goal. This secured the bronze medal for Croatia.
How Zvonimir Boban Played
Boban was nicknamed Zorro because of his clever and tricky style of play. He was a very talented and creative player. He was also known for being tough and working hard on the field. He often used fake moves, called feints, to get past opponents.
He had excellent vision, meaning he could see the whole field well. He was great at passing the ball and had amazing dribbling skills. He was also very good at making the final pass that led to a goal. Boban was smart about tactics and could play in many different positions in the midfield and attack.
He often played as a playmaker behind the main strikers. He could also play on the wing, as a central midfielder, or even as a supporting striker. He was known for his powerful and accurate shots from far away. He was also good at set-pieces, like free kicks. Boban was also known for being a strong leader and very determined on the field.
Life After Playing Football
Boban officially retired from football in 2002. On 7 October 2002, he organized a special farewell game. Croatia's 1998 World Cup team played against a "World XI" team. Famous players like Rivaldo and Marco van Basten took part.
After retiring, Boban, who was always interested in books, finished his history degree. He graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb in 2004. His final paper was about "Christianity in the Roman Empire."
He also started a career in sports journalism. He was the head of the Croatian sports newspaper Sportske novosti. He also worked as a co-commentator for Croatia national team matches on TV. He was a commentator for SKY Italia and wrote columns for La Gazzetta dello Sport. Boban became known for being honest and direct in his comments. He also owns a restaurant in Zagreb called "Boban."
Boban has always said he would never become a coach. He once said, "Football has broadened my horizons. For a while, I will take a rest from it but one thing is certain. Never, never shall I become a coach. My nerves are not up to it."
Working for FIFA
On 30 May 2016, Boban was appointed as FIFA's Deputy Secretary-General. His job was to help develop the game and organize competitions. He strongly supported using technology in football, like the video assistant referee (VAR). He played a big part in developing VAR. During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, which was the first World Cup with VAR, he worked closely with the heads of FIFA's refereeing department.
He resigned from FIFA on 14 June 2019, after three years. FIFA President Gianni Infantino thanked him, saying Boban had shown great commitment and passion.
Returning to AC Milan
In June 2019, Boban left his job at FIFA to go back to his old club, AC Milan. He was hired as the Chief Football Officer. He worked closely with the club's technical director, Paolo Maldini. However, he was fired on 7 March 2020. This happened after he publicly criticized the club's CEO, who was talking to a German manager about a job without telling Boban and Maldini.
Working for UEFA
In April 2021, Boban was hired by UEFA as the Chief of Football. He was the first person to hold this position.
Back to GNK Dinamo
In April 2025, it was announced that Boban would become the new chairman of the board for GNK Dinamo Zagreb. This meant he returned to the club he once captained, almost 34 years later. Boban started his official role as chairman on 1 June 2025. He is now in charge of the club's entire sports policy.
Personal Life
Boban married Leonarda Lončar, a fashion designer, in 1994. They have five children. Four of their children, Marija, Gabrijel, Marta, and Rafael, are adopted. Their biological daughter is named Ruža (Rose). The couple separated in 2021 but got back together in 2024.
Boban also loves playing tennis. He is good friends with the famous tennis player Goran Ivanišević. They often play together on Boban's private indoor clay tennis court.
Honours and Awards
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1992, 1993, 1994
- UEFA Champions League: 1993–94
- UEFA Super Cup: 1994
Yugoslavia
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1987
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1990
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup third place: 1998
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Youth Championship Silver Ball: 1987 (This award is for the second-best player in the tournament)
- Croatian Footballer of the Year: 1991, 1999
- Ballon d'Or: 1994 (24th place). He was also nominated in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
- SN Yellow Shirt Award: 1991
- Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport: 1998, 2002 (This is a high sports award in Croatia)
- UEFA Jubilee Poll (2004): #92 (He was voted as one of the top 100 European players)
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
- Fair Play Menarini Award 2017
- Globe Soccer Awards 2018: Special Career Award
Orders (Special Recognitions)
Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar: 1995
Order of the Croatian Trefoil: 1998
See also
In Spanish: Zvonimir Boban para niños
