345: Zvonimir Boban, Hrvatska, Panini England European Football Championship ’96

We have another request post today courtesy of Cantona’s Collars. Writing this post is the least we could do due to his patience with our Twitter spam and if you are a Manchester United fan his account is an absolute must follow for all things relating to the Red Devils past and present. Today’s subject never played for United but ticks some massive boxes for us due to his pivotal roles in the great AC Milan and Croatia sides of the 1990s and his excellent facial hair. Unfortunately he didn’t follow in Tomas Brolin’s footsteps and trade in Serie A for Selhurst Park but we’ll let him off on that front. Cantona’s Collars – we hope this does the trick!

My love of history really began to grow when I was in Year 4 and my class were asked to do some research on the Second World War. I was lucky enough to be able to access primary source material in the form of my three surviving grandparents and was genuinely fascinated by my Gran’s stories of moving over from Ireland to work in an aircraft factory, my Grandad’s tales of taking pot shots at mines from the decks during his time in the Royal Navy and my Nanna’s anxiety over the cake that she’d left cooking at school during an air raid. My other Grandad was sadly not around to tell me anything having died as a result of the injuries he suffered during the evacuation of Dunkirk. This fascination with the Second World War formed the basis of my undergraduate dissertation on Ireland’s role in the conflict and was once again based on the stories of those who experienced it and the different roles they played during what Ireland referred to as ‘The Emergency’. These personal stories, and their link to my family’s history, definitely encouraged me to make a career out of the subject especially as it was abundantly clear I was never going to make it as a footballer.

Zvonimir Boban on the other hand managed to do both. At the end of his playing days in 2002 he enrolled in the University of Zagreb to undertake a history degree and graduated in 2004 with a thesis entitled ‘Christianity in the Roman Empire’. It’s intriguing to see that the former Croatian captain chose to research a persecuted minority group whose teachings and culture went on to arguably have greater influence than their oppressors. Having made his debut for Dinamo Zagreb, then of the Yugoslav First League, at the age of 16 in 1985 Boban quickly established himself in the club’s first team and was made captain at the tender age of 19. Around this time Yugoslavia held its first multi-party elections in over half a century with nationalist parties in the various regions of the collapsing communist state making significant gains. Whilst this was good news for those in Croatia and Slovenia these developments were far less popular in Serbia and it was with this backdrop that Dinamo Zagreb met Red Star Belgrade in a top of the table clash.

Every young suburban lad who owns a couple of flags and a large drum and therefore considers themselves an ‘ultra’ would do well to research the fans of two of former Yugoslavia’s biggest clubs before making such bold proclamations. Dinamo Zagreb’s Bad Blue Boys were passionate supporters of Franjo Tudman, who would go on to become Croatia’s first president following independence, and were therefore not particularly pleased when Red Star’s notorious Delije tore up seats in their Maksimir Stadium chanting “Zagreb is Serbian” and “We Kill Tudman”. The ensuing riot was only brought under control after police reinforcements arrived with armoured vans and water cannons, their tear gas and batons having failed to disperse the rival factions, by which time the stadium was ablaze. Whilst Red Star’s players had safely escaped the pitch many of the home side were trapped including Zvonimir Boban. Rather than run for cover the young club captain rushed to the defence of a Dinamo fan on the wrong end of some heavy-handed police work and kicked the offending officer in the head. 

Many Croat nationalists interpreted Boban’s actions as a symbol of their resistance against Serbia and his subsequent six-month ban by the Football Association of Yugoslavia only furthered the midfielder’s reputation. The ban denied him the opportunity to play at Italia ’90 but he found himself in the country only a year later when AC Milan stumped up £8m to bring him to the Rossoneri. He spent his first season in Italy on loan at Bari forging an impressive midfield partnership with David Platt albeit one that wasn’t strong enough to prevent the Biancorossi’s relegation from Serie A. He quickly established himself in an AC Milan side which went on to win four Scudetti, three Suppercoppa Italiana, one Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup in the 1990s. During this time Boban was made captain of the newly independent Croatia leading them to the 1996 European Championship in England and the 1998 World Cup in France where they finished in an impressive third place.

Boban called time on his international career in 1999 citing back pain but played two more seasons for AC Milan before a short loan stint at Celta Vigo which convinced him to call time on his career in 2001. After gaining his aforementioned history degree he slipped easily into punditry and gained a reputation as an astute and outspoken commentator in both Croatia and Italy. In 2016 he took up a role at FIFA and is credited with being one of the main advocates for the increased use of technology in the beautiful game. Next time VAR deny your side a goal in an inconsequential mid-table clash you know who to blame. He moved back to AC Milan in 2019 to serve as the club’s Chief Football Officer alongside former team-mate Paolo Maldini but was dismissed a year later for criticising the club’s owner, Ivan Gazidis, after he looked to appoint a new manager for the club behind Boban’s back. Earlier this year he became UEFA’s first Chief of Football whatever that might entail. 

Despite his incredible CV he has dismissed any possibility of stepping into management stating his “nerves are not up to it”. I think the people of Croatia and the fans of AC Milan, to whom he remains a hero, might disagree with that. After all it’s one thing to write history but it’s another to make it.