Heart of Hajduk Award
Encyclopedia
Heart of Hajduk is an annual football award established in 1994 and officially awarded by the Hajduk Split
supporters' association Torcida Split
to the Hajduk player of the year, e.g. the team's best performing player during the season.
The inaugural winner of the award was midfielder Ante Miše
, a key player in the squad which won the Croatian championship in the 1993–94 season. Two players have won the award twice - striker Nenad Pralija
in 1995 and 1996, and goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa
in 2000 and 2002. As of 2011, only three foreign players received the award (Josip Skoko
in 1998, Mirko Hrgović
in 2007 and Senijad Ibričić
in 2010), although they all hold Croatian citizenship. Hrgović was originally Croatian but had made a name for himself playing in Bosnia and Herzegovina
, where he was given citizenship and was called up to play for the national side, while Skoko is a Croatian Australian
.
In 2006 the title wasn't awarded because, according to supporters' judgment, none of the players deserved it following a string of bad results in both domestic competitions which saw Hajduk, widely considered a powerhouse in Croatian football, finishing fifth in the national championship and exiting the 2005–06 Croatian Cup
in the semi-finals.
In 2009 the club had initially struggled to find their form, but improved later in the season and eventually finished second in the championship and runners-up in the 2008–09 Croatian Cup (after coming back from a 3–0 defeat to their biggest rivals Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg and then losing the final in a penalty shootout). The supporters' frustration with yet another trophiless season was further increased when Hajduk went through much turmoil related to the transformation of the debt-ridden club into a public limited company
in the summer of 2009. In addition, the team experienced a series of humiliating results at the beginning of the 2009–10 season
, and this all led to the cancellation of the award for the second time since its establishment. On 11 August 2011, the award was posthumously awarded to legendary Hajduk manager Tomislav Ivić
who died in June 2011.
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
supporters' association Torcida Split
Torcida Split
Torcida is a Hajduk Split supporters group, from Croatia, founded on 28 October 1950. The name "Torcida" is the Brazilian Portuguese word for "supporters". Club fans operate from Zrinsko Frankopanska-17, Split...
to the Hajduk player of the year, e.g. the team's best performing player during the season.
The inaugural winner of the award was midfielder Ante Miše
Ante Miše
Ante Miše is a former Croatian footballer who in the 1980s and 90s spent most of his career at Hajduk Split. During his playing career with Hajduk he won the Yugoslav cup, three Croatian titles and three Croatian cups...
, a key player in the squad which won the Croatian championship in the 1993–94 season. Two players have won the award twice - striker Nenad Pralija
Nenad Pralija
Nenad Pralija, , is a former Croatian footballer.-Club career:Pralija started his career at his hometown club RNK Split where he spent three years before moving to the local powerhouse Hajduk Split...
in 1995 and 1996, and goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa
Stipe Pletikosa
Stipe Pletikosa is a Croatian football goalkeeper who plays for the Russian Premier League club FC Rostov and the Croatian national team, for which he has made 86 appearances.-Hajduk Split:...
in 2000 and 2002. As of 2011, only three foreign players received the award (Josip Skoko
Josip Skoko
Josip Skoko is a former Australian football player who last played as a Central Midfielder for A-League club Melbourne Heart.-Early career:...
in 1998, Mirko Hrgović
Mirko Hrgovic
Mirko Hrgović is a Croatia-born Bosnian football player who most current playes for Croatian club RNK Split.-NK Široki Brijeg:...
in 2007 and Senijad Ibričić
Senijad Ibricic
Senijad Ibričić is a Bosnian football player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Lokomotiv Moscow and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. He holds both Bosnian and Croatian citizenship....
in 2010), although they all hold Croatian citizenship. Hrgović was originally Croatian but had made a name for himself playing in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, where he was given citizenship and was called up to play for the national side, while Skoko is a Croatian Australian
Croatian Australian
Croatia has been a source of migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.- History :...
.
In 2006 the title wasn't awarded because, according to supporters' judgment, none of the players deserved it following a string of bad results in both domestic competitions which saw Hajduk, widely considered a powerhouse in Croatian football, finishing fifth in the national championship and exiting the 2005–06 Croatian Cup
2005–06 Croatian Cup
The 2005–06 Croatian Cup was the fifteenth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.-Calendar:-Preliminary round:The preliminary round was held on 31 August, 2005.-First round:Matches played on 21 September, 2005.-Second round:...
in the semi-finals.
In 2009 the club had initially struggled to find their form, but improved later in the season and eventually finished second in the championship and runners-up in the 2008–09 Croatian Cup (after coming back from a 3–0 defeat to their biggest rivals Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg and then losing the final in a penalty shootout). The supporters' frustration with yet another trophiless season was further increased when Hajduk went through much turmoil related to the transformation of the debt-ridden club into a public limited company
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
in the summer of 2009. In addition, the team experienced a series of humiliating results at the beginning of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Prva HNL
The 2009–10 Prva HNL season was the nineteenth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 24 July 2009 and ended on 13 May 2010...
, and this all led to the cancellation of the award for the second time since its establishment. On 11 August 2011, the award was posthumously awarded to legendary Hajduk manager Tomislav Ivić
Tomislav Ivic
Tomislav Ivić was a Croatian football player and manager.Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game...
who died in June 2011.
Winners
- Names in bold indicate multiple winners.
International caps correct as of 6 September 2011.
| Season | Name | Position | Nationality | Int. caps Cap (sport) In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football... |
Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
 Independent State of Croatia |
7 | ||
| 1994–95 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Independent State of Croatia |
11 | ||
| 1995–96 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Independent State of Croatia |
11 | ||
| 1996–97 | Goalkeeper | Independent State of Croatia |
9 | ||
| 1997–98 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
 Australia |
51 | ||
| 1998–99 | Defender Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
Independent State of Croatia |
1 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Goalkeeper | Independent State of Croatia |
85 | ||
| 2000–01 | Forward | Independent State of Croatia |
14 | ||
| 2001–02 | Goalkeeper | Independent State of Croatia |
85 | ||
| 2002–03 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Independent State of Croatia |
86 | ||
| 2003–04 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Independent State of Croatia |
2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Goalkeeper | Independent State of Croatia |
0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Heart of Hajduk was not awarded. | ||||
| 2006–07 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
29 | ||
| 2007–08 | Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Independent State of Croatia |
5 | ||
| 2008–09 | Heart of Hajduk was not awarded. | ||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 HNK Hajduk Split season This article shows statistics of individual players for the football club Hajduk Split. It also lists all matches that Hajduk Split will play in the 2009–10 season.-Current squad:-Kit:||-Overall:-Classification:... |
Midfielder Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
34 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 HNK Hajduk Split season The 2010–11 season was the 100th season in Hajduk Split’s history and their twentieth in the Prva HNL. Their 2nd place finish in the 2009–10 season meant it was their 20th successive season playing in the Prva HNL. It was the third tenure for manager Stanko Poklepović at Hajduk, after he was... |
Independent State of Croatia |
0 | |||
External links
- Hajduk Split official website
- Torcida Split official website
- Heart of Hajduk at torcidakup.com