FILE - Salzburg's Nikola Pokrivac, left, and Sturm's Peter Hlinka challenge for the ball during the Austrian soccer league match between Red Bull Salzburg and Sturm Graz, in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, file)

Former Croatia midfielder Nikola Pokrivač dies in car accident at age 39

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Nikola Pokrivač, a former Croatia national team midfielder who played at the 2008 European Championship, has died in a car accident, his country’s soccer federation said. He was 39.

The federation announced that Pokrivač died Friday night in a car accident in the city of Karlovac.

Pokrivač played for Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco and Salzburg before being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015.

Pokrivač made 15 appearances for Croatia’s national team.

Marijan Kustić, president of the Croatian Football Federation, called Pokrivač a “great football player” who “showed great courage in life by overcoming a terrible disease.” He offered condolences to Pokrivač’s family.

FILE – Croatia’s squad, top from left: Ivica Olic, Vedran Runje, Ivica Krizanac, Vedran Corluka, Ognjen Vukojevic, Niko Kranjcar, bottom: Darijo Srna, Ivan Klasnic, Nikola Pokrivac, Danijel Pranjic, and Robert Kovac pose ahead of their friendly soccer match with Qatar, at Kantrida stadium in Rijeka, Croatia, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, file)

Dinamo said in a statement that Pokrivač was a talented midfielder who played 69 times for the team and participated in four championship titles.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles