1. Early life
1.1. Birth and childhood
Dražan Jerković was born on August 6, 1936, in Šibenik, a city that was then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His first name is sometimes (incorrectly) spelled "Dražen".
2. Playing career
Dražan Jerković's professional playing career, predominantly with Dinamo Zagreb, was marked by prolific goal-scoring and significant achievements, though it was cut short by severe injuries. He also briefly played internationally for the Croatia national team before making a prominent mark with the Yugoslavia national team.
2.1. Club career
Jerković spent the majority of his club career with Dinamo Zagreb, playing for the club from 1954 to 1965. During his time with Dinamo, he made 142 league appearances, scoring 96 goals. Across all competitions, he scored an impressive 300 goals in 315 games for the club, establishing himself as one of their most prolific strikers. He contributed to Dinamo Zagreb's success, winning the Yugoslav First League title in the 1957-58 season and securing the Yugoslav Cup in 1960 and 1965. In the 1961-62 season, Jerković was also the top scorer in the Yugoslav First League.
Unfortunately, severe injuries forced him to retire early from playing, at what was considered the height of his career. After leaving Dinamo Zagreb, Jerković had a brief stint with Belgian club AA La Gantoise during the 1965-66 season, where he made 3 appearances and scored 1 goal before officially retiring.
2.2. International career
Jerković represented the Yugoslavia national team between 1960 and 1964, earning 21 caps and scoring 11 goals. He was a key player in two major international tournaments.
In the 1960 European Football Championship, Jerković scored two goals against France in the semifinal, which Yugoslavia won by a score of 5-4. In the final match, Yugoslavia narrowly lost to the Soviet Union (2-1 after extra time), finishing as runners-up in the tournament.
Jerković was also a member of the Yugoslav squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, though he did not make any appearances in that tournament. His most significant international performance came at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. He scored four goals in the tournament, finishing as the top goalscorer, sharing the World Cup Golden Boot with five other players: Garrincha, Vavá, Leonel Sánchez, Flórián Albert, and Valentin Ivanov. Yugoslavia reached the semifinals, beating Germany in the quarter-finals, but then lost to Czechoslovakia (3-1) and subsequently to Chile in the third-place match (1-0), ultimately securing fourth place.
Jerković also holds the distinction of having played in a single international match for the Croatia national team. This appearance occurred in 1956, when the Croatia national team was assembled in communist Yugoslavia for a friendly match against the Indonesia national team. His final international appearance for Yugoslavia was a friendly match against Austria in September 1964.
3. Managerial career
After concluding his playing career, Dražan Jerković transitioned into football management, holding several coaching positions at both club and national team levels.
His managerial career included stints with:
- Dinamo Zagreb (1971-1972)
- FC Kärnten (1973-1974)
- Villacher SV (1974-1975)
- Dinamo Vinkovci (1975-1976)
- NK Zagreb (1976-1982)
Jerković also served as a coach for the Yugoslavia national team in 1978. Most notably, he holds a significant place in Croatian football history as the first manager of the Croatia national team after Croatia gained independence, leading the team from 1990 to 1992. He was succeeded by Stanko Poklepović in this role.
4. Achievements and awards
Dražan Jerković received numerous individual and team honors throughout his distinguished playing career.
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1962 (shared with Garrincha, Vavá, Leonel Sánchez, Flórián Albert, and Valentin Ivanov)
- He succeeded Just Fontaine (1958) and was succeeded by Eusébio (1966).
- Yugoslav First League: 1957-58
- Yugoslav Cup: 1960, 1965
- Yugoslav First League Top Scorer: 1961-62
5. Career statistics
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1954-55 | Yugoslav First League | 1 | 0 |
| 1955-56 | 12 | 9 | ||
| 1956-57 | 15 | 9 | ||
| 1957-58 | 22 | 17 | ||
| 1958-59 | 14 | 7 | ||
| 1959-60 | 16 | 16 | ||
| 1960-61 | 8 | 5 | ||
| 1961-62 | 19 | 16 | ||
| 1962-63 | 14 | 12 | ||
| 1963-64 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1964-65 | 17 | 5 | ||
| Total | 142 | 96 | ||
| La Gantoise | 1965-66 | Belgian First Division | 3 | 1 |
| Career total | 145 | 97 | ||
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 1956 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
| Yugoslavia | 1960 | 3 | 2 |
| 1961 | 5 | 3 | |
| 1962 | 11 | 5 | |
| 1963 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1964 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 21 | 11 | |
6. Personal life and death
In his later years, Dražan Jerković suffered from diabetes. He passed away on December 9, 2008, in Zagreb, Croatia, at the age of 72.
7. Legacy
Dražan Jerković is remembered as one of the most prominent footballers in the history of Croatian and Yugoslav football. His prolific goal-scoring record for Dinamo Zagreb and his achievement as the top scorer at the 1962 FIFA World Cup solidified his status as a legendary forward. Beyond his playing career, his role as the first manager of the independent Croatia national team between 1990 and 1992 holds particular significance, establishing a foundational period for Croatian football on the international stage.