Ivica Šurjak

Ivica Šurjak
Personal information
Full name	Ivan Šurjak
Date of birth	23 March 1953 (age 71)
Place of birth	Split, FPR Yugoslavia
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1971–1981	Hajduk Split
1981–1982	Paris Saint-Germain
1982–1983	Udinese
1984–1985	Real Zaragoza
Total
International career
1973–1982	Yugoslavia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ivan "Ivica" Šurjak (born 23 March 1953) is a Croatian retired football midfielder. He was the driving force behind the success of Hajduk Split as it became a force in the Yugoslav First League in the 1970s.

Club career

He started his career as a left back, but with time learned total football, according to which all players can, during the ebb and flow of the match, slot into every position as needed. He continued his career at Paris Saint-Germain and Udinese,^[1] but turned down offers by the New York Cosmos and Real Madrid. He concluded his playing career in Spain at Real Zaragoza.

International career

Šurjak made his debut for Yugoslavia in an October 1973 World Cup qualifier against Spain, coming on as a substitute for Petar Krivokuća.

Over the subsequent nine years, Šurjak ended up earning a total of 54 caps, scoring 10 goals.^[2] His final international was a June 1982 FIFA World Cup match against Honduras.^[3]

Post-playing career

From 1999 to 2003, he served as a sports director at Hajduk Split of the Croatian First Football League.

Personal

Speedboat incident

On 21 July 1999, Šurjak was piloting his 1989 Formula Runabout F-242 speedboat about 400 meters off the Čiovo island shoreline near Trogir when he struck a swimmer who sustained life-threatening head injuries.^[4] The victim, 29-year-old Okrug resident Miroslav Didak, died a few days after the accident. According to a Slobodna Dalmacija report, Šurjak did not have the mandatory insurance policyfor the vessel he owned and operated. Večernji list further reported that Šurjak did not have a boating license and that his blood alcohol level at the time of the incident was 0.4‰.^[5]^[6]

Šurjak was charged with involuntary manslaughter after a lengthy delay in legal proceedings. A verdict was finally delivered in March 2008, acquitting Šurjak of any responsibility in the death of Miroslav Didak.^[7]^[8] The verdict included an explanation which stated that by swimming 400 meters from the shore, Didak was in violation of a by-law which prohibits swimming farther than 100 meters from the shore. Additionally, the court accepted a mitigating factor that Šurjak had been unable to avoid collision due to having sun in his eyes, as well as facing high waves. On subsequent appeal by the prosecutor's office, the case went before the provincial court which, in July 2009, upheld the verdict to acquit Šurjak.^[9]

Accomplishments

Champion of Yugoslavia – 1974, 1975 and 1979
Co-champion of Yugoslavia – 1976 and 1981
Cup winner of Yugoslavia – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1977
Coupe de France – 1982
54 caps for Yugoslavia, 10 goals scored between 1973 and 1982
Yugoslav Footballer of the Year – 1976

References

^ Surjak, Zico e quei legni maledetti del “Friuli” calciobidoni.it
^ "Appearances for Yugoslavia/Serbia National Team". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
^ "Player Database". EU-football. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
^ Grcić, Andrea; Kuzmanić, Dino (22 July 1999). "Ivica Šurjak gliserom naletio na kupača" (in Croatian). Slobodna Dalmacija. Archived from the original on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
^ L.M., V. (18 August 2011). "Nesreće na moru I. Šurjaka, H. Krstulovića, I. Šukera i Z. Bobana" (in Croatian). Večernji list. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
^ Polšak Palatinuš, Vlatka (18 August 2011). "Kako Hrvatska (ne) kažnjava bogate, slavne i opasne?" (in Croatian). TPortal.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
^ K., I. (14 March 2008). "Ivica Šurjak oslobođen optužbe za smrt kupača" (in Croatian). Index.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
^ PSD (14 March 2008). "Šurjak nepravomoćno oslobođen optužbe za smrt kupača" (in Croatian). Slobodna Dalmacija. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
^ Miljuš, Dragan (2 July 2009). "Ivica Šurjak nakon 10 godina oslobođen optužbe za smrt plivača: Drago mi je da je gotovo" (in Croatian). Index.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

External links

Ivica Šurjak at National-Football-Teams.com
Ivica Šurjak at kicker (in German)
Ivica Šurjak at FBref.com
Ivica Šurjak at EU-Football.info
Ivica Šurjak at L'Équipe (in French)

[1] Surjak, Zico e quei legni maledetti del “Friuli” calciobidoni.it

[2] "Appearances for Yugoslavia/Serbia National Team". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 December 2022.

[3] "Player Database". EU-football. Retrieved 30 December 2022.

[Surjak-Slobodna-Jul1999-4] Grcić, Andrea; Kuzmanić, Dino (22 July 1999). "Ivica Šurjak gliserom naletio na kupača" (in Croatian). Slobodna Dalmacija. Archived from the original on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

[5] L.M., V. (18 August 2011). "Nesreće na moru I. Šurjaka, H. Krstulovića, I. Šukera i Z. Bobana" (in Croatian). Večernji list. Retrieved 21 May 2024.

[6] Polšak Palatinuš, Vlatka (18 August 2011). "Kako Hrvatska (ne) kažnjava bogate, slavne i opasne?" (in Croatian). TPortal.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2024.

[Surjak-Index-Mar2008-7] K., I. (14 March 2008). "Ivica Šurjak oslobođen optužbe za smrt kupača" (in Croatian). Index.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

[Surjak-Slobodna-Mar2008-8] PSD (14 March 2008). "Šurjak nepravomoćno oslobođen optužbe za smrt kupača" (in Croatian). Slobodna Dalmacija. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

[Surjak-Index-Jul2009-9] Miljuš, Dragan (2 July 2009). "Ivica Šurjak nakon 10 godina oslobođen optužbe za smrt plivača: Drago mi je da je gotovo" (in Croatian). Index.hr. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

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