Zvonimir Boban | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Boban in 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President ofDinamo Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 16 September 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Velimir Zajec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1968-10-08)8 October 1968 (age 57) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Footballer Football administrator | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zvonimir Boban (Croatian pronunciation:[zʋônimiːrbǒban]ⓘ; born 8 October 1968) is a Croatian former professionalfootballer who serves as president ofGNK Dinamo Zagreb. Amidfielder, Boban played most of his career for Italian clubAC Milan with whom he won fourSerie A titles and oneUEFA Champions League title. He alsocaptained theCroatia national team which won third place at the1998 FIFA World Cup.
Before 1990 and the international recognition of Croatia's national team, Boban had played for theYugoslavia under-20 team which won the1987 World Youth Championship. Boban scored three times in this tournament, as well as scoring in the final (drawn 1–1 withWest Germany) and then converting the decisive penalty in the shootout. Having made his debut for the seniorYugoslavia team in 1988, Boban switched to playing for Croatia after the national team's inception, debuting againstRomania in December 1990. Having appeared seven times for Yugoslavia, scoring once, Boban wascapped 49 times for Croatia, scoring 12 goals, between 1992 and 1999.
Since retiring from playing in 2002, Boban gained a history degree from theUniversity of Zagreb. He has also become a footballpundit on Croatian and Italian television, working most notably forSky Italia andRTL Televizija.
Born inImotski, Boban started his career withDinamo Zagreb. He made his debut for the team in the 1985–86 season, aged 16. He would play 109 games for the club over six seasons, scoring 45 goals and becoming club captain aged 19.[2]
In a game againstRed Star Belgrade on 13 May 1990, Boban kicked a police officer in the face for assaulting a Dinamo supporter after a riot broke out in the stadium.[3] This incident made Boban an icon of resistance in Croatia.[2][4]
It is cited by some as the expression of Croatian discontent with the Yugoslav regime.[5][6] It also earned him a suspension from the Yugoslav national team, causing him to miss the1990 World Cup in Italy. In January 2011, the match (due to the incident) was named byCNN as one of "fivefootball games that changed the world".[7][8] The police officer (who turned out to be a Bosniak) later forgave Boban for his action.
AC Milan signed Boban in 1991 in a deal worth £8 million.[2] Milan immediately loaned him toBari, as they felt he needed time to settle in Italy without counting as one of the 3 non-Italian players the club was limited to at the time. Bari were relegated in this season, but Boban ably demonstrated his ability in the team and was recalled to Milan. He stayed in the club for nine seasons, and enjoyed great success with them, helping the team to the1994Champions League title and contributing to the1995 campaign in which they ended as runners-up. Playing 251 games for Milan and scoring 30 goals, Boban won fourSerie A titles, as well as threeItalian Supercups. In the second leg of the1994 European Super Cup final againstArsenal in Milan, he scored the opening goal in Milan's 2–0 aggregate victory.[9] In August 2001, with his role at Milan diminished due to the signing ofRui Costa,[2] he was loaned toLa Liga sideCelta Vigo[10] where he played in only four league matches. Unhappy with his role as a substitute, he retired in October 2001 and finished his last season earlier than he intended.[11][12][13]
Boban played a big part inYugoslavia's win in 1987World Youth Championship. He scored three goals for Yugoslavia in this tournament, and also scored a decisive penalty in the final shootout.[14] At the full international level, he earned sevencaps forYugoslavia between 1988 and 1991,[15] debuting againstthe Republic of Ireland on 27 April 1988. He played his last game for Yugoslavia on 16 May 1991 against theFaroe Islands, during which he scored his only goal for Yugoslavia.[16]
When the nation of Croatia declared its independence of Yugoslavia, Boban left Yugoslavia to play forCroatia. He played his first international match for Croatia against aRomanian side on 22 December 1990. The match was considered unofficial because Croatia at that time was not affiliated toFIFA.[17][18] This match was only the second fixture Croatia had played as an independent nation since 1956. Boban played his last match for the national team in a friendly againstFrance on 13 November 1999. He blamed back pain for his decision to quit international football,[19] but would go on to play in two more seasons of club football. In his career with the Croatia national team, Boban won 49 international caps and scored 12 goals.
Boban was a member of the Croatian team that finished third at the1998 World Cup, captaining the squad at that tournament, as he had at theUEFA Euro 1996. At the tournament, he sported a slightly unusual haircut, with the number 10 (his jersey number) shaved onto the back of his head and highlighted in red dye. A mistake he made in the semi-final allowedFrance to equalize immediately after Croatia had fought hard to earn a one-goal lead.[20] To make matters worse, Boban was injured and wanted to come off at half time[21] but stayed on until the 65th minute, when he was replaced bySilvio Maric. France won the match 2–1 and eventually won the tournament. Croatia went on to defeat theNetherlands, with Boban providing the pass toDavor Šuker to score the winner,[22] allowing Croatia to attain third place and receive the bronze medal.
NicknamedZorro, Boban was a talented and creative yet tenacious andhard-working player, known for his use offeints to beat opponents. He was gifted with excellent vision, passing range,dribbling skills, technical ability, and an eye for the final ball; he mixed these attributes with a unique tactical versatility and intelligence, which enabled him to be deployed in severalmidfield andoffensive positions throughout his career. In addition to his preferredplaymaking role behind the forwards as anattacking midfielder, he was also capable of playing on thewing, as acentral midfielder, or even as asupporting striker, due to his powerful and accuratebending shots from distance; he was also effective fromset-pieces. Throughout his career, he also became known for his vocal presence, determination and aggression on the pitch, as well as his strong character.[23][24][25]
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Boban officially retired from football in 2002 after receiving little pitch time at Celta Vigo.[13] On 7 October 2002, Boban organised and played in a farewelltestimonial, with Croatia's 1998 World Cup team supported by tennis starGoran Ivanišević matching up against a World XI featuring such stars asRivaldo,Marco van Basten andLothar Matthäus.[26]
Since retiring from football, Boban, always known to be a literary man, completed his history degree at theUniversity of Zagreb. He graduated from theFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb in 2004, with a thesis named "Christianity in the Roman Empire".[27][28]
He also started a career insports journalism, being the administration president for the Croatian daily sports newspaperSportske novosti, a co-commentator during live broadcasts of the Croatia national team's away matches on the country's commercially-funded national TV stationRTL Televizija as well as a commentator forSKY Italia and columnist forLa Gazzetta dello Sport. As a commentator, Boban has become known as frank and outspoken.[29] Boban also owns a restaurant in Zagreb, called "Boban".[2]
Boban has always maintained that he would never become a coach.
Football has broadened my horizons. For a while, I will take a rest from it but one thing is certain. Never, never shall I become a coach. My nerves are not up to it.
— Zvonimir Boban, interview after retirement[26]
On 30 May 2016, Boban was appointedFIFA's Deputy Secretary-General, focusing on developing the game and the organization of competitions. He has been immediately among the endorsers of the implementation of technology on the field and played a fundamental role in the development of thevideo assistant referee. In fact, during the2018 World Cup played inRussia, the first-ever with the VAR, he lived inMoscow alongsidePierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA's Referees' Committee, andMassimo Busacca, head of FIFA's Refereeing Department, thus bringing referees' world closer to the Institutions. On 14 June 2019, after three years in office, he resigned. FIFA PresidentGianni Infantino had words of thanks for the Croatian: "I cannot thank Zvonimir enough for everything he has done for FIFA and for the game of football over the last three years by our side. Nobody embodies football better than he does and he has always worked for the good of the game. Many of the positive changes that we have made over the last three years could not have been achieved without Zvone. He has shown the same commitment, heart, and passion at FIFA that characterized his attitude on the pitch. We will miss him a lot at FIFA." One of Infantino's collaborators at FIFA said it was a massive loss, especially now that his work was beginning to make a difference for the whole organization.[30]
In June 2019, Boban resigned from his FIFA job to return to his former clubAC Milan where he was hired as a Chief Football Officer, the closest cooperator of the club's technical directorPaolo Maldini.[31] However, he was sacked on 7 March 2020, after he publicly criticized club CEOIvan Gazidis, who negotiated a possible job offer with German managerRalf Rangnick for the2020−21 season behind Boban and Maldini's backs.[32]
In April 2021, Boban was hired byUEFA as the Chief of Football, first ever person to hold that position.[33][34][35]
In April 2025 Boban was announced as new chairman of the board ofGNK Dinamo Zagreb returning to the club he was captain after almost 34 years. Boban would run entire sports policy of the club.[36] His official term as chairman of the board started at 1st of June 2025.
Boban married Leonarda Lončar, a fashion designer, in 1994.[37] They have five children: adopted children Marija, Gabrijel, Marta, Rafael, and a biological daughter Ruža (Rose).[38] In 2021, the couple separated,[39] but they reunited in 2024.
Boban is also a keen tennis player.[21] He is known to be close friends withGoran Ivanišević,[40] with whom he plays at his private indoor clay tennis court.[41]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 1985–86 | Yugoslav First League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | Yugoslav First League | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 | 8 | ||
| 1987–88 | Yugoslav First League | 30 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 | 14 | ||
| 1988–89 | Yugoslav First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | Yugoslav First League | 26 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 30 | 10 | ||
| 1990–91 | Yugoslav First League | 26 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | 30 | 16 | ||
| Total | 112 | 45 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 48 | ||
| Bari | 1991–92 | Serie A | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 | 2 | |
| AC Milan | 1992–93 | Serie A | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | – | 22 | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | Serie A | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 31 | 4 | |
| 1994–95 | Serie A | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2[c] | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1[b] | 0 | 21 | 7 | |
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | – | 36 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Serie A | 23 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 | 3 | ||
| 1998–99 | Serie A | 27 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Serie A | 17 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 22 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Serie A | 16 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | – | 26 | 3 | ||
| Total | 178 | 21 | 29 | 2 | 44 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 255 | 31 | ||
| Celta Vigo | 2001–02 | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | |
| Career total | 311 | 68 | 34 | 4 | 50 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 399 | 81 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yugoslavia | 1988 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 7 | 1 | |
| Croatia | 1992 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 9 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 3 | |
| 1998 | 13 | 5 | |
| 1999 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 49 | 12 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yugoslavia goals | |||||||
| 1 | 16 May 1991 | Red Star Stadium,Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Faroe Islands | 5–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying | |
| Croatia goals | |||||||
| 1 | 25 March 1995 | Stadion Maksimir,Zagreb, Croatia |  Ukraine | 1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 2 | 3 September 1995 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia |  Estonia | 4–1 | 7–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying | |
| 3 | 2 June 1996 | Lansdowne Road,Dublin, Republic of Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 16 June 1996 | Hillsborough,Sheffield, England |  Denmark | 2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 | |
| 5 | 2 April 1997 | Stadion Poljud,Split, Croatia |  Slovenia | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 7 | 6 September 1997 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–2 | 3–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 8 | 22 April 1998 | Stadion Gradski vrt,Osijek, Croatia |  Poland | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | |
| 9 | 6 June 1998 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia |  Australia | 4–0 | 7–0 | Friendly | |
| 10 | 7–0 | ||||||
| 11 | 14 October 1998 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia |  Macedonia | 2–1 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | |
| 12 | 3–2 | ||||||
AC Milan[23]
Yugoslavia
Croatia
Individual
Orders
Zvonimir Boban international tournaments | |||||||
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