Dušan Zinaja (23 October 1893 – 26 September 1948) was a Croatian and Yugoslav cross-country skier and football striker and coach.

Dušan Zinaja
Zinaja during skiing competition (1922) in Zakopane, Poland
Personal information
Date of birth (1893-10-23)23 October 1893
Place of birth Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Date of death 26 September 1948(1948-09-26) (aged 54)
Place of death Poklek, Yugoslavia
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1923 HAŠK
International career
1923 Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1 (0)
Managerial career
1924–1925 Kingdom of Yugoslavia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Zinaja at the opening ceremony of the 1924 Winter Olympics

Zinaja was born in Budapest (at the time Austria-Hungary). He was member of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes team at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix where he took part in both cross-country skiing events.[1]

Football career

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Zinaja spent his entire career with HAŠK (Croatian Academic & Sports Club). As member of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes national football team, he has played only once, on 10 June 1923 in Bucharest against Romania.[2]

Zinaja became first player in Yugoslav football history to be appointed a national team coach.

He led national team as coach from 28 September 1924 to 4 November 1925, during which time team of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes played three matches.

Death

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Zinaja died on 26 September 1948 in a traffic accident near the village of Poklek on Mt. Žumberak, near Zagreb, Croatia (at the time FPR Yugoslavia).

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dušan Zinaja". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Player Database". EU-football. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
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