The Croatian Connection

Croatia is famous for its beautiful coastline, national parks, medieval cities, diverse cuisine, olive oil and wines, Rakija fruit brandy, heritage sites such as Dubrovnik and Split's Diocletian Palace, characters such as Ruder Boskovic, Miroslav Kreza, Vladimir Prelog, Josip Broz Tito, Ivo Andric, Goran Bregovic and in sport Goran Ivanisevic, Drazen Petrovic, Jana Kostelic and Mate Pavlov. The main sports are waterpolo and basketball but especially football in which they have a good tradition.

Croatia first played as an independent nation in 1992. They have participated in 6 World Cups starting from 1998. The "Vatreni" finished 3rd in 1998 and were runners-up in 2018. They have taken part in 7 European Championships and reached the quarterfinals twice (1996, 2008). In the relatively new Nations League they were runners-up in 2023.

The Croatian league restarted in 1992 after independence. At club level the top team are Dinamo Zagreb with 25 titles (including 17 in the last 20 years) followed by Hajduk Split with 6, HNK Rijeka 2 (including 2024-25) and NK Zagreb 1.

Croatia have had many quality players; Rodolfo Volk, Stjepan Bobek, Vladimir Beara, Branko Zebec, Dražan Jerković, Josip Skoblar, Ilija Petković, Robert Prosineçki, Davor Šuker, Alen Boksic, Stipe Pletikosa, Josip Šimunić, Ivica Oliç, Darijo Srna, Goran Vlaović, Zvonimir Boban, Nico Kranjčar, Eduardo da Silva, Luka Modrić, Mario Mandžukić, Ivan Perišić, Mateo Kovačić and many more.

Many Croats have played in Serie A and some for Lazio while others have had a brief connection. These are the Lazio Croats:

Antonio Vojak - forward, he was signed in 1924 while he was in Rome doing his military service (he was born in Pola -Istria). He played 10 league games and scored 7 goals. He then played for Juventus (4 seasons), Napoli (6 seasons), then Genova 1893, Lucchese and Stabia (as player-manager). He scored 170 career goals (106 in A). He won 1 cap for Italy and was forced to change his name to Vogliacco due to the fascist regime's anti-slav laws.

Rodolfo Tomasich - midfielder, he was tried out on trial in a post-season friendly against Alba in July 1927. He was not signed.

Antonio Marietti - goalkeeper, he arrived in 1935 from Messina (previously Fiumana and Napoli) and took part in a few training matches before returning to Sicily. On retiring he became an actor, appearing in films by directors such as Mario Camerini, Roberto Rossellini and Esodo Piatelli and alongside actors such as Gino Cervi.

Roberto Roberti - midfielder, he arrived in 1936 and played for the youth teams. He then became a pentathlete, also representing Italy. In 1978-79 he was president of the Lazio basketball section.

Aldo Fabbro - midfielder, he arrived in May 1938 from Grion and played in a derby friendly win 3-0 against Roma. He then played for Napoli from 1938-43. He died in Pola on January 9 1944 during an air raid.

Ferruccio Smolizza - winger, he too arrived in May 1938 on trial in the 3-0 derby friendly. He then played for Mestre in Serie C before returning to Yugoslavia to play for NK Pula (formerly Grion)

Bruno Ispiro - forward, he arrived from Genoa in 1946 and stayed one season. He played 28 league games and scored 5 goals. He then joined Triestina where he stayed 7 seasons (with 51 goals) and then Reggiana.

Italo Raktell - forward, he arrived from Reggiana (previously Grion) on trial in May 1946. He played a friendly, Lazio v Venezia 3-2 but was not signed.

Erminio Bercarich - forward, he too arrived on trial in 1946 and played the Lazio v Venezia 3-2 friendly. He started, hit a crossbar, made a few mistakes and was replaced in the 8th minute… and not signed. He then played for Reggina, Venezia, Prato, Cagliari, Legnano and Chinotto Neri (in Rome), Carbosarda and Reggina again.

Zvonimir Monsider - goalkeeper,  in 1948 while playing in a friendly for Dinamo Zagreb in Trieste he decided not to return home and join Lazio instead. Zagreb however denied the authorization for him to play so he stayed in Rome for a year and a half without any appearances. In 1949, when he was finally eligible, Lazio sold him to Padova. He then played for Hungaria FbC (Hungarians and Eastern Europeans in Rome) and Universidad Bogotà. He then almost signed for Barcelona but the Spanish Federation decided to block the arrival of all foreign players so the deal fell through. He stayed in Catalonia coaching lower league clubs. In 1961 he emigrated to Canada and became a goalkeeper coach for Metro Croatia in Toronto.

He won 7 caps for Yugoslavia and 6 for Croatia (in a brief period of independence 1942-43).

Roberto Oselladore - forward, he arrived from Marsala in June 1949 to play a trial against L'Aquila but was not signed. He then played for Messina.

Furio Kristovich - goalkeeper, he moved to Rome at the age of eight due to Tito's occupation of Fiume. He joined Lazio's youth setup arriving to the first team squad in 1953-54. He was called up for two games but there were no substitutions at the time so he watched the games from the grandstand. He then played for Fossanese, Alba Trastevere and Aurovox before setting up a Football Academy in Fossano.

Alen Bokšić - forward, he arrived from Marseille (previously Hajduk Split, Cannes) in November 1993. He stayed six seasons at Lazio from 1993 to 2000 (with interlude at Juventus in 1996-97). He played 157 games with 43 goals. He won a Scudetto, the Coppa Italia twice, the Supercoppa twice, a Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup. He then played for Middlesbrough. He earned 40 caps for Croatia and scored 10 goals.

Official SS Lazio photo

He was nicknamed "L'Alieno" and was an exceptional player, by far the best Croatian in Lazio's history. He was strong, quick, resistant, skilful and scored some superb goals while often missing easier ones. Injuries and a particular character perhaps prevented him from being one of the all-time greats.

Elvis Scoria - forward, he arrived on a temporary loan from Rijeka to go on a tour of South-America in May 1994. He played the game against San Lorenzo de Almagro.

Anthony Šerić - defender, he arrived from Verona (previously Hajduk Split, Brescia and Parma) on loan in 2004. He only stayed one season, playing 24 total games (17 in A). He left for Panathinaikos, then Beşiktaş, Hajduk Split, Karabükspor (Turkey) and Olhanense (Portugal).

He earned 16 caps for Croatia and won bronze in the 1998 World Cup.

At Lazio he was not a great success. He was okay going forward but weaker when defending.

Josip Elez - defender/ midfielder, he arrived in 2013 from Hajduk Split and played for the U19s, winning the Coppa Italia. During the season he was called up by the first team a few times but was an unused substitute. In the summer of 2014 he took part in the pre-season training camp but was then loaned to Grosseto, then in January 2015 to Honved in Hungary. In June 2015 he was sold to AGF Arhus in Denmark. He then played for Rijeka, Hannover, Rijeka again and is currently back at Hajduk Split.

He has played for Croatia U16s (4 games, 1 goal), U17s (8 games, 1 goal), U19s (3 games) and U21s (2 games).

Franco Prce - defender, he arrived in 2014 from Hajduk Split and joined Lazio’s youth sector. He made his first team debut on October 16 2016 against Torino. In January 2016 he went to Salernitana in Serie B on loan but never played. Back at Lazio he made his first team debut on October 16, 2016 against Torino. In January 2017 he went to Brescia in Serie B where he at least played 7 games. Back at Lazio he stayed until January 2018 without making any further appearances. His career then took him to Istria 1961 (Croatia), Omonia (Cyprus), Karpaty (Ukraine), Varaždin (Croatia), East Bengal (India) and Koper (Slovenia). He now plays for Okzhetpes (Kazakhstan).

He played for Croatia U16s, U17s, U18s, U19s and once for the U21s.

Kristjan Matosevic - goalkeeper, he arrived on loan from Catania (previously Koper F.C) in 2015 to play for the U19s. He played as first keeper for the Primavera and then returned to Sicily. He then played for Domžale and Mura in Slovenia, Triestina, Cosenza and Triestina again.

He has both Croatian and Slovenian citizenship and played for Slovenia U18s.

Duje Javorčić - midfielder, he arrived in 2016 from RNK Split to play for the U19s. He took part in Lazio's first squad pre-season training camp but then continued with the U19s playing two seasons. In 2018 he was sold to Amiens Sporting Club (France), then Nitra (Slovakia), Dugopolje (Croatia) and Rudar Pljevlja (Montenegro)

He played for Croatia U16s (1 game), U17s (6 games, 4 goals) and U19s (6 games, 1 goal).

He was talented but did not make a mark at Lazio.

Ivan Vargić - goalkeeper, he arrived from Rijeka in 2016 to be reserve keeper to Federico Marchetti but was then overtaken in the pecking order by Thomas Strakosha. He stayed two seasons and played 3 games (1 in A, 2 in UEL). He won a Supercoppa in 2017. In 2018-19 he went to Anorthosis (Cyprus) on loan and came back to Rome in 2019 but only until February 2020 without making any further appearances. He left for Koper F.C in Slovenia before retiring.

He played for Croatia U19s, U20s, U21s and won 3 full caps for Croatia.

Toni Aliaj - defender, he arrived in 2017 from Lokomotiva in 2017 to play for Lazio U19s. In 2018 he was sold to Tabor Sezana in Slovenia.

He has both Croatian and Albanian citizenship.

Milan Badelj - midfielder, he arrived from Fiorentina in 2018 (previously Dinamo Zagreb, Hamburger SV) and only stayed one season. He played 26 games (23 in A, 1 in CI and 2 in UEL) and scored 1 goal. He won a Coppa Italia. He then returned to Fiorentina and for the last six seasons has been at Genoa.

Source Lazio Wiki

He has won 55 caps for Croatia and scored 2 goals. He was runner-up at the 2018 World Cup.

A solid central midfielder with good shooting abilities. He never really settled at Lazio and after an under par season was let go.

Toma Bašić - midfielder, he arrived from Bordeaux in 2021 (previously Rudeš and Hajduk Split). He is still at Lazio and has played 70 games with 2 goals. In January 2024 he went to Salernitana on loan for six months and then came back. In 2024-25 he was initially excluded from the squad list but then reintegrated but made no appearances.

He has 2 caps for Croatia.

He is a physical, defensive midfielder, a solid tackler with a good left shot. At Lazio he has never really shone and often looks slow and lacking in initiative. Hopefully 2025-26 will be different.

Bartol Kunert - midfielder, he arrived from Rudeš on January 31, 2023 on loan with an option to buy. He played for the U19s but then left for Dinamo Zagreb U21s.