Branko Strupar

Football player infobox
playername = Branko Strupar


fullname = Branko Strupar
nickname =
height = height|m=1.91
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1970|2|9
cityofbirth = Zagreb
countryofbirth = SFR Yugoslavia
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1989-1994
1994-1999
1999-2003
2003-2004
2004
clubs = NK Špansko
Genk
Derby County
Dinamo Zagreb
Ahlen
caps(goals) = - (-)
168 (106)
41 (16)
13 (7)
- (-)
nationalyears = 1999-2002
nationalteam = Belgium
nationalcaps(goals) = 17 (5)
pcupdate = 13/2/2007

Branko Strupar (born February 9, 1970) is a former Croatian-Belgian football striker. In 1999, he became a naturalised Belgian by marriage. He consequently played for the Belgium national football team with whom he played 17 matches and scored 5 times.

Born in Zagreb and raised in Prečko (the west of Zagreb), the first club he played for was NK Špansko.

He played in Belgium for K.R.C. Genk, winning promotion in the Jupiler League in 1996 and becoming champion of Belgium with the same team in 1999. He also finished Player of the Year. In 1998, he finished topscorer with 22 goals. He moved to Derby County in December 1999, where he most notably scored the first British league goal of the year 2000 after two minutes against Watford F.C.. While at Derby Strupar gained cult status with his prolific scoring ability.

Despite an excellent goals-to-games ratio when fit, injuries curtailed his Derby career, and he was eventually given a free transfer, with which he returned to Croatia for a brief spell at Dinamo Zagreb to wind up his career.

He currently lives in Zagreb with his wife, daughters Dora and Laura and his son Bruno, born March 16th 2007.

References

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/belgium/squad/newsid_1991000/1991160.stm BBC website]