Full name Branko Strupar 1989–1994 NK Spansko Position Forward Years Team Height 1.91 m | Playing position Role Football player Name Branko Strupar | |
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Date of birth (1970-02-09) 9 February 1970 (age 45) | ||
BRANKO STRUPAR GOAL VS EVERTON | 23 Mar 2002
Branko Strupar (born 9 February 1970) is a former Croatian-Belgian football striker. In 1999, he became a naturalised Belgian. He consequently played for the Belgium national football team with whom he played 17 matches and scored 5 times.
Contents
- BRANKO STRUPAR GOAL VS EVERTON 23 Mar 2002
- 2000 01 Derby County 2 Southampton 2 19082000
- Early career
- Career
- Personal life
- References
2000-01 Derby County 2 Southampton 2 - 19/08/2000
Early career
Born in Zagreb and raised in Prečko (the west of Zagreb), the first club he played for was NK Špansko.
Career
Strupar played in Belgium for KRC Genk, winning promotion to the Belgian First Division in 1996 and becoming champion of Belgium with the same team in 1999. He also won the Belgian Golden Shoe as Player of the Year for 1998. In 1998, he finished as top scorer 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. While at Derby Strupar gained popularity 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.
Personal life
Strupar currently lives in Zagreb with his wife, daughters Dora and Laura and his son Bruno, born 16 March 2007. He is also currently a sport commentator on the Croatian network RTL for Premier League broadcasts along with Filip Brkić.