Name Svetozar Danic Died 1941, Zagreb, Croatia | Role Footballer | |
Svetozar Đanić (April 1, 1917 – June 18, 1941) was a Serbian footballer who played for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Independent State of Croatia national teams. He was also known as Milan.
Born during the latter part of World War I in a small Syrmian village, Đanić started playing football with Novi Sad outfit FK Slavija. At the age of 17, he moved to their more established crosstown rivals FK Vojvodina and immediately established himself in the first team.
Two years later, in 1936, together with brother Miran, he moved to Zagreb in pursuit of university studies. Parallel to studies he also played football with HŠK Građanski, spending the 1936/37 season with them.
Đanić's studies then took him to Czechoslovakia for a year where also played one season for SK Židenice (5 league starts, 3 goals - 1937/38) and one season for SK Viktoria Plzeň (1938/39).
Returning to Zagreb he also continued playing for Građanski, eventually earning a callup to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team in 1940. His debut came on November 3, 1940 versus Germany in Zagreb. He would only play in three matches before the Nazi Germany invasion and quick dismemberment of Yugoslavia put an end to Yugoslav football activities. Đanić's last match in Yugoslavia jersey was also Kingdom of Yugoslavia's last ever outing - a match versus Hungary on March 23, 1941 in Belgrade.
Soon after the Royal Yugoslav Army defeat, and the establishment of Croatian Nazi-puppet state (NDH) under collaborationist Ustashe regime, Đanić was forced into the newly established Croatian national football team as one of only a handful of Serbs that were recruited into that team, which played all of its matches with other Nazi client states or Nazi Germany itself. Đanić appeared in four matches for NDH and even scored one goal. His last match appearance took place in Vienna on June 15, 1941 versus Nazi Germany. Upon returning to Zagreb, he was immediately put on trial by Ustashe under the accusation that he collaborated with the communists. After a quick show trial, Đanić was executed three days later on June 18, 1941.