Dušan Zinaja
Dušan Zinaja (23 October 1893 – 26 September 1948) was a Croatian and Yugoslav cross-country skier and football striker and coach.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
- Player profile on Serbian National Team page
- Olimpics in Croatia, Libera Editio d.o.o., 2007
- Use dmy dates from December 2010
- 1893 births
- 1948 deaths
- Croatian footballers
- Yugoslav footballers
- Yugoslavia international footballers
- Association football forwards
- HAŠK players
- Croatian football managers
- Yugoslav football managers
- Croatian male cross-country skiers
- Yugoslav male cross-country skiers
- Olympic cross-country skiers of Yugoslavia
- Cross-country skiers at the 1924 Winter Olympics
- Road incident deaths in Yugoslavia
- Sportspeople from Budapest
- Yugoslavia national football team managers