Zvonimir Boban

Zvonimir Boban was one of the greatest midfielders in the history of European football and the ultimate symbol of Croatian independence. Born in Imotski, in then Yugoslavia, on October 8, 1968, Boban became world-famous on May 13, 1990, when he struck a police officer who was assaulting Croatian supporters during a match in Zagreb — a gesture that became a symbol of Croatian national resistance. He spent most of his career at AC Milan, where he became one of the most admired players in European football during the 1990s. His elegance with the ball, precision in his passes, and authority on the field made him an absolute reference as a creative midfielder and leader. As captain of the Croatian national team, he led the team to the historic third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup in France, in only Croatia's second participation in a World Cup as an independent nation. After retiring, he became an executive and worked at AC Milan and FIFA.