Ivan Gudelj, Yugoslav Football and Hajduk Split Legend, Dies at 67
Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Former Hajduk Split and Yugoslavia footballer Ivan Gudelj has died at the age of 67 after a serious illness.
- Gudelj ended his career after being diagnosed with hepatitis B, despite once being regarded as a major talent who was close to signing for Real Madrid.
- He had been named Europe’s best young player in 1979 and became the youngest captain in Yugoslavia’s national-team history.
Ivan Gudelj, one of the great talents of Hajduk Split and Yugoslav football, has died at the age of 67 after a serious illness.
Gudelj’s career was cut short after doctors diagnosed him with hepatitis B. He had been close to signing for Real Madrid, but instead of moving to the Santiago Bernabéu, he ended up in hospital and left professional football.
He collapsed during a match between Hajduk and Crvena zvezda at Poljud after feeling a sharp pain in a muscle. It proved to be his final game, followed soon afterward by the hepatitis diagnosis.
Gudelj was named Europe’s best young player in 1979 and became the youngest captain in the history of the Yugoslav national team. He was also selected among the ideal 11 players of the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
About this summary
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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