Nikola Pokrivac, who represented Croatia from 2008 to 2010, passed away at the age of 39 due to a car crash.
The Croatian Football Federation confirms the news to the global football community on Saturday.
Pakrivac was known for playing European clubs like Dinamo Zagreb, AS Monaco and RB Salzburg.
He represented Croatia 15 times. The defensive midfielder made his professional football debut in 2002 at NK Varteks.
The Croatian media shared the update about the accident. Pokrivac was in a car with his three friends. They started the journey from NK Vojnic, meeting a massive four-vehicle collision in Karlovac in central Croatia. The event happened on Friday evening.
Marijan Kustic, who is the Croatian Football Federation president, said: “Nikola was a great football player, who lived football until his last moment in this world, and who showed great courage in life by overcoming a terrible disease.”
“This is a great loss for our football community, and especially painful for the family.”
Pokrivac was part of Croatia when they reached the Euro quarter-finals.
Kustic added: “It is impossible to find words of comfort in such a shocking and unimaginably sad moment when we have lost a young life.”
“I can only express my deepest condolences to Nikola’s family and loved ones for this irreparable loss, and the HNS and the Croatian football family will be with them in these most difficult moments.”
