Branko Strupar

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Personal information
Branko Strupar
Full name	Branko Strupar
Date of birth	February 9, 1970 (1970-02-09) (age 38)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1989-1994 1994-1999 1999-2003 2003-2004 2004	NK Špansko Genk Derby County Dinamo Zagreb Ahlen	- (-) 168 (106) 41 (16) 13 (7) - (-)
National team
1999-2002	Belgium	17 (5)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13/2/2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Branko Strupar (born February 9, 1970) is a former Croatian-Belgian football striker. In 1999, he became a naturalised Belgian by marriage. He consequently played for the Belgium national football team with whom he played 17 matches and scored 5 times.

Born in Zagreb and raised in Prečko (the west of Zagreb), the first club he played for was NK Špansko.

He played in Belgium for K.R.C. Genk, winning promotion in the Jupiler League in 1996 and becoming champion of Belgium with the same team in 1999. He also finished Player of the Year. In 1998, he finished topscorer with 22 goals. He moved to Derby County in December 1999, where he most notably scored the first British league goal of the year 2000 after two minutes against Watford F.C.. While at Derby Strupar gained cult status with his prolific scoring ability.

Despite an excellent goals-to-games ratio when fit, injuries curtailed his Derby career, and he was eventually given a free transfer, with which he returned to Croatia for a brief spell at Dinamo Zagreb to wind up his career.

He currently lives in Zagreb with his wife, daughters Dora and Laura and his son Bruno, born March 16th 2007.

Preceded by Robert Spehar	Belgian League top scorer 22 goals 1997-98	Succeeded by Jan Koller
Preceded by Pär Zetterberg	Belgian Golden Shoe 1998	Succeeded by Lorenzo Staelens

v • d • e Belgium squad - UEFA Euro 2000

1 De Wilde • 2 Deflandre • 3 Valgaeren • 4 Staelens • 5 Clement • 6 Vanderhaeghe • 7 Wilmots • 8 Goor • 9 E. Mpenza • 10 Strupar • 11 Verheyen • 12 De Vlieger • 13 Herpoel • 14 Walem • 15 Peeters • 16 Nilis • 17 Léonard • 18 Van Kerckhoven • 19 Van Meir • 20 De Bilde • 21 M. Mpenza • 22 Hendrikx • Coach: Waseige

v • d • e Belgium squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup

1 De Vlieger • 2 Deflandre • 3 De Boeck • 4 Van Meir • 5 Van Kerckhoven • 6 Simons • 7 Wilmots • 8 Goor • 9 Sonck • 10 Walem • 11 Verheyen • 12 Van Der Heyden • 13 Vandendriessche • 14 Vermant • 15 Peeters • 16 Van Buyten • 17 Englebert • 18 Vanderhaeghe • 19 Thijs • 20 Strupar • 21 Boffin • 22 Mpenza • 23 Herpoel • Coach: Waseige