Ivan Bek

Ivan Bek
Personal information
Date of birth29 October 1909
Place of birthBelgrade, Kingdom of Serbia
Date of death2 June 1963 (aged 53)
Place of deathSète, France
Playing positionForward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1925–1928BSK Belgrade
1928FK Mačva Šabac
1928–1931FC Sète
1931–1932Urania Genève Sport16(16)
1932–1935FC Sète69(33)
1935–1939AS Saint-Étienne109(93)
1940–1942Nîmes Olympique
National team
1927–1931Kingd. of Yugoslavia7(4)
1935–1937France5(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Ivan "Ivica" Bek (or Yvan Beck; 29 October 1909 – 2 June 1963) was a football player.

Bek was born to a German father, and a Czech mother in the Serbian capital Belgrade borough of Čubura. At age of 16, started playing in BSK Belgrade for which he scored 51 goals in 50 matches. In 1928, Bek moved to Mačva, and soon proceeded to French FC Sète. In his first season he reached the cup finals, but lost 0–2 against Montpellier. Next year in cup finals against RC France, was victorious for Sète (3–1) with Bek scoring two decisive goals in extra time. Four years later with the same club, Bek was part of the first team that win the Double in France. Bek helped Yugoslavia get Third place in the first FIFA world cup in Uruguay. Bek and his team went on a train from Belgrade to Marseille. When they came to Marseille they went on a crew ship to Uruguay in the second class.

International

Internationally, Bek represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (seven caps, four goals) and France (5 caps). For Yugoslavia he debuted in 1927 against Bulgaria (2–0), participated Olympic tournament in 1928 in Amsterdam and played in the 1930 FIFA World Cup for Yugoslavia scoring three goals. In 1933, Bek took French citizenship and renamed himself Yvan Beck and in February 1935 he was picked for the first time for the Equipe Tricolore.

International goals

Yugoslavia's goal tally first

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 14 July 1930 Estadio Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay  Brazil 2–0 2–1 1930 FIFA World Cup
2. 17 July 1930 Estadio Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay  Bolivia 1–0 4–0
3. 3–0

After playing career

During the Second World War, Bek was a member of the French Resistance. After the war, he worked as a dockworker in Sète, where he died from a heart attack.

Honours

Champion of France: 1934 Winner of the French Cup: 1930, 1934

External links