Luka Modrić (foto: Getty Images)
Luka Modrić has paid a heartfelt tribute to Nikola Pokrivač, who tragically died in a car crash. The Croatian footballer had battled cancer three times.
Luka Modrić has joined a long list of footballers, clubs and institutions who paid tribute to Nikola Pokrivač, after the former Croatian international tragically passed away in a car accident near Karlovac.
“Rest in peace, Nikola,” wrote the Real Madrid and Croatia captain, posting a short but moving farewell message after the news of Pokrivač’s untimely death shook the Croatian football community.
Pokrivač, remembered not only for his talent on the pitch but also for his tireless battle with illness, had overcome Hodgkin’s lymphoma three times, enduring multiple chemotherapy cycles and stem cell transplants.
The former Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, and Monaco midfielder passed away aged 39. During his playing days, Pokrivač won two Croatian league titles and two domestic cups with Dinamo, and lifted the Austrian Bundesliga title in 2010 with Salzburg.
Between 2008 and 2010, he earned 15 caps for the Croatian national team, including an appearance at Euro 2008 against Poland.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 2015, Pokrivač made several courageous comebacks — both as a player and later as a youth coach, working with lower-tier clubs like Pušća, Ravnice, and Rudeš, where he also served as an assistant coach.
Croatian clubs including Dinamo Zagreb, Rijeka, Varaždin, and Vojnić '95 all shared tributes. Fellow internationals such as Danijel Subašić, Ivan Perišić, and Darijo Srna also honoured his memory, while former teammate Admir Vladavić shared an emotional message recalling their time together at Salzburg: “Save a spot for me in your team up there.”
Nikola Pokrivač will be remembered not only as a talented footballer, but as a symbol of resilience and dignity in the face of life’s greatest battles.
(foto: Instagram)