Dušan Zinaja

Dušan Zinaja (23 October 1893 - 26 September 1948) was a Croatian and Yugoslav cross-country skier and football striker and coach.

Zinaja at the opening ceremony of the 1924 Winter Olympics

Zinaja during skiing competition (1922) in Zakopane, Poland.

Zinaja was born in Budapest (at the time Austria-Hungary). He was member of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes team at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix where he took part in both cross-country skiing events.

Zinaja spent his entire career with HAŠK (Croatian Academic & Sports Club). As member of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes national footbal team, he has played only once, on June 10, 1923 in Bucharest against Romania.

Zinaja became first player in Yugoslav football history to be appointed a national team coach.

He led national team as coach from 28 September 1924 to 4 November 1925, during which time team of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes played three matches.

Zinaja died on 26 September 1948 in a traffic accident near the village of Poklek on Mt. Žumberak, near Zagreb, Croatia (at the time FPR Yugoslavia).

References

• Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
• Profile at Reprezentacija.rs (Serbian)
• Olimpics in Croatia, Libera Editio d.o.o., 2007

Persondata
Name	Zinaja, Dušan
Alternative names
Short description	footballer
Date of birth	23 October 1893
Place of birth	Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Date of death	26 September 1948
Place of death	Poklek village, FPR Yugoslavia