Biggest kit collection showed off at Croatian football history show in Argentina

by croatiaweek
September 16, 2019
in Sport

(Photo: Bar Croata)

16 September 2019 – Two friends from the Argentinian city of Rosário, who have perhaps the biggest collection of Croatian football shirts in the world, have held a conference, parade and show about the history of Croatian football at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Rosário.

Javier Santich and Ivan Grbac, who were both born in Rosário and have Croatian heritage, are two football-mad mates with an impressive collection of over 300 shirts from Croatia and the Croatian diaspora.

The pair has over 100 Croatian national team shirts, 120 Croatian league shirts and 60 shirts from clubs in the Croatian diaspora and the collection is growing. This month, Javier and Ivan showed off their collection during a special show telling the story of Croatian football.

Along with a selection of old Croatian national team shirts, Javier and Ivan showed off shirts from teams in the Croatian first, second and third division, as well as from Croatian clubs in Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and more.

Patrick kit used on 22-10-1992 at Maksimir, Zagreb in international friendly match: Croatia 3 vs. Mexico 0

Lotto Croatia kit worn in 1992 in Australia

Kit worn in 1990

“We get them in a variety of ways, but we mostly buy them online. We have received many as gifts from friends and relatives as well which excites us – that people give us our own shirts just to be in our collection, which is incredible,” Javier said.

Kit from Croatia v Spain in 1994

Kit from a friendly in 1994 against Hungary worn by Igor Cvitanovic

Kappa kit – shirt worn by Robert Prosinecki against Argentina in Zagreb in 1994

Javier and Ivan say they will never forget the summer when on the island of Hvar they were given 7 shirts from local amateur clubs.

Croatia shirt from 20-4-1994 in Bratislava, Slovakia worn by player Mladen Mladinovic. Friendly International: SLOVAKIA 4 vs. Croatia 1

Slaven Bilic’s shirt from 94-95 season

“We have to thank all our friends around the world because they are our suppliers. It is unbelievable the number of Croatian institutes involved in football around the world. Every week we discover a new club,” they added.