Žarko Nikolić

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Žarko Nikolić

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|10|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Novi Sad, Kingdom of Yugoslavia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|08|22|1936|10|16|df=y}}

| death_place = Novi Sad, Serbia

| height =

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 = 1952–1954

| youthclubs1 = Vojvodina

| years1 = 1954–1966

| clubs1 = Vojvodina

| caps1 = 226

| goals1 = 12

| years2 = 1966–1968

| clubs2 = Schalke 04

| caps2 = 11

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1968

| clubs3 = Vojvodina

| caps3 = 1

| goals3 = 0

| totalcaps = 238

| totalgoals = 12

| nationalyears1 = 1959–1961

| nationalteam1 = Yugoslavia

| nationalcaps1 = 9

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Gold|Olympic Games|1960}}{{Medal|Silver|European Nations' Cup|1960}}

}}

Žarko Nikolić ({{Lang-sr-Cyrl|Жарко Николић}}; 16 October 1936 – 22 August 2011) was a Yugoslav and Serbian footballer who played as a defender.{{Cite web | url=http://www.reprezentacija.rs/nikolic-zarko/ | title=Nikolić Žarko | language=Serbian | publisher=reprezentacija.rs | accessdate=21 December 2018}}{{Cite web | url=https://sport.blic.rs/fudbal/domaci-fudbal/preminuo-kapiten-vosine-sampionske-generacije-zarko-nikolic/yyyy6lp | title=Preminuo kapiten Vošine šampionske generacije Žarko Nikolić | language=Serbian | publisher=blic.rs | date=23 August 2011 | accessdate=25 August 2011}}

Career

Born in Novi Sad, Nikolić played for Vojvodina from 1954 to 1966, amassing over 200 appearances in the Yugoslav First League and helping them win the championship in the 1965–66 season. He subsequently moved abroad to West Germany and joined Schalke 04, spending two seasons at the club. Before retiring from the game, Nikolić had a brief second spell with Vojvodina.

At international level, Nikolić was capped nine times for Yugoslavia.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=15120|title=Žarko Nikolić, international football player|access-date=14 February 2024|website=EU-football.info}} He represented his country at one European Nations' Cup (finishing runner-up in 1960) and one World Cup (1962). Nikolić was also a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, but he did not play in any matches.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700891 |title=Žarko Nikolić |work=Olympedia |access-date=10 December 2021}}