Marko Elsner

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Marko Elsner

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1960|4|11}}

| birth_place = Ljubljana, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|5|18|1960|4|11}}

| death_place = Ljubljana, Slovenia

| height = 1.75 m{{NFT player|20011|accessdate=}}

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Wacker Innsbruck

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Slovan

| years1 = 1977–1983

| clubs1 = Olimpija

| caps1 = 109

| goals1 = 12

| years2 = 1983–1987

| clubs2 = Red Star Belgrade

| caps2 = 128

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 1987–1990

| clubs3 = Nice

| caps3 = 105

| goals3 = 6

| years4 = 1990–1991

| clubs4 = Admira Wacker

| caps4 = 17

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1991–1993

| clubs5 = Nice

| caps5 = 24

| goals5 = 0

| totalcaps = 383

| totalgoals = 21

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = Yugoslavia U21

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1984–1988

| nationalteam2 = Yugoslavia

| nationalcaps2 = 14

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1992–1993

| nationalteam3 = Slovenia

| nationalcaps3 = 2

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 =

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Football}}

{{MedalCountry | {{YUG}} }}

}}

Marko Elsner (11 April 1960{{spnd}}18 May 2020) was a Slovenian professional footballer who played as a defender.{{cite web |last1=Viškovič |first1=Rok |title=Marko Elsner: V Beograd sem prišel kot smučar, odšel sem kot kralj |url=https://siol.net/sportal/nogomet/marko-elsner-v-beograd-sem-prisel-kot-smucar-odsel-sem-kot-kralj-440273 |publisher=Siol |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=sl |date=11 April 2020}}

Club career

Born in Ljubljana, capital of SR Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia), Elsner played for Wacker Innsbruck's youth team before returning to Ljubljana where he played with Slovan before joining Olimpija in 1977. In 1983 he was signed by Red Star Belgrade, where he stayed for four seasons. In this period he became a national team player as he was part of the Yugoslav team at the 1984 Olympics, and has won one Yugoslav championship and one Yugoslav Cup during his spell with Red Star.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120605001109/http://www.reprezentacija.rs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1047 Marko Elsner] at Reprezentacija.rs {{in lang|sr}}

In 1987, he left Belgrade and moved abroad by signing with French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. He played with Nice until 1993, except in 1990–91, when he played for the Austrian Bundesliga side Admira Wacker.{{Worldfootball.net|marko-elsner}}

International career

Elsner made his debut for Yugoslavia in a March 1984 friendly match against Hungary, and played a total of 14 games for the team between 1984 and 1988.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=5426|title=Marko Elsner, international player|access-date=14 October 2023|website=eu-football.info}} After Slovenia's independence in 1991, he switched his national team allegiance and made his debut for the Slovenia national team against Cyprus in November 1992. His last match was against Estonia on 7 April 1993, and the two games were his only two appearances for Slovenia.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzs.si/reprezentanca/?id_igralca=12067|language=sl|access-date=18 May 2020|publisher=Football Association of Slovenia|title=Marko Elsner – NZS}}

Personal life

Elsner's father, Branko Elsner, was also a footballer and later a coach. His sons Luka and Rok are also former professional footballers.

Elsner died on 18 May 2020 at the age of 60 due to illness.{{cite web |title=Umrl je Marko Elsner |url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/umrl-je-marko-elsner/524221 |publisher=RTV Slovenija |access-date=18 May 2020 |language=sl |date=18 May 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.total-slovenia-news.com/sport/6259-marko-elsner-slovenian-olympic-footballer-dies-at-60 |title=Marko Elsner, Slovenian Olympic Footballer, Dies at 60 |date=18 May 2020 |website=total-slovenia-news.com |publisher=Total Slovenia News |access-date=19 May 2020 }}