Mladen Pralija

{{short description|Croatian former professional footballer (born 1959)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mladen Pralija

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|1|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Šibenik, FPR Yugoslavia

| height =

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1977–1978

| clubs1 = Hajduk Split

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1978–1979

| clubs2 = RNK Split

| caps2 = 48

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1979–1982

| clubs3 = Hajduk Split

| caps3 = 10

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1982–1985

| clubs4 = Šibenik

| caps4 = 120

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1986–1987

| clubs5 = Hajduk Split

| caps5 = 31

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1987-1988

| clubs6 = Hamburger SV

| caps6 = 20

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 1988

| clubs7 = Čelik Zenica

| caps7 = 4

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 1988–1992

| clubs8 = Hajduk Split

| caps8 = 69

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 1992

| clubs9 = Pazinka

| caps9 = 4

| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 1992–1993

| clubs10 = Toronto Croatia

| caps10 = 50

| goals10 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1993

| managerclubs1 = Toronto Croatia

| manageryears2 = 1993–1999

| managerclubs2 = Hajduk Split (assistant)

| manageryears3 = 1999

| managerclubs3 = Singapore Armed Forces

| manageryears4 = 2000–2003

| managerclubs4 = Hajduk Split (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears5 = 2004–2006

| managerclubs5 = Hajduk Split (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears6 = 2006

| managerclubs6 = Toronto Croatia

| manageryears7 = 2008

| managerclubs7 = Luch-Energiya (assistant)

| manageryears8 = 2010

| managerclubs8 = Istra 1961 (assistant)

| manageryears9 = 2010–2012

| managerclubs9 = Croatia (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears10 = 2012

| managerclubs10 = Lokomotiv Moscow (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears11 = 2013–2014

| managerclubs11 = Croatia U19 (assistant)

| manageryears12 = 2014–2015

| managerclubs12 = RNK Split (assistant)

| manageryears13 = 2015–2016

| managerclubs13 = Sheriff Tiraspol (assistant)

| manageryears14 = 2017

| managerclubs14 = Apollon Smyrnis (assistant)

| manageryears15 = 2017

| managerclubs15 = Atyrau (assistant)

| manageryears16 = 2018

| managerclubs16 = Hajduk Split (goalkeeping coach)

}}

Mladen Pralija (born 28 January 1959) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.{{cite web | url = http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/mladen-pralija/ | title = Mladen Pralija | publisher = worldfootball.net | access-date = 19 July 2013}}

Playing career

Pralija began his career in the Yugoslav First League with Hajduk Split in 1977.{{Cite web|url=http://hajduk.hr/eng/history/players|title=Players database • HNK Hajduk Split|website=hajduk.hr|language=hr|access-date=2017-10-15}} He made his club debut on 11 November 1981 in a Cup match against Napredak.[https://dalmatinskiportal.hr/sport/intervju-karijere-mladen-pralija--/37352 PRESJEK KARIJERE: Pročitajte što Mladen Pralija kaže o vratarskim danima u Hajduku i prelasku u HSV, te koji je najveći problem ove momčadi 'bijelih'] – Dalmatinski Portal {{in lang|hr}} He also had stints with RNK Split, Šibenik, and Čelik Zenica. In 1987, he played abroad in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fussballdaten.de/person/mladen-pralija/|title=Mladen Pralija – 1987/1988|work=Fussballdaten|access-date=2017-10-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/sport/fussball/bundesliga/hamburger-sv/article117265147/Der-groesste-Fliegenfaenger-der-Liga-spielte-beim-HSV.html|title=Transfer-Flops: Der größte Fliegenfänger der Liga spielte beim HSV|last=Laux|first=Alexander|date=2013-06-20|work=DIE WELT|access-date=2017-10-15}} After the formation of the Croatian First Football League he played with NK Pazinka.{{Cite web|url=http://hrnogomet.com/hnl/igrac.php?id=421&stranica=1|title=Mladen Pralija|website=hrnogomet.com|access-date=2017-10-15}} He played abroad once more in 1992 in the National Soccer League with Toronto Croatia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.studiacroatica.org/veterani/18veterani.htm|title=18 Veterani Hajduka – Branka Bezić Filipović | publisher=studiacroatica.org | access-date=30 January 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-jul-24-1993-p-71/|title=Offence doesn't mean victory|last=McDonald|first=Marvin|date=1993-07-24|via=NewspaperArchive.com|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=71|language=en|access-date=2020-04-14}}

Managerial career

After his retirement from competitive football he made the transition to a football manager. In 1999, he managed the Singapore Armed Forces FC in the S.League. There he achieved the Singapore Cup for the team.{{Cite web|url=http://s-leaguefootball.blogspot.com/search?q=Mladen+Pralija|title=S-league: Facts & Figures|last=happy|access-date=2017-10-15}} In 2018, he was appointed assistant manager under Zoran Vulić for Hajduk Split in the Croatian First Football League.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportcom.hr/sport/nogomet/hajduk/zoran-vulic-sluzbeno-trener-hajduka-mladen-pralija-i-mario-carevic-pomocnici|title=Zoran Vulić službeno trener Hajduka, Mladen Pralija i Mario Carević pomoćnici – SportCom.hr|last=SC|access-date=2018-09-09|language=hr-hr}} He also worked as Vulić' assistant at Istra, RNK Split, Luch Energiya, Sheriff Tiraspol, Atyrau and Apollon Smyrnis.