Rudolf Cvek

Who is Rudolf Cvek?

Rudolf Cvek was a Croatian association football player.

A native of Novi Marof in Varaždin County, Cvek first started playing at the local side NK Varteks before moving to NK Dinamo Zagreb in 1965. In the following five seasons between 1965 and 1970 Cvek appeared in 112 Yugoslav First League matches for the Blues and helped them win the 1969 Yugoslav Cup and the 1966–67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the greatest achievement in club's history.

His career was cut short by a meniscus injury he picked up in the 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final away match against Schalke 04, from which he never fully recovered and which forced the talented defender to retire in 1970 at just 24 years of age.

Cvek was also capped six times for Yugoslavia. Called up by manager Rajko Mitić, he had his international debut in a 1970 World Cup qualifier against Finland on 25 September 1968, a 9–1 win in which his Dinamo teammate Slaven Zambata scored a hat-trick. His last international match was a friendly against Sweden five months later on 26 February 1969 in Split.