Josip Bukal

Who is Josip Bukal?

Josip Bukal is a former Yugoslav and Bosnian football player of Croatian ethnicity.

Bukal was born in the village of Okešinac near Ivanić-Grad where he began primary education, before moving to Veliki Crljeni in Serbia for the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade. He then came to Sarajevo at the age of 15.

Bukal's involvement with football began in Sarajevo where he started playing for FK Željezničar youth team. His subsequent career in football is all the more remarkable considering he didn't play any organized football until almost 16 years of age.

It is recorded that he scored 10 goals in one game for the youth team. In 1963, he made his debut for the first team. He played 464 games for Željezničar. He is a record goalscorer for the club in official and league games. He was a member of the FK Željezničar team that won Yugoslav championship title in 1972.

In 1973, he moved to Belgian Standard Liège. He played there for three seasons where he was a topscorer of UEFA Cup 1973-1974 season with 12 goals. After one more season in Željezničar, he retired in 1978. He was known for his powerful shot. During one game in Belgium, it is recorded that the ball was heading 141 km/h after his shot.