Summary
The Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award or SN Yellow Shirt for short (Croatian: Žuta majica Sportskih novosti) is an annual football award given by the Croatian sports daily Sportske novosti. It is awarded to the best football player playing in the Croatian First League at the end of every season, based on post-match ratings awarded by sports journalists over the course of a season.
Established in 1953, the award was originally sponsored by the defunct Zagreb-based sports newspaper Narodni sport and its sports weekly Sportska panorama, and was awarded to the Player of the Season in the Yugoslav First League. In February 1962 Narodni sport was acquired by the Vjesnik publishing company and renamed Sportske novosti (SN). Since 1991 and the breakup of Yugoslavia, the paper gives the award to the best players in the Prva HNL, Croatia's top flight.
As of 2010 only three players have won the award on more than occasion, with each of them winning two awards:
- Vladica Kovačević (1963, 1965)
- Rudolf Belin (1964, 1969)
- Jurica Jerković (1971, 1976)
- Igor Cvitanović (1996, 1997)
- Ivica Olić (2002, 2003)
- Eduardo (2006, 2007)
Winners edit
Yugoslav league edit
Croatian league edit
| Season | Player (Wins) | Club |
|---|---|---|
 Goran Vučević (1)
|
Hajduk Split | |
| Goran Vlaović (1)
|
Croatia Zagreb | |
| Mladen Mladenović (1)
|
Rijeka | |
| Robert Špehar (1)
|
Osijek | |
| Igor Cvitanović (1)
|
Croatia Zagreb | |
| Igor Cvitanović (2)
|
Croatia Zagreb | |
| Mario Bazina (1)
|
Hrvatski Dragovoljac | |
| Miljenko Mumlek (1)
|
Varteks | |
| Ivan Bošnjak (1)
|
Cibalia | |
| Boško Balaban (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Ivica Olić (1)
|
NK Zagreb | |
| Ivica Olić (2)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Niko Kranjčar (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
 Mladen Bartolović (1)
|
NK Zagreb | |
| Eduardo (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Eduardo (2)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Luka Modrić (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Mario Mandžukić (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Senijad Ibričić (1)
|
Hajduk Split | |
| Ivan Krstanović (1)
|
NK Zagreb | |
| Anas Sharbini (1)
|
Hajduk Split | |
| Leon Benko (1)
|
Rijeka | |
| Duje Čop (1)
|
Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Gabrijel Boban (1)
|
NK Zagreb | |
| Tino-Sven Sušić (1)
|
Hajduk Split | |
| Franko Andrijašević (1)
|
Rijeka | |
 Héber Araujo dos Santos (1)
|
Rijeka | |
| Mijo Caktaš (1)
|
Hajduk Split | |
| Antonio Čolak (1)
|
Rijeka | |
 Ramón Miérez (1)
|
Osijek | |
| Marko Livaja (1)
|
Hajduk Split |
Source: Nogometni-magazin.com
Notes on club name changes:
- Dinamo Zagreb changed their name to "HAŠK Građanski" in June 1991 and then again in February 1993 to "Croatia Zagreb". They reverted to "Dinamo Zagreb" in February 2000.
- While the original NK Varaždin (1931–2015), known as NK Varteks from 1958 until June 2010, no longer exists, two new teams, both unassociated with the earlier club, have been founded in the city of Varaždin: NK Varteks, founded 2011; and NK Varaždin, called Varaždin ŠN when founded in 2012, when it overlapped with the original club.
Other awards edit
- Football Oscar, given by the Croatian union Football syndicate, chosen by players and managers of league clubs.
- Prva HNL Player of the Year (Tportal), given by the Croatian website Tportal, chosen by captains of league clubs.
- Croatian Footballer of the Year, given by the Croatian newspaper Večernji list, chosen by sport journalists.