Soccer Star Who Played Through Cancer Killed In Car Accident At 39

Playing defensive midfielder for European powers such as Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco and Red Bull Salzburg, Pokrivac would score 21 goals in 321 games across all club competitions. 

At the international level, he was capped 15 times for Croatia and was a part of the team's 2008 European Championship tournament team, which reached the quarter-finals that year.

But by far his biggest opponent was his fight against Hodgkin lymphoma, which interrupted his playing career in 2015. Pokrivac underwent treatment for his cancer but continued playing for another two years before retiring professionally in 2017

In 2021, Pokrivac returned to playing soccer as an amateur player while also coaching youth soccer in his native Croatia. He was a youth team coach for several teams.

Pokrivac's former teams have come out to offer condolences following his passing:

AS Monaco wrote, "The Club was saddened to learn of the death of its former midfielder Nikola Pokrivac. To the family and loved ones, AS Monaco extends its most sincere condolences."

"We mourn the loss of our former player Nikola Pokrivac, who tragically died in a car accident. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Nikola," Red Bull Salzburg said in a statement.

"Nikola was a great football player, who lived football until his last moment in this world," Croatian Football Federation president Marijan Kustics said.

"He showed great courage in life by overcoming a terrible disease. This is a great loss for our football community, and especially painful for the family. It is impossible to find words of comfort in such a shocking and unimaginably sad moment when we have lost a young life. I can only express my deepest condolences to Nikola's family and loved ones for this irreparable loss. The HNS [the national football association] and the Croatian football family will be with them in these most difficult moments."

Our hearts go out to Pokrivac's family and loved ones.