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After the war, he moved to Slavonski Brod in Croatia, where he joined NK Marsonia. There, the uncompromising man-marker made his breakthrough at senior level. In 1996, he signed for the Zagreb club NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac - which translates as "Croatian Volunteers". During this time, Zivkovic also attracted attention and made his first appearances for the Croatia U21 team.
His talent did not go unnoticed abroad. Bayer 04 boss Reiner Calmund became aware of the robust defender and brought him to the Bundesliga in 1997. Over the next six years, Boris became an integral part of the Werkself. He made 208 appearances and scored 12 goals. And on 14 October in Bremen, he also kept goal for three minutes after Bayer 04 keeper Pascal Zuberbühler was sent off and the Werkself had already used the maximum number of substitutes quota. Boris was unable to save the ensuing penalty, but he was not tested in the final minutes of the game. With the Werkself, he was a runner-up three times and reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2002. Even though the legendary final against Real Madrid ended in defeat, that season will be remembered as one of the most important in the club's history.
After the difficult 2002/2003 season, when Bayer 04 only avoided relegation on the final matchday, Boris joined Portsmouth in England. Although he would have liked to stay at Leverkusen, the club could no longer afford his wages. Boris rejected a lower offer - and he went to England.
However, his stay in England was short-lived. After just one year, he returned to the Bundesliga - this time to VfB Stuttgart. But things didn't really go to plan for the defender in Swabia: In two years, he only made 23 Bundesliga appearances. In the 2005/06 season, he was loaned out to FC Köln, but even in the cathedral city of Cologne he was denied a place in the starting eleven.
In the 2006/2007 season, Boris finally moved on to Croatia to join Hajduk Split. There he regained his former strength and became a regular player. After three successful years, he ended his playing career in 2009.
Boris can also look back on an impressive career on the international stage. During his time in Leverkusen, he was called up to the Croatia team for the first time and he played in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Although he was shown a red card in the first group game, he made a total of 39 appearances for his home country and was regarded as one of Croatia's most reliable defenders.
Even after the end of his career, he remained loyal to football. He is an occasional guest at the BayArena and, when time permits, plays for the Bayer 04 Veterans team. Boris Zivkovic has been married to his wife Ivona for over 20 years. Together they have a son who now plays for Dinamo Zagreb - following in his father's footsteps.
Dear Boris, I wish you all the best for your 50th birthday! Stay healthy and celebrate.
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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