HISTORY OF HNL ALBUMS AND STICKERS

Dear sticker collectors, dear audience! We are reading again after more than two and a half years, and the reason for this is very simple and spectacular - the release of a new album dedicated to the First Croatian Football League. It's not just any album, it's Panini's release. You all know that this is what we've all been waiting for, because it's about the most famous publishing company that started working in the 1960s, when they released the first album dedicated to the Italian Serie A. Later, they continued with albums of World and European football championships and also spread to many other countries, some with football albums, some with albums of various other topics. You can read about the expansion of Panini outside Italy exclusively on my blog. Namely, I had the opportunity to talk with the grandson of Bert Grunenfelder, the person who first brought the Italian company to Switzerland, and later to other European countries.

I believe that you all welcomed the news about the new HNL (Croatian football league) album with great joy! For some it's just another collection, for some it will be the first encounter with stickers, but whatever - Panini is coming to Croatia with the album of the Croatian football championship. Wow. We finally got that. That's a really big deal! Now you will have the opportunity to collect icons of your clubs, of course if they compete in the highest level, as well as clubs idols and legends. Livaja, Petković, Pjaca, Banić, Mierez, Leovac, Brodić, Mioč, Erceg and Tomečak are just some of the stars that you will be able to find in packets and stick in your albums. Great credit for that goes to Promax Pictures, the distributor of Panini Supersport HNL stickers and one of the main initiators of this whole story, which was mentioned back in 2021 in the podcast Imam Imam Nemam (Got Got Need) =)

In the introductory part of this story, we will return to the past and mention football-themed albums from the territory of the former state Yugoslavia. The first such albums were released in the early 1930s, so almost a hundred years ago. Albums were released, with interruptions, until the breakup of Yugoslavia, in the early 90s. The most famous of them are certainly "Fudbaleri i Timovi (Footballers and teams)", as well as several editions of the "Fudbal (Football)" album that came out in the last seasons of the complete Yugoslav league.

It should be noted that this is the first Panini league edition in the area of former Yugoslavia. This is interesting because of the league of the former Yugoslavia, although Dečje Novine had the right to print Panini licensed collections, but Panini never worked for the championship of the former country. If that had happened, it would not have been strange because at that time Panini albums from various other football leagues such as Belgian, French, Dutch, German and Swiss were released. Also Panini had, for some still has, a license to release individual clubs from this area within FIFA 365 albums. These are two Slovenian and two Serbian clubs: Olimpija and Maribor and Partizan and Crvena Zvezda. Obviously, the idea or realization of publishing an album of the entire championships of those countries never came to realization.

Before I go to the albums of the previous HNL albums, I should also mention the special collections issued for certain Croatian clubs. These are of course: Hajduk, Dinamo, Rijeka and Osijek. Local publishers are in question. Hajduk and Rijeka each have four separate albums, Dinamo two, while Osijek has only one, which is also the last album that came out. The content of those albums is mostly historical, i.e. the stickers show historical moments of those clubs like legendary players and coaches, the greatest successes... Part of the album also refers to stickers of current football players at the time of the release of those same albums. For example, Rijeka also released an album about the historic and so far only championship title from 2017. They all date from 1999 until 2022, when a collection dedicated to NK Osijek was released.

NOGOMET ‘97 (FOOTBALL ‘97)

So let's start in order. In total, five albums were released dedicated to the highest level of Croatian football. The first of them was published in May 1997 and refers to the 1996/97 first HNL season. It is the publisher of GSG izdanja za mlade (GSG editions for young people). The prices on the cover seem unrealistic today. For the album, you only had to spend HRK 6, while each package cost HRK 2. Before the stickers, we have the word of the publisher. In the introductory part, the publisher tells us how they wanted to contribute to the popularization of football in Croatia with the album. We can conclude that they didn't succeed, at least not to the extent that they probably wanted. However, it is HNL's first album and today it has a special place in the collection of sticker collectors.

Although it is appreciated today, it was not at that time and the consequence is that we waited for the next album for three seasons.

The publisher also wrote us something about the concept of the album itself. "Each club of the 1st A league is represented as follows. In addition to the common picture of the team, 16 players selected by the publisher are also presented, and emblems and the picture of the fan group are published with each team. For each club, we provided some basic information about its foundation, stadium, shirt color..." Finally, they concluded: "We hope that the publication of albums with self-adhesive stickers of Croatian football players will become a tradition and that future generations will also enjoy collecting pictures of Croatian football stars .“

From the desire for tradition, we came to only five released albums. But let's return to the album itself. The introductory stickers are dedicated to the Croatian national football team. In addition to the emblem and national team players, we also have a nice team picture of the national team under the Kantrida stadium rocks, which consists of six stickers in total. After that comes the clubs. Then 1. A league had a total of 16 participants. Clubs are presented in the already mentioned way. A total of 20 stickers for each club. Today, some of them are in the lower leagues, have disbanded or continued the work of their predecessors by reshaping and changing their name. So in the album we can see: Cibalia, Croatia Zagreb, Hrvatski Dragovoljac, Inker, Marsonia, Mladost 127., Orijent, Segesta, Šibenik, Varteks, Zadarkomerc and Zagreb. Some of the future legends of Croatian football also found a place in these clubs. There are, for example, Ivica Olić in the jersey of Marsonia, then Davor Vugrinec in the jersey of Varteks, Krpan in the jersey of Osijek, Boris Živković in the jersey of Dragovoljac, the defending duo Tudor and Šimić, the first one in the jersey of Split’s Bili (The Split Whites) and Šimić, respectively, in the jersey of the former Croatia... 340 images in total . Finally, we can see a big prize award where you could win a Fiat Uno for sending 50 empty packets.

In my humble opinion, a very nicely designed album considering that it was the first.

NOGOMET 1999/2000

The next album dedicated to Croatian football is in the 1999/00 season, called Nogomet klubovi 1. HNL 1999/2000 (Football- clubs from the 1. HNL 99/00). The publisher is Kiosk distribution.

On the cover we can see a duel between two players; Igor, Musa in the jersey of Hajduk and Bišćan in the jersey of Croatia. The price of the album jumped by two kuna (HRK) compared to the previous edition, while the price of the package increased by half kuna (HRK). On the home page we have a prize game where for sending fifty coupons you could win a Fiat Seicento, a Kymco scooter, a Playstation... The introductory stickers refer to the HNS and HNL emblems and trophies. 

This is followed by a team picture made up of four stickers and emblems for each team in the first league. In this album, this section is separated from the rest of the club stickers, more precisely the players. The next part of the album is player stickers "in play" format. There is a short comment next to each one, so next to Damir Milinović there is a description: "one of the most responsible for last year's success of NK Rijeka".

Next is the most important part of the album, namely the pages dedicated to the clubs. Along with brief information about each of them, we can also see a list of players, then, registered for the first team. They are divided by position. A novelty in this album are the trainer's stickers. The capacity of the first league was reduced to 12 clubs. Croatia's Zagreb coach at the time was legendary Argentinian and world champion from 1978, Osvaldo Ardilles. Certainly an interesting part of this album is the various quizzes, so we have a question for Cibalia: "When did she win a promotion to the 1st league?" The answer is, of course, in the 1981/82 season. during the Former State as Dinamo Vinkovci. The player stickers are different from the first edition. The original background images were used there, while here we have different background colors depending on the club. Among the new competitors we can see Slaven Belupo and Vukovar. At the end of the album, we have fan groups of all the first league teams. It is nice to see Veseli Podravci as fans of the club from Koprivnica. On the back of the album there is an advertisement for Pepsi with the legendary Rivaldo. Ask for more. You needed exactly 400 stickers to fill this album.

NOGOMET 2000/2001

We have reached the third edition, which continues the previous one. Same publisher, Kiosk Distribucija from Rijeka. Prices remain unchanged. On the cover we can also see the inscription No1 collection of stickers. This time, the Renault Twingo was awarded as the first prize. In addition to the emblems of HNS and HNL, the starting images also refer to last year's championship and cup winners. These are Croatia Zagreb and Hajduk. New in this album, and certainly interesting sections, are: "best scorers 1992-2000" and "Top Cro 1990-2000" (players who marked the past ten years of HNL). So we can see the likenesses of Ladić, Gabrić, Bilić, Mlinarić, Mladenović, Soldo, Mumlek... Next comes the "farewells''. The images refer to the two giants of Croatian football and to the bronze medalists from France, Ladić and Bilić. Then follow the details from the first league matches. More than 20 stickers belong to this section. First league clubs come next, which, like the previous two editions, start with Cibalia, with 22 stickers per club. Two stickers form the team photo, then emblem, the coach and the players.

It is interesting to see NK Čakovec, then a participant in the highest level of Croatian football. It is also their only season in the first league, but with this album, so to speak, they are written into eternity. Today it is very difficult to find photos of some of the smaller clubs so this represents a very valuable part of their history.

At the end of the album, one more novelty. Building on past thoughts, also a very valuable part of the history of Croatian football. These are the images of the second division clubs, so we can see: Belišće, Croatia Sesvete, Hrvatski Vitez, Jadran from Poreč, Pik Vrbovec, Pomorac, TŠK, Žminj and others. A total of 18 clubs, each of which is represented by three stickers: emblem and the other two that make up the team photo. Like the previous album, this one also consists of 400 stickers. On the back of the album we have an advertisement for, at the time, very popular sports magazines Košarka and Nogomet (Basketball and Football).

NOGOMET 2005/2006

We had to wait five years for the next album. The publisher is Murano d.o.o. from Strmec Samoborski. The price of the album was HRK 10. It consists of only 252 thumbnails. What makes it possible to conclude that this is the most modest album of the Croatian league. In my opinion, the worst. There are no introductory thumbnails, last season flashbacks or some other sections that we are used to in past editions, some of the player images on the thumbnails are of poor quality.

In the past three editions, we have had nice profile pictures of each player. But it is interesting in a different way. There we can see the first likeness of the best football player in Croatian history, Luka Modrić. Many local and foreign collectors are looking for this sticker. Of course, there are many other, now former, Croatian national team players such as: Ćorluka, Dudu Da Silva, Vukojević, Pletikosa, Kranjčar, Jelavić, Mandžukić and others who marked our football in various ways, and grew in football way along with the collectors born in the 90s and marked our childhood and growing up in some way.

There are a total of 12 clubs in the album. Each club has 21 stickers; emblem, two for the team picture while the rest are players. Among some of the new clubs, we can mention Kamen Ingrad, Međimurje and Pula Staročeško, i.e. Istra, which has changed its name several times throughout history. Let's not forget to mention the big mistake that sneaked up to the publisher.

It is Inter from Zaprešić. Namely, the same picture was used for two stickers. These are the likenesses of Marko Janjetović and Veldin Karić. The picture of Janjetović was used for both, and thus we were deprived of a likeness, an icon, of Karić in the jersey of the first winner of the Croatian Football Cup. This time the main prize was something different. For sending fifty empty packages, you could win a trip to Disneyland. The lucky winners (along with other prizes) were drawn by the legendary captain of Vatreni, Zvonimir Boban.

NOGOMET 2006/2007

The fifth consecutive collection of the first HNL was released next season. Kiosk distribution is back as an album publisher. As we are used to from this publisher, at the beginning we are greeted with stickers of trophies and last season's winners. Dinamo and Rijeka are in question. The team stickers (two form a picture) and the club flag are separated from the players. Cibalia, which at that time was a regular participant in the first league, still holds the first place in the ranking of clubs in the album. In addition to the mentioned three stickers, we have an emblem and twenty players for each club. The background behind the players are, so to speak, illusionary images made of club crests. You should have stick 300 different stickers to fill the album.

For the first time, cards of those same football players could be obtained in packets. They were used for a game called Tekma. As written in the album, there are a total of 128 different cards. We have some basic informations on each card. Of course, the name and surname of the player and the club, but also the position on which he plays, his value and specialty (he shoots penalties well or defends if it is a goalkeeper). You choose a total of 11 cards, arrange your team and compete against your friends. The team that wins in more lines (defense, midfield, attack) wins the match. The first prize was a Citroen C1.

 

NOGOMET 2006/2007 (CARICATURES)

For the end, let's mention another album of the first league. It also appeared in the 2006/07 season. but the stickers are in the form of caricatures. It consists of all 12 first league clubs. It starts with trophy stickers, followed by clubs. Each of them is presented with at least 12 stickers. Emblem plus eleven players. For better, stronger, more famous clubs, whatever you want to say, we have more stickers. Four form the emblem, two the mascot like shark for HNK Rijeka, three are linked with the fans and the reserve players. A total of 244 thumbnails. The publisher is the same as for the album in the 05/06 season. Murano d.o.o., Strmec Samoborski. Two HNL albums in one season, not even the world’s biggest leagues have that =) Joke!

Here we have come to the end. We believe that with Panini, a new era of HNL albums and stickers begins, with the hope that it will last for a long time. I personally have all these albums in my collection, except the caricatures. After a certain break with stickers due to growing up and the opinion that it is for children, and not a high school boy, I returned to the hobby in 2015, already struggling with university exams.

The only albums whose stickers passed through my hands in real time are those from 2005/06. And now some of them are stuck in my football notebooks. A break from college, studying, exams, drawing and other activities, apart from hanging out and going out, I also had in stickers. That's how the site started working, and I returned to collecting stickers. I found out about all these albums through various researches.

At the time, I didn't have any of them in my collection, but through various purchases, half-full albums or whatever, and various exchanges, I got all five. Student days are like that, there wasn't really any money, so parents were also wired for stickers, which of course they didn't know, with a note, I'll pay you back. It's nice to flip through those albums sometimes, to remember the legendary players, but also all the others who in one way or another are inscribed in the eternity of Croatian football, as well as the various small teams that appeared in them. However, that HNL represents a part of my growing up and my first encounters with football. Beginnings of monitoring both on television and through newspapers. Cutting various articles, pictures, details from matches, the match results... Creating some of my own albums and collections - it's all part of childhood, and HNL's albums just bring me back there.

Yes, my dear readers and followers of the site, we haven't heard for a long time, which can be seen from the work of the site. It's not like before. Because of work, and also because I found interest in some other things. When I heard that Panini is coming to Croatia with the album of Croatian championship, I knew it was time for a new story about the history of stickers. But, however, I couldn't find inspiration, I kept putting it off, something was always more important... Until, let's put it this way, a friend, a great collector, but also the main critic of my stories, sent me a message, in the referee added time, with the question: What are we going to do? You're a bit lost to me..." Apparently, the only missing thing was a spark or someone's encouragement to get going. He said "I'm just waking you up a little so you can feel alive again."

That passionate collector in me has revived, at least until i put the last stickers into the new HNL album, the feeling is back - and the result are these letters you just have read =) Thank you for that.