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MEMORIES ON DRAZEN
PETROVIC
"The Last Day"
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| Last basket by Drazen in Poland. |
 is brother Aleksandar talked about Drazen’s last game:
Wroclaw? You know, that last game clearly shows what kind of
person was Drazen. The National team would pass European qualification games without Drazen, but he wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Drazen had sprained ankle and even his father told him to go rest that ankle and get ready for European Championship. But he got
the same old answer, - I can’t, Aleksandar and Mirko will be there and all my friends…I can’t be the first one who wouldn't come. -
Drazen knew why he was going to Poland. I remember him saying that he knew that it will be hard, he knew food and hotel will be inadequate.
I’ll survive ten days he said… When someone, like Drazen, who lived past five years luxurious life style and still have that kind
of thinking then it just shows what kind of person he was. Everything for the Croatian national team… for the country he loved.
Drazen played his last game versus Slovenia in Wroclow, Poland on June 6, 1993. A day after, when the National team
was returning home, Drazen decided to take a friend’s offer and drive home from Frankfurt, Germany.
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| The late President of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman, at the Drazen's funereal. |
Drazen and I were walking through Frankfurt’s airport, when suddenly he turned around and said - I’ll see you on tomorrow’s practice.
I have an excellent connection to Zagreb. I gave him his plane ticket and told him that if there was going to be any problems he could
still join us. We waited 40 minutes until his brother Aleksandar showed up saying that Drazen had already left, Mirko Novosel remembers.
On his way to Zagreb passed Denkendorf, Germany, a young lady that drove Drazen, at high speed, lost control of the
vehicle in the middle of the storm and crashed into the truck. Drazen died instantly… and many dreams with him… (June 7. 1993. at 5.20 p.m)
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