{{Short description|Slovenian footballer (1960–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Marko Elsner | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1960|4|11}} | birth_place = Ljubljana, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|5|18|1960|4|11}} | death_place = Ljubljana, Slovenia | height = 1.75 m<ref name="nft">{{NFT player|20011|accessdate=}}</ref> | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Wacker Innsbruck | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Slovan | years1 = 1977–1983 | clubs1 = Olimpija | caps1 = 109 | goals1 = 12 | years2 = 1983–1987 | clubs2 = Red Star Belgrade | caps2 = 128 | goals2 = 3 | years3 = 1987–1990 | clubs3 = Nice | caps3 = 105 | goals3 = 6 | years4 = 1990–1991 | clubs4 = Admira Wacker | caps4 = 17 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1991–1993 | clubs5 = Nice | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 0 | totalcaps = 383 | totalgoals = 21 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Yugoslavia U21 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 1984–1988 | nationalteam2 = Yugoslavia | nationalcaps2 = 14 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 1992–1993 | nationalteam3 = Slovenia | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | manageryears1 = | managerclubs1 = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Football}} {{MedalCountry | {{YUG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalBronze | 1984 Los Angeles | Team}} }}
'''Marko Elsner''' (11 April 1960{{spnd}}18 May 2020) was a Slovenian professional footballer who played as a defender.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Viškovič |first1=Rok |title=Marko Elsner: V Beograd sem prišel kot smučar, odšel sem kot kralj |url=https://siol.net/sportal/nogomet/marko-elsner-v-beograd-sem-prisel-kot-smucar-odsel-sem-kot-kralj-440273 |publisher=Siol |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=sl |date=11 April 2020}}</ref>
==Club career== Born in Ljubljana, capital of SR Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia), Elsner played for Wacker Innsbruck's youth team before returning to Ljubljana where he played with Slovan before joining Olimpija in 1977. In 1983 he was signed by Red Star Belgrade, where he stayed for four seasons. In this period he became a national team player as he was part of the Yugoslav team at the 1984 Olympics, and has won one Yugoslav championship and one Yugoslav Cup during his spell with Red Star.<ref name="reprezentacija">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120605001109/http://www.reprezentacija.rs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1047 Marko Elsner] at Reprezentacija.rs {{in lang|sr}}</ref>
In 1987, he left Belgrade and moved abroad by signing with French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. He played with Nice until 1993, except in 1990–91, when he played for the Austrian Bundesliga side Admira Wacker.<ref>{{Worldfootball.net|marko-elsner|new_id=pe53085}}</ref>
==International career== Elsner made his debut for Yugoslavia in a March 1984 friendly match against Hungary, and played a total of 14 games for the team between 1984 and 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=5426|title=Marko Elsner, international player|access-date=14 October 2023|website=eu-football.info}}</ref> After Slovenia's independence in 1991, he switched his national team allegiance and made his debut for the Slovenia national team against Cyprus in November 1992. His last match was against Estonia on 7 April 1993, and the two games were his only two appearances for Slovenia.<ref name="nft"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzs.si/reprezentanca/?id_igralca=12067|language=sl|access-date=18 May 2020|publisher=Football Association of Slovenia|title=Marko Elsner – NZS}}</ref>
==Personal life== Elsner's father, Branko Elsner, was also a footballer and later a coach. His sons Luka and Rok are also former professional footballers.<ref name=":0" />
Elsner died on 18 May 2020 at the age of 60 due to illness.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Umrl je Marko Elsner |url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/umrl-je-marko-elsner/524221 |publisher=RTV Slovenija |access-date=18 May 2020 |language=sl |date=18 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.total-slovenia-news.com/sport/6259-marko-elsner-slovenian-olympic-footballer-dies-at-60 |title=Marko Elsner, Slovenian Olympic Footballer, Dies at 60 |date=18 May 2020 |website=total-slovenia-news.com |publisher=Total Slovenia News |access-date=19 May 2020 }}</ref>
==Honours== '''Red Star Belgrade''' *Yugoslav First League: 1983–84<ref name="nft"/> *Yugoslav Cup: 1985<ref name="nft"/>
'''Yugoslavia national team''' *Olympic Games: 1984 (bronze)<ref name="reprezentacija"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Yugoslavia Squad 1984 UEFA Euro}} {{Yugoslavia Squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elsner, Marko}} Category:1960 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Footballers from Ljubljana Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Yugoslav men's footballers Category:Yugoslavia men's international footballers Category:Olympic footballers for Yugoslavia Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Yugoslavia Category:Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:UEFA Euro 1984 players Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Slovenian men's footballers Category:Slovenia men's international footballers Category:Dual internationalists (men's football) Category:NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005) players Category:Red Star Belgrade footballers Category:OGC Nice players Category:Admira Wacker players Category:Yugoslav First League players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Ligue 2 players Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players Category:Yugoslav expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria Category:Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Austria Category:Slovenian expatriate men's footballers Category:Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Elsner family