Quick Facts
Biography
Franjo Giler, sometimes spelled Giller (1 September 1907 – 20 December 1943), was a Yugoslav footballer.
Career
Born in Sremska Mitrovica, Austro-Hungary (nowadays Serbia), he was known as one of the best left wingers in Yugoslavia in the pre-World War II period.
He started playing in Građanski Sremska Mitrovica. and in 1925 he moved to HŠK Građanski Zagreb where he becomes Yugoslav First League champion in 1926 and 1928. In 1929 he suffers a major injury in a national team match against France, and in 1931 he is operated by doctor Köln in Vienna becoming the first Yugoslav footballer to be operated to the meniscus. In 1931 he joins SK Jugoslavija where he plays until 1935 making 35 appearances and 12 goals. Afterwords he became a player/manager at another Belgrade club, FK Čukarički.
He made 13 appearances and 3 goals for the Yugoslavia national football team between 1926 and 1932, and also 2 appearances for the Yugoslavia B team, between 1927 and 1928.
During the World War II, as a volksdeutscher, more precisely Croat of German origin, he was mobilised by the German authorities, however he tries to escape and join Yugoslav Partisans in the region of Srem, however he end up captured by the Gestapo and shot dead in Vršac on 20 December 1943.