Josip Cop has been in the secretary general position at the Croatian Olympic Committee since 2005 ©COC

Josip Cop has been re-elected for a fourth time as secretary general of the Croatian Olympic Committee (COC).

The 62-year-old was the sole candidate for the role he has held since 2005 and was duly voted into the position again during a COC meeting.

Cop is a former professional footballer who played for several Croatian sides including Hadjuk Split before moving abroad to Austria where he was part of Sturm Graz’s team between 1984 and 1986.

A defender, Cop also won two caps for Yugoslavia and was included in their squad for the 1984 UEFA European Championships in France, but did not make any appearances at the tournament.

Josip Cop was part of the Croatian delegation at the 1996 UEFA European Championships and 1998 FIFA World Cup ©Getty Images
Josip Cop was part of the Croatian delegation at the 1996 UEFA European Championships and 1998 FIFA World Cup ©Getty Images

After retiring, he went onto become the secretary general of the Croatian Football Federation, serving in the role between 1996 and 1998.

During this spell, Cop was part of the country’s delegation that went to the 1996 UEFA European Championships in England and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, both of which were the first time Croatia had appeared as an independent nation at the tournaments.

He has previously been COC executive director from 1999 to 2001 and is also a delegate for FIFA and UEFA.

Cop also has a degree in economics.