Footballers often chart remarkably different courses once they hang up their boots. Some, like Pep Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane, dive into the frenetic world of management. Others, like Gary Neville or Thierry Henry, find their niche in punditry, analyzing games from the comfort of a studio, while some choose to step away entirely, embracing a laid-back lifestyle far removed from the pressures of the sport.
Then there are players like Leeds United cult hero Mark Viduka, who just disappear from the limelight and become almost impossible to find. The Aussie’s post-retirement life is as intriguing as it is unconventional.
For the Australian-Croatian striker, retirement has been less about the spotlight and more about serenity. Viduka a goalscoring weapon and a composed finisher, has opted for an equally calm and composed life off the football pitch.
Nestled in the picturesque hills just outside the Croatian capital of Zagreb, Viduka runs a coffee shop.
It isn’t just a business venture he oversees from afar—Viduka reportedly works at the coffee shop himself, engaging with patrons and enjoying the slower pace of life.
Playing Days
Mark Viduka’s name still resonates with Leeds fans who watched him terrorize defenses in the early 2000s. Signed from Celtic in 2000 for £6 million, Viduka became an Elland Road icon during his tenure for the Lilywhites.
He had the unorthodox technical finesse that forwards at 6’2″ don’t have, while having the raw power you’d come to expect from him. Scoring 72 goals and bagging 16 assists in 166 games, Viduka had memorable moments like his four-goal haul in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Liverpool.
Viduka’s contributions helped Leeds reach the Champions League semifinals during an era when the club punched well above its weight in English football. Viduka’s career was cut short by injuries. By the time he retired in 2009 at the age of 34, he had already walked away from offers to prolong his playing career, but it was never about the fame for him.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, sipping on a hot espresso Viduka had this to say, “I wasn’t obsessed with fame or money, I never liked the limelight. I still don’t. All the b****ks… I just couldn’t stand it.”
Life After Football
Today, Viduka’s life revolves around his coffee shop, Non Plus Ultra, which translates from Latin as “No More Beyond.” Situated in the rolling hills beyond Zagreb.
With a five-star rating on TripAdvisor, Non Plus Ultra has become a hidden gem for locals and tourists alike. It’s even frequented by notable figures like former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.
“We’d always wanted to run a cafe,” Viduka explains. “For fun really, one where everyone was welcome.”
A tweet that recently surfaced showed Viduka working at his coffee shop, making a brew for either himself or one of his customers.
But he has a different view on what goes down at the cafe: “My missus does all the work, I just sit here and drink coffee!”
To back this up is his former teammate at Newcastle, Joey Barton, responded to the original tweet saying, “He don’t run jack sh*t. He owns the coffee shop. Big Duks is the richest man I know.”
Adding on to this chill lifestyle is his love for music.
Viduka spends time playing the guitar with his son. “I play the guitar,” he says.
“My son, Oliver, is a drummer in a band. When one of his mates can’t make it, I jump in. We use our basement. The neighbors aren’t very happy about it!”
Watching his son’s first live gig, Viduka was not a Premier League icon but a proud dad, bopping along to the beat of a Franz Ferdinand cover.
Viduka’s lifestyle is a telling story that life after football doesn’t have to follow a script.
For a man who never craved fame, a coffee in the hills of Zagreb and being a proud dad lost amongst the crowd is what makes him the happiest.
