Zdenko Blažeković (23 September 1915 – 12 January 1947) was a Croatian fascist official who held several posts in the World War II Ustaše regime in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH).

Born in the town of Bihać, he graduated from high school in Osijek before applying to join a polytechnic college in Zagreb to become a builder.

He was a member of various Croatian cultural and athletic organizations during his youth and even played as goalkeeper for Hajduk Osijek and HAŠK football clubs.

[3] After attending a public celebration of HSS leader Vladko Maček's birthday on 20 June 1935, Blažeković was imprisoned by Yugoslav authorities and tortured for twelve days in prison on the island of Korčula.

In 1939, he joined the Ustaše,[1] a Croatian fascist organization which advocated armed struggle in achieving Croatia's independence from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The country was then dismembered by the occupying forces and the extreme nationalist and fascist Croat leader of the Ustaše Ante Pavelić – who had been in exile in Benito Mussolini's Italy – was appointed Poglavnik (leader) of a newly established Ustaše-led Croatian state, the Independent State of Croatia (Croatian: Nezavisna Država Hrvatska or NDH).

[5] Under the Ustaše regime, genocidal policies were implemented and directed against the Serb, Jewish and Romani populations living within the country.

Increasingly, the USS became a wing of the NDH's student elite with strict rules of membership and privileges, with members attending rallies at which Pavelić spoke and wearing Ustaše uniform.

[9] In addition, many were motivated to join because the Youth provided athletic, intellectual and artistic training for "the next generation of Ustaše leaders."

Between 1942 and 1943 he participated in recruiting many students for Ante Pavelić's bodyguards (Poglavnikov Tjelesni Zdrug, PTZ) He was later promoted to the rank of army major.

Upon taking this position, he introduced strict new sports laws that emphasized discipline during football matches and criminalised monetary and material rewards for athletes.

[12] Attempting to tackle the problem of unruly crowds, he introduced new laws banning disorderly spectators from ever entering football stadiums.

Warnings by Blažeković and the DVTOŠ were regularly printed in daily party newspapers, calling for citizens and athletes to abide by the new laws.