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jenni_blogThe Croatian National Team has some of the most exciting and interesting young talent in Europe on its roster. I wanted to do a picspam to honour them and wish them luck in Euro 2008. Here is a list of the featured players, their impressive stats and some interesting tidbits about each one. In fact, some of their stories could be made into films and they would be fascinating. Some of the stuff these guys have been through is quite amazing. Here is a picspam of only 10 of them:
1. Eduardo da Silva
2. Niko Kranjcar
3. Luka Modric
4. Dario Simic
5. Vedran Corluka
6. Mladen Petric
7. Ivan Rakitic
8. Ivan Klasnic
9. Ivica Olic
10. Stiven Rivic
EDIT: WARNING!!! HUGE picspam! At least 100 pictures!!! Not dial-up friendly!
1. EDUARDO DA SILVA
Born 25 February 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, this 5' 9" striker wears the #9 for Arsenal in the Premiership. Eduardo took Croatian nationality in 2002. Prior to joining Arsenal he played for Dinamo Zagreb from 2001-2007. A huge talent, Eduardo was horribly injured by a tackle during a game with Birmingham City this year that separated his foot from his leg. Although he is expected to recover, it was a devastating injury that will see him miss the Euro 2008 tournament this summer.
PICS OF EDUARDO
2. NIKO KRANJCAR
Niko was born 13 August 1984 in Zagreb, Croatia. He is 6' 1" tall and wears #19 for Portsmouth in the Premiership. He is a midfielder who played for Dinamo Zagreb where he became captain, but then he transferred to rival club Hadjuk. After this, his agent was shot dead in his home in a suspected Mafia hit. Niko is multi-talented and was noticed at the World Cup 2006 by several clubs who wanted him. He was the second most expensive transfer in Croatian football next to Eduardo. He has played for the Croatian under-16, -17, -19, -21 and senior national teams.
PICS OF NIKO:
LOL....I have noticed that Niko has gone through a lot of hairstyles in his career.
3. LUKA MODRIC
He was born 9 September 1985 in Zadar, Croatia. Luka is 5' 8-1/2" tall and is a midfielder and playmaker, wearing the #10 for Dinamo Zagreb. His team played Arsenal in the third qualifying round of the Champions League in 2006/07, prompting Arsene Wenger to say, "Croatians are very good, but very expensive".
PICS OF LUKA:
4. DARIO SIMIC
Dario was born 12 November 1975 in Zagreb. He's a 5' 11" defender who wears the #17 for AC Milan. He played in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as Euro 1996 and 2004. He scored a last-minute goal in Croatia's 3-2 victory over Argentina in the March 1/2006 friendly in Basel.
PICS OF DARIO:
5. VEDRAN CORLUKA
Born 5 FEbruary 1986 in Modran, Bosnia & Herzegovina, this 6' 4" defender/defensive midfielder wears #16 for Manchester City in the Premiership. His previous club was Dinamo Zagreb. Vedran is very tall, but he is very well-coordinated, with great technique and positioning.
HERE ARE PICS OF VEDRAN:
6. MLADEN PETRIC
Mladen was born 1 Januray 1981 in Dubrave, Bosnia & Herzegovina. He is 6' 1" and is a forward with Borussia Dortmund in Germany, wearing the #10. His family moved to Neuenhof, Switzerland, to avoid war and he holds dual Croatian-Swiss citizenship. Mladen is infamous for burning a FC Basel scarf when he played for Grasshoppers Zurich, before he went to play for FC Basel! He was the top goalscorer in the Swiss Super League in 2006/07.
PICS OF MLADEN:
7. IVAN RAKITIC
Ivan Rakitic was born 10 March 1988 in Mohlin, Switzerland. The 6' 1/2" midfielder wears the #10 for FC Schalke04 in Germany. He was with FC Basel before joining FC Schalke in June 2007 as a replacement for Lincoln. He has played for the Swiss U-17, -19 and -21 national teams but decided to answer the call by Coach Bilic and play for the senior Croatian National Team.
PICS:
8. IVAN KLASNIC
Klasnic was born 29 January 1980 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is 6' 1" and is a striker for Werder Bremen. His parents are from Bosnia & Herzegovina. He turned down offers to play for Germany and Bosnia & Herzegovina and chose to play for the Croatian National Team. In January 2007 Ivan suffered kidney failure and received a transplant. Unfortunately, his body rejected the kidney which had been donated by his mother. In March 2007 it was replaced, this time by one of his father's. Just imagining what this family has been through is staggering. Luckily, the second transplant was successful and Ivan was able to continue playing football, both with Werder Bremen in November 2007 and the national team in March 2008.
HERE ARE SOME PICS OF IVAN KLASNIC:
9. IVICA OLIC
Ivica was born 14 September 1979 in Davor, Croatia. He is a 6' 0" forward or left-winger who plays for Hamburger SV and wears #11. I just saw an interview with him on TV where it was revealed that he is a good friend of Mladen Petric.
10. STIVEN RIVIC
Stiven was born 9 August 1985 in Costa Rica! (Inside joke: Ha! We have a CONCACAF connection!) He is 5' 11-1'2" inches tall and wears the #10 for Energie Cottbus. Until now he has played for the Croatian U21 National Team. One of his previous club teams was Schalke04 in 2003/04.
PICS:
That's it for only 10 of Croatia's wonderful players. There are more, but this picspam was big enough! LOL.
1. Eduardo da Silva
2. Niko Kranjcar
3. Luka Modric
4. Dario Simic
5. Vedran Corluka
6. Mladen Petric
7. Ivan Rakitic
8. Ivan Klasnic
9. Ivica Olic
10. Stiven Rivic
EDIT: WARNING!!! HUGE picspam! At least 100 pictures!!! Not dial-up friendly!
1. EDUARDO DA SILVA
Born 25 February 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, this 5' 9" striker wears the #9 for Arsenal in the Premiership. Eduardo took Croatian nationality in 2002. Prior to joining Arsenal he played for Dinamo Zagreb from 2001-2007. A huge talent, Eduardo was horribly injured by a tackle during a game with Birmingham City this year that separated his foot from his leg. Although he is expected to recover, it was a devastating injury that will see him miss the Euro 2008 tournament this summer.
PICS OF EDUARDO
2. NIKO KRANJCAR
Niko was born 13 August 1984 in Zagreb, Croatia. He is 6' 1" tall and wears #19 for Portsmouth in the Premiership. He is a midfielder who played for Dinamo Zagreb where he became captain, but then he transferred to rival club Hadjuk. After this, his agent was shot dead in his home in a suspected Mafia hit. Niko is multi-talented and was noticed at the World Cup 2006 by several clubs who wanted him. He was the second most expensive transfer in Croatian football next to Eduardo. He has played for the Croatian under-16, -17, -19, -21 and senior national teams.
PICS OF NIKO:
LOL....I have noticed that Niko has gone through a lot of hairstyles in his career.
3. LUKA MODRIC
He was born 9 September 1985 in Zadar, Croatia. Luka is 5' 8-1/2" tall and is a midfielder and playmaker, wearing the #10 for Dinamo Zagreb. His team played Arsenal in the third qualifying round of the Champions League in 2006/07, prompting Arsene Wenger to say, "Croatians are very good, but very expensive".
PICS OF LUKA:
4. DARIO SIMIC
Dario was born 12 November 1975 in Zagreb. He's a 5' 11" defender who wears the #17 for AC Milan. He played in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as Euro 1996 and 2004. He scored a last-minute goal in Croatia's 3-2 victory over Argentina in the March 1/2006 friendly in Basel.
PICS OF DARIO:
5. VEDRAN CORLUKA
Born 5 FEbruary 1986 in Modran, Bosnia & Herzegovina, this 6' 4" defender/defensive midfielder wears #16 for Manchester City in the Premiership. His previous club was Dinamo Zagreb. Vedran is very tall, but he is very well-coordinated, with great technique and positioning.
HERE ARE PICS OF VEDRAN:
6. MLADEN PETRIC
Mladen was born 1 Januray 1981 in Dubrave, Bosnia & Herzegovina. He is 6' 1" and is a forward with Borussia Dortmund in Germany, wearing the #10. His family moved to Neuenhof, Switzerland, to avoid war and he holds dual Croatian-Swiss citizenship. Mladen is infamous for burning a FC Basel scarf when he played for Grasshoppers Zurich, before he went to play for FC Basel! He was the top goalscorer in the Swiss Super League in 2006/07.
PICS OF MLADEN:
7. IVAN RAKITIC
Ivan Rakitic was born 10 March 1988 in Mohlin, Switzerland. The 6' 1/2" midfielder wears the #10 for FC Schalke04 in Germany. He was with FC Basel before joining FC Schalke in June 2007 as a replacement for Lincoln. He has played for the Swiss U-17, -19 and -21 national teams but decided to answer the call by Coach Bilic and play for the senior Croatian National Team.
PICS:
8. IVAN KLASNIC
Klasnic was born 29 January 1980 in Hamburg, West Germany. He is 6' 1" and is a striker for Werder Bremen. His parents are from Bosnia & Herzegovina. He turned down offers to play for Germany and Bosnia & Herzegovina and chose to play for the Croatian National Team. In January 2007 Ivan suffered kidney failure and received a transplant. Unfortunately, his body rejected the kidney which had been donated by his mother. In March 2007 it was replaced, this time by one of his father's. Just imagining what this family has been through is staggering. Luckily, the second transplant was successful and Ivan was able to continue playing football, both with Werder Bremen in November 2007 and the national team in March 2008.
HERE ARE SOME PICS OF IVAN KLASNIC:
9. IVICA OLIC
Ivica was born 14 September 1979 in Davor, Croatia. He is a 6' 0" forward or left-winger who plays for Hamburger SV and wears #11. I just saw an interview with him on TV where it was revealed that he is a good friend of Mladen Petric.
10. STIVEN RIVIC
Stiven was born 9 August 1985 in Costa Rica! (Inside joke: Ha! We have a CONCACAF connection!) He is 5' 11-1'2" inches tall and wears the #10 for Energie Cottbus. Until now he has played for the Croatian U21 National Team. One of his previous club teams was Schalke04 in 2003/04.
PICS:
That's it for only 10 of Croatia's wonderful players. There are more, but this picspam was big enough! LOL.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-26 03:10 pm (UTC)but now, if he doesn't play play in the same team or against Micho's, i'd love to look at him only. lol
no subject
Date: 2008-03-26 08:50 pm (UTC)I never much cared about the Premiership team Portsmouth except for their coach Harry Redknapp because he is Jamie Redknapp's father and Jamie Redknapp is so hot! LOL. But I like to watch Portsmouth now because of Niko!
giuli
I' ve seen lots of matches, but a football player impressed me totaly.his Vedran Corluka; he plays very well, and is an excellent defender.he , also, is very handsome!
jaja
well, I don't have anything to say about, for now..
I give you my e-mail adress..
giuli_chicalalokura@hotmail.com
I really like this website.
kisses, bye!
Re: giuli
Date: 2008-09-14 02:32 am (UTC)I just love Argentina.♥
OHHH...Vedran Corluka is a favourite of mine. I saw him interviewed on TV last night. He is very handsome and sweet too.
Your English is good! Hablo espanol un poco pero no bien.
Muchas gracias para el e-mail addy.
....
Date: 2009-01-01 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 08:31 am (UTC)