Šime Vrsaljko facts for kids
Vrsaljko with Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Šime Vrsaljko | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 January 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rijeka, Croatia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Dinamo Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | 73 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Lokomotiva (loan) | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Genoa | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Sassuolo | 57 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Atlético Madrid | 70 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Olympiacos | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 230 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Croatia U15 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Croatia U17 | 16 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Croatia U18 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Croatia U19 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Croatia U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Croatia U21 | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2022 | Croatia | 52 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Šime Vrsaljko (born January 10, 1992) is a former professional footballer from Croatia. He played as a right-back, which is a defensive position on the right side of the field. During his 13-year career, Šime played for clubs in Italy, Spain, and Greece.
He also played for the Croatian national team from 2011 to 2022. He represented his country in major tournaments like the UEFA European Championship in 2012, 2016, and 2020. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018. In the 2018 World Cup, Croatia reached the final match. Šime Vrsaljko announced his retirement from football in March 2023.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Šime Vrsaljko had an exciting career playing for several top football clubs. He started his journey in Croatia before moving to play in other European leagues.
Starting Out in Croatia
Vrsaljko began his senior football career at Lokomotiva. This team was connected to Dinamo Zagreb. He played for Lokomotiva during the 2009–10 season. He made his first professional appearance in the top Croatian league at just 17 years old. This was in a match against Rijeka on July 26, 2009. He was a starting player in 17 league matches that year.
Joining Dinamo Zagreb
In December 2009, Šime returned to Dinamo Zagreb. He played his first game for Dinamo on February 27, 2010. He made 9 more appearances for them that season. This brought his total league games to 27 for the whole season.
For the 2010–11 season, Vrsaljko was called to play for the Croatian under-19 team. This meant he missed some early club matches. He made his first appearance of the season for Dinamo on July 31. He also played in his first European competition match. This was a Champions League qualifying game.
In August 2010, there were talks about him moving to a French club. However, Dinamo Zagreb decided not to sell him. On August 29, he scored his first league goal for Dinamo. His great performances led to him being named "Croatian Football Hope of the Year" for 2010. By the end of that season, he helped Dinamo win both the league and the Croatian Cup.
In the 2011–12 season, he helped Dinamo qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 12 years. He was suspended for three Champions League matches after being sent off. He later played in two Champions League games. In the domestic league, he played 22 matches and helped Dinamo win another league and cup double.
After playing for Croatia in the Euro 2012 tournament, he helped Dinamo qualify for the Champions League again. He played in 4 matches in the 2012–13 Champions League season. He also made 25 league appearances for Dinamo.
Playing in Italy
On July 12, 2013, Vrsaljko moved to Italy to play for Serie A club Genoa. He quickly became a regular starter for the team. He played in 22 matches during his first season. He played in different positions on the right side of the field.
Moving to Sassuolo
On July 22, 2014, Šime signed with another Serie A team, Sassuolo. He became a very important player in Sassuolo's defense. He helped the team finish 6th in the Serie A league. This was their highest finish ever. It also meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the first time.
Time in Spain with Atlético Madrid
In 2016, Vrsaljko joined the Spanish club Atlético Madrid in La Liga. He signed a five-year contract, which was extended in 2018.
On May 16, 2018, Vrsaljko started in the Europa League final. Atlético Madrid won the title, which was a big achievement.
Loan to Inter Milan
On July 31, 2018, Vrsaljko went on loan to the Italian club Inter Milan. He joined them for one year with an option for Inter to buy him permanently. In January 2019, he had surgery on his left knee. This meant he was out of action for at least six months.
Returning to Atlético Madrid
Vrsaljko returned to Atlético Madrid after his loan. On January 26, 2020, he played his first game after being out for a year. This was against Leganés, and the game ended in a 0–0 draw. On February 18, he played in a Champions League match against Liverpool, which Atlético won 1–0. In August, Vrsaljko and a teammate tested positive for COVID-19. This meant they could not play in the team's Champions League quarter-final.
After another knee surgery, Vrsaljko returned to play on December 16. He even scored a goal in a Copa del Rey match.
Short Stay at Olympiacos
On July 2, 2022, Vrsaljko moved to the Greek club Olympiacos on a free transfer. He signed a three-year deal. He played his first game for them on July 20 in a Champions League qualifier. However, in November 2022, his contract with Olympiacos ended by agreement.
Retirement from Football
On March 23, 2023, Šime Vrsaljko announced that he was retiring from professional football. He was 31 years old when he made this decision.
International Career
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Šime Vrsaljko was first called to play for the Croatia national football team in November 2010. He made his first appearance for his country on February 9, 2011, in a friendly match.
He was part of Croatia's preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2012. Although he was initially left out, he was called back due to another player's injury. He was a substitute in all three of Croatia's matches at the tournament.
For the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he was named in Croatia's 23-man squad. Due to injuries to other players, Vrsaljko played as a left-back in the opening match against Brazil. He also played in this position in the match against Mexico. Croatia was eliminated after this game.
In November 2014, at 22 years old, he was the captain of the national team in a match against Argentina. This made him one of the youngest captains in the team's history.
In May 2018, he was selected for Croatia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in six of the seven matches as Croatia finished as runners-up. He also played in the Nations League matches.
After almost two years away due to knee surgery, Vrsaljko returned to the national team in September 2020. He played in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia in March 2021. However, his performances led to him being dropped from the starting team for UEFA Euro 2020. He was later left out of the team completely for some World Cup qualifiers.
He made his last appearance for the national team on June 10, 2022. This was in a Nations League victory against Denmark. He officially retired from international football in August 2022. He played a total of 52 games for Croatia.
Personal Life
Šime Vrsaljko was born in 1992 in Rijeka, Croatia. His family had moved there because of fighting near their hometown of Zadar. His father was also a footballer. His uncle was a commander in a special military unit during the Croatian War of Independence.
In June 2017, Vrsaljko married his high school sweetheart, Matea Kedžo. They had their first child, a son, in June 2018. In April 2022, Vrsaljko had a second child, a daughter.
In January 2019, a famous photograph of Vrsaljko was chosen as one of the most beautiful sports photos in the world. The picture showed him lying on a Croatian flag after the 2018 World Cup semi-final against England. Croatian media called it "legendary." When asked about it, Vrsaljko said he was just very tired and needed to rest.
Honours
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Croatian Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League: 2017–18
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018
Individual Awards
- Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 2010
- Croatian First Football League Team of the Year: 2012–13
- FIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2018
- Honorary citizen of the Zadar County: 2019
- City of Zadar Award: 2018
Orders
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Šime Vrsaljko para niños
