Darijo Srna facts for kids
Srna in 2020
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 May 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Metković, Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Right wing-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Shakhtar Donetsk (director of football) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| GOŠK Gabela | |||
| 1997–1999 | Neretva Metković | ||
| 1999–2000 | Hajduk Split | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2003 | Hajduk Split | 64 | (4) |
| 2003–2018 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 339 | (33) |
| 2018–2019 | Cagliari | 26 | (0) |
| Total | 429 | (37) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998 | Croatia U15 | 1 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Croatia U17 | 5 | (4) |
| 2000–2001 | Croatia U19 | 7 | (3) |
| 2000–2001 | Croatia U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2001–2004 | Croatia U21 | 10 | (4) |
| 2002–2016 | Croatia | 134 | (22) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2023 | Shakhtar Donetsk (caretaker) | ||
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Darijo Srna is a famous Croatian footballer who was born on May 1, 1982. He mostly played as a right wing-back, which is a defender who also helps with attacking. Today, he works as the director of football for the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Darijo started his career at Hajduk Split in Croatia. In 2003, he moved to Shakhtar Donetsk and became a legend there. He won many important trophies with Shakhtar, including the UEFA Cup in 2009. He also helped them win seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, five Ukrainian Cup titles, and five Ukrainian Super Cup titles.
After many years with Shakhtar, he played for Cagliari in Italy for one season. Then, he returned to Shakhtar to work as an assistant manager, and later became the director of football.
Darijo also played for the Croatian national team from 2002 to 2016. He played in two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2014) and four UEFA Euro tournaments (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016). He was the captain of the national team from 2009 until he retired from international football in 2016. He is the second most capped player for Croatia, with 134 games played.
He is also the player with the most appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk, having played 536 games. Fans often called him the "Icon of Shakhtar" because he was so important to the club.
Contents
Darijo Srna: A Football Journey
Playing for Clubs
Hajduk Split: Early Success
Darijo Srna showed great football talent from a young age. Many scouts in Croatia noticed him. He joined Hajduk Split, one of Croatia's biggest clubs. At Hajduk, he won the Croatian Cup twice (in 2000 and 2003). He also helped the team win the Croatian League title in 2001. He played 84 games for Hajduk Split and scored eight goals before moving to Ukraine.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Becoming a Legend
In 2003, Darijo Srna moved to Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. He quickly became a key player and the captain of the team. In his first season, he helped Shakhtar win the Ukrainian Cup. They also finished second in the Ukrainian Premier League.
The next season, Shakhtar won both the Super Cup and the Premier League title. Srna played in the main stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in September 2004. Shakhtar won the Premier League again in his third season.
Darijo helped Shakhtar win the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup in the 2007–08 season. He played 41 games that season.
Winning the UEFA Cup
The 2008–09 season was very special for Shakhtar and Srna. They won the Ukrainian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup. In the Super Cup final, Srna, as captain, scored one of the winning penalties.
In the UEFA Cup semi-final, Shakhtar played against another Ukrainian team, Dynamo Kyiv. Shakhtar won and reached the final. On May 20, 2009, Srna captained Shakhtar in the UEFA Cup Final against Werder Bremen. He made a great pass that led to the winning goal in extra time. This was a huge win for the club.
More Trophies with Shakhtar
Shakhtar continued to win many titles with Srna as captain. In the 2009–10 season, they won the Premier League again. Srna played 39 matches and scored four goals.
The 2010–11 season was amazing for Shakhtar. They won three trophies: the Premier League, the Ukrainian Cup, and the Super Cup. Srna scored important goals, including one in the UEFA Champions League. He was even named in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Year for his great play.
In the 2011–12 season, Shakhtar won the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup again. This was Srna's sixth league title with the club. He scored three goals in 25 league matches.
During the 2012–13 season, Srna was known for his many assists. He made 12 assists, helping his teammates score. He also scored a fantastic free-kick goal in the UEFA Champions League against Borussia Dortmund.
In the 2013–14 season, Shakhtar won the Ukrainian Premier League and the Ukrainian Super Cup. Srna also helped them win the United Supercup, a tournament with top Russian and Ukrainian clubs.
By the 2014–15 season, Srna set a new record for the most games played for Shakhtar in the Premier League. He continued to play well, scoring six goals in 41 games during the 2015–16 season. Shakhtar extended his contract, showing how important he was.
Cagliari and Return to Shakhtar
In June 2018, Darijo Srna signed a one-year contract with Cagliari, an Italian club. He played 26 games for them. After his contract ended in 2019, Srna returned to Shakhtar Donetsk. He first worked as an assistant manager and then became the club's director of football.
International Career: Playing for Croatia
Early Days and Euro 2004
Darijo Srna played his first game for the Croatian national team in November 2002. He scored his first goal for Croatia in a big 4–0 win against Belgium in March 2003. He helped Croatia qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. At the tournament, he played in two group matches before Croatia was eliminated.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Srna became a very important player for Croatia during the 2006 World Cup qualifying games. He scored five goals, making him the team's top scorer. He scored both goals in Croatia's two 1–0 wins against Sweden.
At the 2006 World Cup, Srna played in all three of Croatia's games. He scored a fantastic free-kick goal from 30 yards against Australia. However, Croatia finished third in their group and did not move on to the next round.
Euro 2008
Srna helped Croatia qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. He scored a free-kick goal against Macedonia and helped his teammate Eduardo score the winning goal. He also scored Croatia's equalizing goal in a tough 4–3 win against Israel.
At Euro 2008, Srna scored the first goal in Croatia's 2–1 victory over Germany. Croatia reached the quarter-finals but lost to Turkey in a penalty shootout. Srna was very emotional after the loss.
Becoming Captain: Euro 2012 and 2014 World Cup
After Euro 2008, Darijo Srna became the captain of the Croatian national team. He led the team in all three games of the 2012 tournament. Croatia finished third in their group and did not qualify for the next stage.
On February 6, 2013, Srna played his 100th game for Croatia, becoming one of the most capped players. He also scored his 20th international goal in that match. Croatia qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and Srna was again the team captain. Croatia finished third in their group and did not advance.
Euro 2016 and Retirement
At UEFA Euro 2016, Srna was the team captain once more. He played in Croatia's first group game against Turkey. Sadly, his father passed away during that match. Srna went back to Croatia but returned to the tournament to fulfill his father's last wish. Croatia reached the knockout stage but lost to Portugal in extra time.
Darijo Srna played 134 games and scored 22 goals for Croatia. He was the country's most capped player for over eight years until Luka Modrić broke his record in 2021.
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Personal Life and Charity
Darijo Srna was born in Metković, Croatia. He has a tattoo of a deer playing football on his leg because "Srna" means "deer" in Croatian. He also has a half-brother named Renato and another brother named Igor, who has Down syndrome. Darijo dedicates all his goals to Igor and even showed a shirt under his jersey that said, "Igor, we are all here for you."
While playing for Shakhtar, Srna often bought match tickets for children in orphanages. He also paid for their travel to the stadium. In 2014, he bought 20 tonnes of tangerines and gave them to over 23,000 primary school children in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which was affected by war.
Darijo is married to Mirela Forić. They have a daughter named Kasja, born in 2010, and a son named Karlo, born in 2015.
Honours and Awards
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Hajduk Split
- Croatian League: 2000–01
- Croatian Cup: 1999–2000, 2002–03
Shakhtar Donetsk
- Ukrainian League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Ukrainian Cup: 2003–04, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
- UEFA Cup: 2008–09
Individual Awards
- Best Ukrainian Premier League Player: 2008–09, 2009–10
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2010–11
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2015–16
Orders
- Order For Courage by Ukraine: 2009
Images for kids
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Playing for Shakhtar in 2009
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Srna playing for Shakhtar in 2011
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Srna in action for Croatia in 2013
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Srna lifting the Ukrainian Cup in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Darijo Srna para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
