Darijo Srna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darijo Srna

Srna in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Darijo Srna
Date of birth	(1982-05-01) 1 May 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	Metković, Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Right wing-back
Team information
Current team	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)
International career
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)
Managerial career
2023	Shakhtar Donetsk (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Darijo Srna (born on May 1, 1982) is a famous Croatian former footballer. He mostly played as a right wing-back, which is a defender who also helps with attacks. 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, where he became a legend. 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 successful years, he left Shakhtar in 2018. He played for Cagliari in Italy for one year. Then, he returned to Shakhtar Donetsk to work as an assistant manager. Later, he became the director of football.

Darijo Srna also played a big role for the Croatian national team. He made his first international appearance in 2002. He is the second most capped player for Croatia, with 134 games played. He represented his country in two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2014) and four UEFA Euro tournaments (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016). In 2009, he became the captain of the national team and led them until he retired from international football in 2016.

He is known as the player with the most appearances for Shakhtar, having played 536 games. Many people called him the "Icon of Shakhtar" because of his dedication and skill.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Hajduk Split

Darijo Srna showed great football talent from a young age. Many scouts in Croatia noticed him. He later joined Hajduk Split, one of Croatia's biggest clubs.

At Hajduk, he helped his team win the Croatian Cup in 2000 and 2003. They also won the Croatian League title in 2001. He played 84 games for Hajduk, scoring eight goals. In 2003, he moved to the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.

Becoming a Legend at Shakhtar Donetsk

In 2003, Srna joined Shakhtar Donetsk. He quickly became a key player and later the captain of the team.

In his first season, he helped Shakhtar win the Ukrainian Cup and finish second in the league. The next year, Shakhtar won the Ukrainian Super Cup and the Premier League. They won the league again in the 2005–06 season.

In the 2007–08 season, Shakhtar won both the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup. Darijo played in 41 games that season.

Winning the UEFA Cup in 2009

The 2008–09 season was very special for Shakhtar. They won the Super Cup and the UEFA Cup. On July 15, 2008, Shakhtar won the Super Cup against Dynamo Kyiv in a penalty shootout, with Srna scoring one of the penalties.

In the Champions League, he scored an important goal against Dinamo Zagreb. Later, in the UEFA Cup semi-final, Shakhtar faced Dynamo Kyiv. After a tough match, Shakhtar won and reached the final.

On May 20, 2009, Darijo 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 victory for the club, as it was their first major European trophy.

Playing for Shakhtar in 2009

More League Titles and Success

In the 2009–10 season, Shakhtar won the Premier League title again. Srna scored important goals in the Europa League and the Ukrainian Cup.

The 2010–11 season was incredibly successful. Shakhtar won three trophies: the Premier League, the Ukrainian Cup, and the Super Cup. Srna scored the only goal in a Champions League win against Partizan. He was even named in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Year for his great performance.

Srna playing for Shakhtar in 2011

In the 2011–12 season, Shakhtar won the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup. This was Darijo's sixth league title with the club. He scored three goals in the league that season.

During the 2012–13 season, Darijo was known for his amazing passes. He made 12 assists, helping his teammates score many goals. He also scored a fantastic free-kick goal in a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund.

In the 2013–14 season, Shakhtar won the Ukrainian Premier League and the Ukrainian Super Cup. Srna continued to be a key player, scoring six goals.

By the 2014–15 season, Srna set a new record for the most games played for Shakhtar in the Premier League. He extended his contract for the 2016–17 season, showing his loyalty to the club.

A Short Break and Return

Darijo Srna was suspended from playing for a period between 2017 and 2018.

On June 22, 2018, Srna signed a one-year contract with the Italian club Cagliari. He played 26 games for them before his contract ended in June 2019.

In July 2019, Srna returned to Shakhtar Donetsk as an assistant manager. Later, he took on the role of Director of Football, helping the club from behind the scenes.

International Career for Croatia

Early Days and Euro 2004

Darijo Srna first played for the Croatian national team in November 2002. He scored his first international goal in March 2003 during a Euro 2004 qualifier against Belgium. He played in six qualifying matches for Euro 2004.

At the Euro 2004 tournament, he played in group matches against Switzerland and England. Croatia did not make it past the first round that year.

2006 FIFA World Cup

After Euro 2004, Srna became one of Croatia's most important players. He scored five goals in nine games during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, making him the team's top scorer. He scored both goals in Croatia's two 1–0 wins against Sweden.

Srna played in all three of Croatia's games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. 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 stage.

Srna in action for Croatia in 2013

Euro 2008 and Captaincy

In September 2006, Srna was briefly not part of the Croatian team for a Euro 2008 qualifying match.

He became a hero in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Macedonia, scoring from a free-kick shortly after coming on as a substitute. He also helped Croatia win against Israel by scoring an equalizer.

Srna was part of Croatia's squad for Euro 2008. On June 12, he 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 defeat.

After Euro 2008, Darijo Srna became the captain of the Croatian national team.

Euro 2012 and 2014 World Cup

As captain, Srna played in all three games of the 2012 tournament. Croatia finished third in their group, behind Spain and Italy, and did not advance.

On February 6, 2013, Srna played his 100th game for Croatia in a friendly match against South Korea. He also scored his 20th international goal in that game.

Croatia qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and Srna was the team captain. Again, Croatia finished third in their group and did not move to the next stage.

Euro 2016 and Retirement

At Euro 2016 in France, Srna was once again the team captain. After Croatia's first group match, he had to return home because his father passed away. He came back to France to finish the tournament, honoring his father's 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 held the record for the most games played for his country for over eight years, until Luka Modrić surpassed it in 2021.

Personal Life and Good Deeds

Darijo Srna was born in Metković, Croatia. His father, Uzeir, was a former footballer. Darijo has a tattoo of a deer playing football on his leg, because "Srna" means "deer" in Croatian.

He has a half-brother named Renato and another brother named Igor, who has Down syndrome. Darijo dedicates all his goals to Igor. He even showed a shirt under his jersey that said "Igor, we are all here for you" after scoring a goal for Croatia. He also has a tattoo of Igor's name near his heart.

While playing for Shakhtar, Srna often bought match tickets for children from orphanages. He even paid for their travel to the stadium. In 2014, he bought 20 tons of tangerines from farms near his hometown and gave them to over 23,000 primary school children in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which was affected by war.

Darijo Srna is married to Mirela Forić. They have a daughter named Kasja, born in 2010, and a son named Karlo, born in 2015.

Career statistics

Source:

International

Source:

Croatia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Srna goal

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 March 2003	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	4	Belgium	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
2	31 March 2004		14	Turkey	2–1	2–2	Friendly
3	8 September 2004	Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden	21	Sweden	1–0	1–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	9 October 2004	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	22	Bulgaria	1–0	2–2
5					2–0
6	9 February 2005	Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel	24	Israel	2–1	3–3	Friendly
7	3 September 2005	Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland	28	Iceland	3–1	3–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	8 October 2005	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	30	Sweden	1–0	1–0
9	1 March 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	33	Argentina	2–2	3–2	Friendly
10	22 June 2006	Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany	39	Australia	1–0	2–2	2006 FIFA World Cup
11	15 November 2006	Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel	41	Israel	1–1	4–3	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
12	24 March 2007	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	43	Macedonia	1–1	2–1
13	22 August 2007	Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	46	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2–0	5–3	Friendly
14					4–2
15	12 September 2007	Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	48	Andorra	1–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
16	12 June 2008	Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria	57	Germany	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2008
17	20 August 2008	Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia	59	Slovenia	2–2	3–2	Friendly
18	14 November 2009	Stadion HNK Cibalia, Vinkovci, Croatia	71	Liechtenstein	2–0	5–0
19	3 September 2010	Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia	76	Latvia	3–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
20	6 February 2013	Craven Cottage, London, England	100	South Korea	2–0	4–0	Friendly
21	19 November 2013	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	110	Iceland	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
22	4 June 2016	Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia	130	San Marino	3–0	10–0	Friendly

Managerial statistics

As of 24 October 2023

Honours

Srna lifting the Ukrainian Cup in 2011

Hajduk Split

• Prva HNL: 2000–01
• Croatian Cup: 1999–2000, 2002–03

Shakhtar Donetsk

• Vyshcha Liha/Ukrainian Premier 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

• Heart of Hajduk Award: 2003
• Best Ukrainian Premier League Player: 2008–09, 2009–10
• ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 2009
• 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

See also

In Spanish: Darijo Srna para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps