Dario Šimić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dario Šimić

Šimić in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1975-11-12) 12 November 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1987–1992	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1999	Dinamo Zagreb	140	(14)
1999–2002	Inter Milan	66	(3)
2002–2008	AC Milan	82	(1)
2008–2010	Monaco	27	(0)
2010	Dinamo Zagreb	0	(0)
Total		315	(18)
International career
1993	Croatia U17	2	(0)
1993–1994	Croatia U18	2	(0)
1993–1994	Croatia U19	4	(0)
1995	Croatia U20	1	(0)
1994–1996	Croatia U21	8	(1)
1996–2008	Croatia	100	(3)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Croatia FIFA World Cup Bronze 1998 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dario Šimić (born 12 November 1975) is a Croatian former footballer. He was a very flexible defender who could play in different positions, like full-back or centre-back. He was known for being strong and good at heading the ball.

Dario Šimić started his career at Dinamo Zagreb. Later, he played for big Italian clubs like Inter Milan and AC Milan, and also for Monaco in France. He returned to Dinamo Zagreb in 2010 and retired from playing football that same year.

Šimić played for the Croatia national football team from 1996 to 2008. He was the first Croatian player to reach 100 international games for his country. He played in six major tournaments for Croatia, including three FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, and 2006) and three UEFA European Championships (1996, 2004, and 2008). He helped Croatia win a bronze medal at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Dinamo Zagreb

Dario Šimić joined Dinamo Zagreb when he was just twelve years old in 1987. He grew up playing in their youth teams. He made his first team debut in the 1992–93 season when he was almost 17. This made him the youngest player ever to play for the club at that time.

From the 1993–94 season, he became a regular player for Dinamo. He helped the club win four Croatian league titles and four Croatian Cups. He also played in European competitions, like the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Champions League. In the Champions League, Dinamo even reached the group stage after beating Celtic.

During his time at Dinamo, Šimić played alongside famous players like Mark Viduka and Robert Prosinečki. He played 140 league games and scored 14 goals for the club. His great performances led to him being called up to the Croatian national team in 1996.

Moving to Inter Milan

After playing well at the 1998 World Cup, big European clubs noticed Šimić. In January 1999, he joined Inter Milan in Italy. He made his Serie A debut on 10 January 1999.

Šimić played regularly for Inter Milan for a few seasons. He made 66 league appearances and scored 3 goals. Even though many famous players like Roberto Baggio and Ronaldo were at Inter during this time, the club didn't win any trophies. In June 2002, he moved to Inter's city rivals, AC Milan.

Playing for AC Milan

At AC Milan, Šimić quickly became an important player. His coach, Carlo Ancelotti, changed his position from centre-back to right-back. He made his debut for AC Milan in a Champions League qualifying game in August 2002.

Šimić played 12 games for AC Milan when they won the Champions League title in 2003. He also played 29 league games in his first season. Although he didn't play as much in the next few seasons, he signed a new contract in 2006. In the 2006–07 season, he played more regularly and helped AC Milan win the Champions League again. Overall, he played 82 league games and scored 1 goal for AC Milan.

Time at Monaco

In August 2008, Šimić moved to Monaco in France. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 23 August 2008. He quickly became a regular player, making 26 league appearances in his first season.

Returning to Dinamo Zagreb and Retirement

On 27 April 2010, Šimić returned to Dinamo Zagreb after playing abroad for eleven years. However, he announced his retirement from football just three months later, on 10 August 2010. He played only 3 competitive matches during this short return. Šimić said he planned to stay in football, possibly as a coach.

International Career for Croatia

Early International Years

Between 1993 and 1996, Dario Šimić played 17 games for Croatia's under-19 and under-21 national teams. He made his first senior international appearance for Croatia on 13 March 1996 in a friendly match against South Korea.

He played one game for Croatia at the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. However, he became a regular player at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He played in six of Croatia's seven matches as they finished in third place, winning a bronze medal.

World Cups and European Championships

Šimić played in two games at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and all three group matches at UEFA Euro 2004. Croatia was knocked out in the group stage in both these tournaments. He also played in all three of Croatia's matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

On 18 June 2006, in a match against Japan, he played his 82nd international game. This made him Croatia's most-capped player at the time, passing Robert Jarni. In the final group match against Australia, he was sent off.

Šimić scored three goals for Croatia during his international career. His last goal was in a friendly match against Argentina on 1 March 2006, which Croatia won 3–2. He is considered one of Croatia's best defenders in recent history.

Reaching 100 Caps and Retirement

Dario Šimić was very close to reaching 100 international games at UEFA Euro 2008. He didn't play in the first two games, but in the final group match against Poland, he started and captained the team. This was his 99th game for Croatia. Croatia won the match 1–0.

On 20 August 2008, Šimić finally played his 100th international game in a friendly match against Slovenia. He became the first Croatian player to reach this amazing milestone. He started the match and was captain for the first half. Croatia won the game 3–2.

Soon after, on 16 September 2008, Šimić announced his retirement from international football after playing for Croatia for twelve and a half years.

Personal Life

Dario Šimić is a devoted Catholic. He is married to Jelena Medić, and they have four sons: Roko, Viktor, Nikolas, and David. His son David has Down syndrome.

Dario is also the older brother of former footballer Josip Šimić.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

¹ Played in Croatian Cup and Croatian Super Cup with Dinamo Zagreb.

² Played in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Cup with Croatia Zagreb, Internazionale Milano and Milan.

International Performance

Source:

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
01.	10 October 1998	Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta	Malta	1–1	1–4	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
02.	10 September 2003	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
03.	1 March 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Argentina	3–2	3–2	Friendly

Trophies and Awards

Club Honours

Dinamo Zagreb

• Croatian First League: 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
• Croatian Football Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
• Croatian Super Cup: 2010

AC Milan

• Serie A: 2003–04
• Coppa Italia: 2002–03
• UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

International Honours

Croatia

• FIFA World Cup Third place – Bronze medal: 1998

Individual Awards

• Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 1995
• UEFA awards 100 caps: 2011

Special Recognition

• Order of the Croatian Interlace – 1998 (This is a special award from Croatia)

See also

In Spanish: Dario Šimić para niños

• List of footballers with 100 or more caps