Domagoj Duvnjak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Domagoj Duvnjak |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 June 1988 Đakovo, Croatia |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Croatian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | THW Kiel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2004–2006
|
RK Đakovo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2006–2009
|
RK Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2009–2014
|
HSV Hamburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2014–
|
THW Kiel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2006–2025
|
Croatia | 257 | (771) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 National team caps and goals correct as of 12 July 2024 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domagoj Duvnjak (born 1 June 1988) is a Croatian professional handball player. He plays as a centre back for THW Kiel, a famous German club. Many people think he is one of the best handball players ever.
In 2013, he was named the IHF World Player of the Year. He has won more than twenty titles with clubs in Croatia and Germany. Duvnjak started his club career in 2004 with his local team, RK Đakovo. Two years later, he moved to another Croatian club, RK Zagreb.
In August 2009, Duvnjak joined the German team HSV Hamburg. His transfer fee was €1.1 million, which made him the most expensive handball player at that time. Since 2014, he has played for THW Kiel in Germany, where he is also the team captain.
Duvnjak first played for the Croatian national team in 2006. He played in the Summer Olympics four times. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He also earned three World Championship medals and five European Championship medals with Croatia. He was the national team captain from 2017 until he retired from international play in 2025. He holds the record for most games played and goals scored for Croatia. He played 257 games and scored 771 goals.
Contents
Domagoj Duvnjak's Club Career
Early Years in Croatia
Duvnjak joined his local club, RK Đakovo, in 2004. He played for their senior team. After two years, he moved to RK Zagreb, another top Croatian team. There, he won the league and national cup three times in a row.
Moving to Germany
In August 2009, Duvnjak signed a three-year contract with the German club HSV Hamburg. He was only 21 years old, and his transfer fee made him the most expensive handball player in history at that time. In his first season, he won the DHB-Supercup and the DHB-Pokal (German Cup). The next year, he helped Hamburg win the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top league.
In 2013, Duvnjak helped Hamburg win the EHF Champions League, the biggest club competition in Europe. That same year, he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Season. He also received the IHF World Player of the Year award, which is a huge honor.
Success with THW Kiel
Duvnjak joined another German team, THW Kiel, in 2014. He won the Bundesliga in his very first season with them. In 2016, he became the captain of THW Kiel. He led his team to win the EHF Cup in 2019. The following season, they won the EHF Champions League again.
Domagoj Duvnjak's International Career
Youth Team Achievements
Duvnjak started his international career with the Croatian U-19 team. They finished third at the 2005 World Championship. In 2006, he won a gold medal with the U-18 team at the European Championship. He then earned a silver medal with the U-19 national team at the 2007 World Championship.
Senior National Team Debut and Medals
In 2006, Duvnjak made his debut for the senior Croatian national team. He won his first medal with the senior team at the 2008 European Championship, where Croatia finished second. He and the national team also placed second at the 2009 World Championship and the 2010 European Championship.
After finishing fifth at the 2011 World Championship, the Croatian team won three bronze medals in a row. They placed third at the 2012 European Championship, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2013 World Championship. Duvnjak was chosen as the best centre back for the 2013 World Championship All-Star Team.
He was again voted best centre back at the 2014 European Championship, where Croatia finished fourth. Duvnjak and the national team earned another bronze medal at the 2016 European Championship. They placed fourth at the 2017 World Championship, and Duvnjak was again named to the All-Star Team as best centre back.
At the 2020 European Championship, Croatia won a silver medal. Duvnjak was voted the most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament. After placing second at the 2025 World Championship, Duvnjak retired from the national team.
Domagoj Duvnjak's Personal Life
Domagoj Duvnjak comes from a family of handball players. His father, Ivan, used to play handball and was a coach. His mother, Ivanka, his sister Iva, his uncle Dragan, and his cousins also played handball. When he was a child, Duvnjak was a big fan of RK Zagreb and followed the German Bundesliga. He went to high school in his hometown of Đakovo.
Duvnjak is married to his high school sweetheart, Lucija. They have three children together. He is also Roman Catholic.
Honours and Awards
Club Achievements
- RK Zagreb
- Croatian League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- Croatian Cup: 2007, 2008, 2009
- HSV Hamburg
- EHF Champions League: 2013
- Bundesliga: 2010–11
- DHB-Pokal: 2010
- DHB-Supercup: 2009, 2010
- THW Kiel
- EHF Champions League: 2020
- EHF Cup: 2019
- Bundesliga: 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23
- DHB-Pokal: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2025
- DHB-Supercup: 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Individual Awards
- Dražen Petrović Award: 2007
- Bundesliga Ideal Team: 2011
- Best Croatian handball player by SN & CHF: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
- Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2013
- Handball Planet World's Best Handball Player: 2013
- IHF World Player of the Year: 2013
- Croatian Sportsman of the Year: 2020
All-Star Team Selections
- Best centre back of the 2013 World Championship
- Best centre back of the 2014 European Championship
- Best centre back of the 2017 World Championship
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2020 European Championship
See also
In Spanish: Domagoj Duvnjak para niños
