Ivan Klasnić facts for kids
Klasnić in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 January 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Hamburg, West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1992 | Union 03 Altona | ||
| 1992–1994 | TSV Stellingen 88 | ||
| 1995–1997 | FC St. Pauli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2001 | FC St. Pauli | 95 | (26) |
| 2001–2008 | Werder Bremen | 151 | (49) |
| 2008–2009 | Nantes | 33 | (10) |
| 2009–2012 | Bolton Wanderers | 77 | (20) |
| 2012–2013 | Mainz 05 | 3 | (1) |
| Total | 359 | (106) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Croatia U19 | 5 | (1) |
| 2001 | Croatia U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2004–2011 | Croatia | 41 | (12) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ivan Klasnić (born 29 January 1980) is a former professional footballer from Croatia. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals.
Ivan started his football journey with a local team called FC St. Pauli. In 2001, he moved to Werder Bremen after helping his old team get promoted to the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He scored 49 goals in 151 games for Werder Bremen. He also helped them win both the league and the cup in 2004.
After playing for a season in France with Nantes, Ivan joined the English Premier League team Bolton Wanderers in 2009. He first joined them on a loan deal. After Bolton was relegated in 2012, he played one more season back in Germany with Mainz.
Klasnić also played for the Croatia national team. In 2007, he had a kidney transplant. This made him the first player to play in a major tournament, the UEFA Euro 2008, after having such a transplant. He also represented Croatia in UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at FC St. Pauli
Ivan Klasnić was born in Hamburg, West Germany. He began his professional football career with his hometown club, FC St. Pauli. He quickly became a strong striker for the team. He played for three and a half seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second division. Before joining St. Pauli, he played for smaller amateur teams like Union 03 Hamburg and TSV Stellingen.
Success with Werder Bremen
In the 2000–01 season, Ivan scored 10 goals for St. Pauli, helping them get promoted to the top division. After this success, he moved to Werder Bremen in the summer of 2001. His first two seasons were a bit tough, with some injuries. However, in the 2003–04 season, he became a very important player. He helped Werder Bremen win the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in the same year. He scored 13 goals and helped set up 11 more for his teammate Ailton.
In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Ivan showed his scoring power. He scored five goals in two group matches against the Belgian team RSC Anderlecht. This included a fantastic hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 5–1 home win. His goals helped Werder Bremen move to the knockout stage of the competition.
Later, in early 2007, Ivan faced a serious health challenge when his kidneys failed. This meant he was out of the game for more than ten months. He later had disagreements with the club's doctors about his health. On 14 May 2008, Werder Bremen announced that Ivan Klasnić would be leaving the club.
Time at Nantes
On 8 July 2008, Ivan Klasnić moved to FC Nantes in France. He first joined on a loan, then signed a four-year contract. His first season was difficult, and Nantes was relegated to the French Ligue 2. In the next season, he scored four goals in just five games.
Playing for Bolton Wanderers
Ivan Klasnić joined Bolton Wanderers in England on the last day of the transfer window in 2009. He joined on a one-year loan deal. The manager, Gary Megson, said that Ivan had a very good goal-scoring record and a great background in international football.
On 12 September 2009, Ivan played his first game for Bolton. He came on as a substitute in a 3–2 win against Portsmouth. He helped set up the winning goal. His first goal for Bolton came on 25 October in a 3–2 win against Everton. He ended that season with eight goals in the Premier League.
On 4 August 2010, Ivan signed a permanent two-year contract with Bolton. He scored his first goal of his second spell in a 1–0 League Cup victory against Southampton. He scored a winning goal against Stoke City in a 2–1 home win. Ivan scored a late winner against Aston Villa in March 2011. Even though he didn't start many Premier League games that season, he still scored seven goals in all competitions.
Ivan started the 2011–12 season strong, scoring a goal in Bolton's 4–0 win against Queens Park Rangers on the first day. He scored again the next week against Manchester City and then against Liverpool. At one point, he was the leading goal scorer in the Premier League. He received a red card in a match against Norwich, which meant he couldn't play for a while. After returning, he scored two goals and assisted two others in a 5–0 win against Stoke City. He continued to score important goals for Bolton. After Bolton was relegated from the Premier League, Ivan confirmed he had left the club on 16 May.
Final Stop at Mainz 05
In September 2012, Ivan Klasnić joined the German team Mainz 05 as a free player. He signed a one-year contract with them.
International Career
Ivan Klasnić chose to play for Croatia instead of Germany, even though he was invited by Germany's coach. He had already played for Croatia's under-19 and under-21 teams. His first game for the senior Croatian team was against Germany in February 2004.
Euro 2004
He was chosen for Croatia's team in the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. However, he stayed on the substitutes' bench for the whole competition. Croatia did not get past the group stage.
2006 FIFA World Cup
In the qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ivan scored one goal in eight games. This goal was against Hungary in September 2004, which Croatia won 3–0. In February 2005, he scored twice in a friendly match against Israel. In March 2006, he scored again for Croatia in a 3–2 win against Argentina.
For the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany, Ivan was named to the 23-man squad. He was in great form before the tournament, scoring four goals for Werder Bremen and two goals for Croatia in a friendly against Austria. However, his scoring form faded during the World Cup itself, and he didn't score in any of Croatia's group matches. Croatia was eliminated in the first round.
Euro 2008
In the 2006–07 season, Ivan lost his starting spot for Croatia. He scored one goal in a 7–0 victory over Andorra during the qualifying matches.
At Euro 2008, Ivan was a substitute for Croatia's first two games. However, he started the final group match against Poland on 16 June and scored a goal in the 53rd minute. This helped his team finish the group stage perfectly. In the quarter-finals against Turkey, Ivan came on as a substitute. In the 118th minute, he scored a crucial goal for Croatia. However, Turkey equalized just two minutes later, and Croatia lost in a penalty shoot-out. Ivan is remembered for being the only player to participate in a major tournament after a kidney transplant, and he scored two goals during that tournament.
Health Challenges and Kidney Transplants
In January 2007, it was announced that Ivan Klasnić was suffering from kidney failure. On 25 January 2007, he received a kidney transplant from his mother, Šima. Sadly, his body rejected this new organ.
On 23 March 2007, he had another surgery to replace the rejected kidney. This time, he received a kidney from his father. The second transplant was successful, and doctors told him he could continue playing football. After being out for about six months, doctors finally allowed him to return to full training in September 2007.
On 24 November 2007, Klasnić started a game for Werder Bremen for the first time since December 2006. He played 65 minutes in a Bundesliga match. He made a full comeback on 15 December 2007, scoring two goals in Bremen's 5–2 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
In March 2008, Ivan was called back to the national team after a year away. He made history by becoming the first player to play in a major tournament, Euro 2008, after a kidney transplant. He scored against both Poland and Turkey in the tournament.
In September 2016, Ivan's transplanted kidney failed again, and he became very ill. He received a third transplant in October 2017. In December 2020, he was awarded money after a long legal case against Werder Bremen's doctors. The case was about their use of painkillers, which he claimed made his already weak kidneys worse.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC St. Pauli | 1997–98 | 2. Bundesliga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | 2. Bundesliga | 24 | 8 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 8 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 2. Bundesliga | 32 | 8 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 34 | 9 | |||
| 2000–01 | 2. Bundesliga | 31 | 10 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 33 | 11 | |||
| Total | 95 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 28 | ||
| Werder Bremen | 2001–02 | Bundesliga | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| 2002–03 | Bundesliga | 13 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 7 | |
| 2003–04 | Bundesliga | 29 | 13 | 6 | 6 | – | 1 | 0 | 36 | 19 | ||
| 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 28 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 41 | 19 | |
| 2005–06 | Bundesliga | 30 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 42 | 19 | |
| 2006–07 | Bundesliga | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 4 | |
| 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 8 | |
| Total | 151 | 49 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 26 | 10 | 205 | 77 | ||
| Nantes | 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 | 6 | |
| 2009–10 | Ligue 2 | 5 | 4 | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 33 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 10 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2009–10 | Premier League | 27 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 32 | 8 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 21 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 28 | 7 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 29 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 33 | 9 | ||
| Total | 77 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 24 | ||
| Mainz 05 | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 359 | 106 | 31 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 26 | 10 | 428 | 140 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klasnić goal.
| No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 28 April 2004 | Skopje City Stadium, Skopje, Macedonia |  Macedonia |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 8 | 4 September 2004 | Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia |  Hungary |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 11 | 9 February 2005 | Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel |  Israel |
1–0 | 3–3 | Friendly |
| 4 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 5 | 17 | 1 March 2006 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland |  Argentina |
1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 19 | 23 May 2006 | Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Austria |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 8 | 27 | 7 October 2006 | Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia |  Andorra |
5–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 9 | 30 | 16 June 2008 | Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria |  Poland |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 Group Stage |
| 10 | 31 | 20 June 2008 | Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna, Austria |  Turkey |
1–0 | 1–1 (1–3 p) | UEFA Euro 2008 Knockout Stage |
| 11 | 35 | 1 April 2009 | Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella, Andorra | Andorra |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 37 | 8 October 2009 | Kantrida Stadium, Rijeka, Croatia |  Qatar |
2–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
Football Achievements
FC St. Pauli
- 2. Bundesliga Promotion: 2000–01
Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga: 2003–04
- DFB-Pokal: 2003–04
- DFB-Ligapokal: 2006
Individual Awards
- DFB-Pokal top scorer: 2003–04
- DFL-Ligapokal top scorer: 2006
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2005–06
- kicker Man of the Year: 2007
See also
In Spanish: Ivan Klasnić para niños
