Ivan Strinić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ivan Strinić

Strinić playing for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final
Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-07-17) 17 July 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Left-back
Youth career
	Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Le Mans B	11	(0)
2007–2008	Hrvatski Dragovoljac	22	(1)
2008–2011	Hajduk Split	51	(4)
2011–2015	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	85	(4)
2015–2017	Napoli	26	(0)
2017–2018	Sampdoria	17	(0)
2018–2019	AC Milan	0	(0)
Total		212	(9)
National team
2002	Croatia U15	1	(0)
2002–2003	Croatia U16	9	(0)
2003	Croatia U17	8	(0)
2004	Croatia U18	2	(1)
2005–2006	Croatia U19	10	(0)
2008	Croatia U21	2	(0)
2010–2018	Croatia	49	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  Croatia FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2018
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ivan Strinić (born on July 17, 1987) is a former professional footballer from Croatia. He played as a left-back. Strinić played for several top clubs in Croatia, Ukraine, and Italy. These clubs included Hajduk Split, Napoli, and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. He also proudly represented his country, Croatia, in many international matches.

Club Career Highlights

Ivan Strinić started his football journey in his home country. He then moved to play in other European leagues.

Early Days and Return to Hajduk Split

Strinić was born in Split. He began his youth career with Hajduk Split. In 2006, he moved to France to play for Le Mans B. After a short time, he returned to Croatia. He played for NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac. His talent was noticed by his old club, Hajduk Split.

Even though he was close to joining Dinamo Zagreb, Strinić chose to sign with his youth club, Hajduk Split. His first game for Hajduk was in the 2008–09 season. They won 1–0 against NK Zadar. In his first season, he played 17 league games as a left-back.

In the 2009–10 season, he became a regular starter for Hajduk. He also got his first call-up to the national team. He scored four goals in the league that season. One of his goals was in a big derby match against Dinamo Zagreb, which Hajduk won 2–1.

During the 2010–11 season, Strinić played in all of Hajduk's matches in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. He also became the main left-back for the national team. He played in eight out of nine qualifying games for Euro 2012. He left Hajduk in January 2011. He had played 77 games for the club and scored five goals.

Playing in Ukraine with Dnipro

Strinić playing for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2011

On January 27, 2011, Strinić joined Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine. The transfer fee was reported to be 4 million euros. He made his first appearance for Dnipro in a league match against Tavriya Simferopol. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, and Strinić scored a great goal. He made five more appearances that season.

The 2011–12 season was much better for Strinić. He played 27 games for Dnipro. He also played all three games for Croatia in their Euro 2012 campaign. The 2012–13 season was also successful. He kept his starting spot for both his club and the national team. He played 35 games for Dnipro that season. In December 2014, Strinić decided not to renew his contract with Dnipro. His contract ended at the end of that month.

Moving to Italy: Napoli and Sampdoria

After leaving Dnipro, Strinić signed with Napoli in Italy. He had played 112 games for Dnipro over four years. On August 31, 2017, Strinić moved to Sampdoria. He signed a one-year deal for about 2 million euros.

Time at AC Milan and Retirement

In March 2018, Strinić signed a deal to join AC Milan. This deal became official on July 2, 2018, while he was playing for Croatia at the World Cup in Russia. However, on August 18, 2018, doctors found a heart condition. This meant he had to stop football training for a while.

He was able to return to the team in January 2019. He was on the bench for 10 games before the season ended. In July 2019, he played his first unofficial game for Milan. He started as a center-back in a friendly match against Bayern Munich. On August 26, 2019, Strinić and AC Milan agreed to end his contract early. This decision was made because of his health.

International Career

Strinić playing for Croatia in 2013

Strinić was first called to play for the Croatia national football team on May 19, 2010. This was for a friendly match against Austria. From then on, he was a regular starter for Croatia. He was the first choice for their left-back position.

He was part of the Croatian team at UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland. He played all three games in the group stage. He even helped Mario Mandžukić score a goal against Italy, making the score 1–1. Even though he was the main left-back during the qualifying matches, he missed the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This was because of a hamstring injury.

In May 2018, Strinić was chosen for Croatia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He started in six of the seven matches. Croatia finished as runners-up in the tournament, losing in the final. However, because of his heart condition, Strinić had to stop playing football. After he recovered, he was not in good enough shape to play professionally again. He played a total of 49 games for Croatia, but did not score any goals.

Career Statistics

International Appearances

Honours and Achievements

Ivan Strinić achieved several important things during his football career.

Hajduk Split

• Croatian Football Cup: 2009–10 (This is a major cup competition in Croatia)

Croatia National Team

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018 (Croatia reached the final of the biggest football tournament in the world!)

See also

In Spanish: Ivan Strinić para niños