Jerko Leko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jerko Leko

Leko with Dinamo Zagreb in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Jerko Leko
Date of birth	(1980-04-09) 9 April 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Jarun (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2002	Dinamo Zagreb	45	(5)
2002–2006	Dynamo Kyiv	61	(7)
2002–2006	→ Dynamo-2 Kyiv	2	(0)
2006–2010	Monaco	85	(4)
2010–2011	Bucaspor	30	(2)
2011–2014	Dinamo Zagreb	63	(5)
2014–2016	Lokomotiva	55	(4)
Total		339	(27)
National team
1999	Croatia U19	2	(0)
2000	Croatia U20	3	(0)
2001	Croatia U21	1	(0)
2002–2009	Croatia	59	(2)
Teams managed
2017–2021	Lokomotiva (U19)
2021	Hrvatski Dragovoljac
2021	Lokomotiva
2021–	Jarun
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jerko Leko (born on April 9, 1980) is a Croatian football manager and a former player. He used to play as a midfielder, often in the center. He could also play on the right side or as a right-back defender. Today, he is the manager of a football club called Jarun.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at Dinamo Zagreb

Leko started his football journey with Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia in 2000. At first, he wasn't a regular player. After playing for a short time on loan at Croatia Sesvete, he became a key player for Dinamo Zagreb in the 2001–02 season.

He helped Dinamo win the Croatian Cup that year. He even scored a goal in the final match against Varteks Varaždin. Because of his great performance, he was named the best player of the match.

Moving to Dynamo Kyiv

In 2002, Leko moved to Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine. This move cost €5.5 million, which was a record amount for the club at that time. In his first season in Ukraine, Dynamo Kyiv won both the league and the cup, which is called a double. Leko played in 18 matches that season.

Playing in France and Turkey

In February 2006, Leko decided to leave Dynamo Kyiv because he didn't want to sign a new contract. He then joined the French team AS Monaco for free on June 4, 2006.

Later, on June 18, 2010, Bucaspor from Turkey signed Leko to a two-year deal. He joined them for free after leaving Monaco.

Returning to Dinamo Zagreb

On May 25, Leko confirmed that he signed a two-year deal to return to his old club, Dinamo Zagreb.

In August 2014, he moved to Lokomotiva on loan. In 2015, he joined Lokomotiva permanently for what would be his last season as a professional player.

International Matches for Croatia

Leko played his first game for the Croatian national team in 2002 against Hungary. However, he was not chosen for the 2002 World Cup team.

He scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Belgium during a qualifying match for Euro 2004. He was part of the team for the Euro 2004 tournament, but he only played for 22 minutes.

World Cup and Euro Appearances

Leko was chosen to play for Croatia in the 2006 World Cup. He came on as a substitute in two matches, one against Brazil and another against Australia. He was also part of the team for Euro 2008.

In the quarter-final match between Croatia and Turkey at Euro 2008, Leko was supposed to enter the game as a late substitute. The coach wanted him to help Croatia keep their lead. However, the referee did not allow the substitution to happen. Turkey then scored a late goal, sending the game to a penalty shootout, which Turkey won.

Leko's last game for the national team was a friendly match in 2009 against Qatar.

International Goals Scored

Here are the goals Jerko Leko scored for the Croatian national team:

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 March 2003	Maksimir, Zagreb	Belgium	4 – 0	4 – 0	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
2	1 February 2006	Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong	Hong Kong	2 – 0	4 – 0	2006 Carlsberg Cup

Managerial Career

Starting as a Youth Coach

Leko began his coaching career by taking over as the manager of Lokomotiva's Under-19 (U19) team in the summer of 2017. He led them in the 2017–18 UEFA Youth League, which is a competition for youth teams. However, his team was eliminated in the second round by Željezničar.

Coaching Senior Teams

On January 5, 2021, Leko became the manager of Hrvatski Dragovoljac. This team was in first place in the Druga HNL (the second-tier Croatian league) when he joined.

Just four days later, on January 9, 2021, Leko left Hrvatski Dragovoljac. He then became the head coach of Lokomotiva in the Prva HNL (the top Croatian league). His first game as manager for Lokomotiva was on January 22, which was a 3–0 loss at home to Osijek.

Leko achieved his first win as a manager on January 30, when his team beat Hajduk Split 1–0 away from home. However, he was sacked on March 13, after a 1–0 defeat to Istra 1961.

In July 2021, Leko was named the manager of Jarun. This was Jarun's first season in the second-tier Druga HNL league.

Managerial Statistics

Here is a summary of Jerko Leko's coaching record by team:

Awards and Achievements

As a Player

Dinamo Zagreb

• Croatian First League: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
• Croatian Cup: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2011–12
• Croatian Super Cup: 2002, 2013

Dynamo Kyiv

• Ukrainian Premier League: 2002–03, 2003–04
• Ukrainian Cup: 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06

See also

In Spanish: Jerko Leko para niños