Bruno Petković gets Croatia national team callup for the first time
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
ZAGREB, 11 March 2019 – 24-year-old Dinamo Zagreb striker Bruno Petković has been called into the Croatian national team squad for the first time, the Croatian football federation confirmed on Monday.
After the serious injury to Marko Pjaca on Friday when he tore his knee ligament, Zlatko Dalić has called up Petković for the upcoming EURO 2020 qualifiers this month.
Petković has had an excellent season in the Dinamo Zagreb shirt and scored the winner against Benfica in the Europa League from the penalty spot last week.
Born in Metković, Petković began his youth career with his hometown clubs ONK Metković and NK Neretva before he moved to Dinamo Zagreb in 2007. In 2013, he was signed by Italian club Catania before moving to Bologna in 2017. He was loaned to Dinamo Zagreb from Bologna in 2018.
Petković earned one cap for the Croatia U-21 team back in 2013 when scored against Lichenstein in a qualifier.
Croatia will face Azerbaijan at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb on Thursday, 21 March in their opening EURO 2020 qualifier, before playing Hungary away three days later on Sunday, 24 March.
Croatia squad for Azerbaijan & Hungary:
Goalkeepers: Lovre Kalinić (Aston Villa), Dominik Livaković (Dinamo), Simon Sluga (Rijeka)
Defenders: Domagoj Vida (Bešiktaš), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Antonio Milić (Anderlecht), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Marseille), Marin Leovac (Dinamo Zagreb), Borna Barišić (Rangers)
Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona), Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea), Milan Badelj (Lazio), Marcelo Brozović (Inter), Filip Bradarić (Cagliari), Marko Rog (Sevilla), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta)
Strikers: Ivan Perišić (Inter), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Rebić (Eintracht), Nikola Vlašić ( CSKA Moscow), Josip Brekalo (Wolfsburg)
