Croatian in Champions League Final for 12th year in a row – check out the remarkable streak
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Marcelo Brozović (Photo credit: Антон Зайцев/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Inter’s victory over AC Milan means that Croatia will have a player in the UEFA Champions League final for a remarkable 12th year in a row.
Marcelo Brozović will be part of a Champions League Final squad for the first time when Inter face Manchester City on 10 June in Istanbul.
Ivica Olić, current assistant coach of Croatia, started the incredible run of Croatians in the Champions League Final way back in 2012. Since then, every year a team in the final has had a Croatian in the squad.
Croatians in the Champions League Final
2012 – Ivica Olić (Bayern Munich)
2013 – Mario Mandžukić (Bayern Munich)
2014 – Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2015 – Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona)
2016 – Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid)
2017 – Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Mario Mandžukić (Juventus)
2018 – Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
2019 – Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
2020 – Ivan Perišić (Bayern Munich)
2021 – Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea)
2022 – Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
2023 – Marcelo Brozović (Inter)
A Croatian player has also has won the title for the last ten years in a row.
Mario Mandžukic scored in the final against Borussia Dortmund to help Bayern Munich secure the title back in 2013.
The following season Luka Modrić won his first Champions League with Real Madrid, followed by Ivan Rakitić with Barcelona the next season. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Modrić and Kovačić claimed the trophy with Real Madrid. Dejan Lovren won it with Liverpool in 2019, Ivan Perišić lifted the trophy for Bayern in 2020, Kovačić with Chelsea in 2021 and last season Modrić won his fifth title.
There will also be Croatians in the other two European finals.
Ivan Rakitić’s Sevilla beat Juventus to reach the UEFA Europa League Final. They will face Roma on May 31st in Budapest. Josip Brekalo’s Fiorentina will meet West Ham in the UEFA Conference League Final on June 7th in Prague.
