Croatia’s Conveyor Belt of Talent – From Azerbaijan to Ukraine

by croatiaweek
January 21, 2015
in Sport

UEFA recently described Croatia as being like one big conveyor belt for footballing talent. With a population of just over 4 million, you would be hard pressed to find a nation of similar size which has as much talent playing around the globe. From Albania to England to Italy to Israel, Croatians are all over the show. There are only a handful of European nations where Croatians are not playing in the top flight – Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Northern Ireland, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia and Wales – according to Goal.com…

Croats Playing Around Europe:

Albania (4) – Pero Pejić, Marko Radas, Tomislav Bušić, Stipe Buljan.
Austria (7)– Tomislav Barbarić, Josip Tadić, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Marko Marić, Ivan Kovačec. Petar Filipović, Adam Sušac.
Azerbaijan (3) – Stjepan Poljak, Vjekoslav Tomić, Matija Špičić.
Belgium (9) – Stipe Bačelić-Grgić, Fran Brodić, Ivan Santini, Ante Puljić, Ante Vukušić, Hrvoje Čale, Marin Jakoliš, Ante Blažević, Antonio Milić.
Bulgaria (3) -Tonći Kukoč, Marin Oršulić, Mario Brkljača.
Cyprus (2) – Ivan Čurjurić, Ivan Runje.
Czech Republic (4) – Davor Kukec, Matej Sivrić, Dino Kluk, Matej Mlakić.
Denmark (3) – Mario Tičinović, Marin Skender, Darko Bodul.
England (4) – Dejan Lovren, Nikica Jelavić, Niko Kranjčar, Andrej Kramarić.
Estonia (1) – Jan Penić.
Finland (1) – Toni Markić (Zagreb youth)
France (1) – Danijel Subašić.
Germany (6) – Tin Jedvaj, Dario Krešić, Ivica Olić, Ivan Perišić, Ivo Iličević, Petar Slišković.
Gibraltar (2) – Ante Sokol, Boris Jukić. Zanimljivo,
Greece (3) – Gordon Schildenfeld, Mladen Petrić, Danijel Pranjić.
Holland (2) – Dario Vujičević, Robert Murić.
Hungary (14) – . Mateo Pavlović, Tomislav Havojić, Stjepan Kukuruzović, Marko Pajač, Dinko Trebotić, Ivan Radoš, Renato Kelić, Marin Ljubičić, Marko Dinjar, Ivan Lovrić, Dino Gavrić, Andrej Čaušić, Mario Tadejević, Ivor Weitzer.
Italy (12) – Mateo Kovačić, Milan Badelj, Duje Čop, Ivan Strinić, Josip Radošević, Šime Vrsaljko, Marijan Ćorić, Karlo Lulić, Ivan Martić, Igor Bubnjić, Ivan Kelava, Stipe Perica.
Israel (2) – Mirko Oremuš, Ivan Herceg.
Kazakhstan (2) – Nikola Pokrivač, Josip Knežević.
Lithuania (1) – Andro Švrljuga.
Luxembourg (4) – Vedran Mesec, Marin Jurina, Andrej Kerić, Ivan Štrkalj.
Macedonia (4) – Bojan Vručina, Matija Kobetić, Plumb Jusufi, Anto Pejić.
Moldova (2) – Karlo Belak, Petar Lela.
Norway (1) – Mirko Kramarić.
Poland (6) – Ivica Vrdoljak, Silvio Rodić, Luka Marić, Tomislav Mikulić, Tomislav Božić, Antonio Čolak.
Portugal (1) – Dejan Školnik.
Romania (12) – Matej Bagarić, Mislav Leko, Adnan Aganović, Filip Mrzljak, Toni Gorupec, Mateo Sušić, Filip Jazvić, Antonio Jakoliš, Kristijan Ipša, Dino Škvorc, Matija Smrekar, Mario Brlečić.
Russia (6) – Vedran Ćorluka, Stipe Pletikosa, Hrvoje Milić, Marko Livaja, Ivan Paurević, Goran Blažević.
Slovenia (40) – Over 40 players including, Ante Tomić, Tomislav Kiš, Antun Palić, Matko Obradović, Stjepan Babić, Mario Babić, Tomislav Pelin, Josip Golubar, Ante Mitrović, Josip Fuček…
Slovakia (3) – Matej Jelić, Dario Krišto, Armando Mance.
Spain (6) – Luka Modrić, Ivan Rakitić, Alen Halilović, Mario Mandžukić, Mario Pašalić, Sammir.
Sweden (1) – Nikola Tkalčić.
Switzerland (3) – Tomislav Puljić, Frano Mlinar, Ilija Kovačić.
Turkey (3) – Andrija Vuković, Ante Kulušić, Elvis Kokalović.
Ukraine (6) – Darijo Srna, Domagoj Vida, Krševan Santini, Ivan Rodić, Ivica Žunić.