Three young Croatian players named on UEFA’s 50 to watch in 2019
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
2 January 2019 – Three talented Croatian youngsters have been named on UEFA’s ’50 for the future’ list of young players who could be big stars by the end of 2019.
UEFA.com’s team of reporters across the continent have selected 50 of Europe’s rising stars with 20-year-old Croatians Josip Brekalo, Nikola Moro and Luka Ivanušec making the list.
UEFA.com on Brekalo: “A senior international with Croatia, the forward Wolfsburg is playing and scoring increasingly regularly in the Bundesliga.”
Brekalo had an impressive 2018. The Zagreb local made his senior debut in the second half of Croatia Nations League match against Spain and has a hand in the winner. Days later he came on in the second half against England at Wembley.
“It is an indescribable feeling because one minute I was a hardcore fan and the next moment I am standing on the iconic Wembley stadium in front of the same people who I shared the stands with,” Brelako said.
Brekalo’s former Dinamo Zagreb teammate and former youth international captain Moro is also on the list.
“Big European clubs had the midfielder under observation before he sustained a serious injury; expect the attention to continue now he is back,” writes UEFA.
The other Croatian on the list is Lokomotiva midfielder Ivanušec. Ivanušec made his senior international debut for Croatia in 2017 against Chile in the China Cup.
He then scored his first international goal for Croatia in the next match against China.
UEFA.com on Ivanušec: “The youngest-ever scorer for Croatia at 18, the midfielder is highly rated back at home, and has been on song with his nation’s U21 side.”
You can see UEFA’s ’50 for the future’ list HERE
