Mateo Kovacic, the
Croatian footballer, plays as a midfielder for the English club Chelsea and the
Croatian national team.
His teammate and
defender Josip Juranovic said, “Mateo, Luka and Marcelo are the best Croatia
midfield in history. I don’t think it can be repeated. When you pass them the
ball it is safer than having your money in the bank,” ahead of World Cup
semifinal against Argentina.
Who is Mateo Kovacic?
Mateo Kovacic was born
on May 6, 1994, in Linz, Austria to father Stipo Kovacic and mother Ruzica
Kovacic. His Bosnian Croatian parents moved to Linz from Zabrade village near
Kotor Varos in Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991. He
has two sisters Katarina Kovacic and Jelena Kovacic.
Raised in a Catholic
family, Kovacic also practises religion and attends church every Sunday. He can
speak Croatian, German, English, Italian and Spanish. He idolises Luka Modric
for football.
Also Read: Who is Achraf Hakimi?
At 13, he was noticed
by scouts from several European clubs playing the game and GNK Dinamo Zagreb
took advantage. At the club, young Mateo met Luka Modric for the first time.
Luka at that time played for GNK Dinamo Zagreb’s senior side.
Kovacic proved to be
an instant hit soon after his senior career began at Dinamo. Kovacic was seen
as a player with an all-around talent. Soon, he became Croatia’s most prized
player. In 2011, he was named ‘Croatian Football Hope of the Year.’
Also Read: Who is Luka Modric?
The player then
decided his transfer to Inter was given the number 10 shirt, previously of
Wesley Sneijder. He later joined Real Madrid. Since joining Chelsea with a
permanent deal, he has taken the best out of his career, including winning the
Champions League.
The 28-year-old player
met his wife first in a Church where he was an altar boy and Izabel Andrijanic
sang in the choir. The couple married after a longtime relationship in St.
Antunas Church in 2017. Andrijanic, a year younger than Kovacic is an Economics
graduate. On 12 October 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, a boy they
named Ivan.
He made a cameo
appearance in Jakov Sedlar’s 2021 movie The Match, along with Croatian teammate
Dejan Lovren.
