Marcelo Brozović

Marcelo Brozović (Croatian pronunciation: [martsělo brǒːzoʋitɕ];[3] born 16 November 1992) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Croatia national team. He represented his nation at the 2014 and 2018 editions of FIFA World Cup, and also at UEFA Euro 2016.[4]

Marcelo Brozović
Brozović with Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Marcelo Brozović[1]
Date of birth (1992-11-16) 16 November 1992
Place of birth Zagreb, Croatia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Inter Milan
Number 77
Youth career
2002–2010 Hrvatski Dragovoljac
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 22 (1)
2011–2012 Lokomotiva 33 (5)
2012–2015 Dinamo Zagreb 64 (9)
2015– Inter Milan 183 (19)
National team‡
2009–2010 Croatia U18 4 (0)
2011 Croatia U19 1 (0)
2011–2013 Croatia U20 5 (3)
2011–2014 Croatia U21 13 (7)
2014– Croatia 55 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:46, 5 February 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2020

Club career

Early career

Brozović was born in Zagreb, and graduated from neighbouring Hrvatski Dragovoljac's youth setup. He made his debut as a professional on 24 July 2010, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–4 loss against Dinamo Zagreb. Brozović scored his first goal on 18 March of the following year, the winner against Karlovac.[5]

Lokomotiva

In July 2011, he signed with Lokomotiva, after Dragovoljac's relegation.[6] He appeared in 27 league matches in his first campaign, scoring four times as Lokomotiva achieved a comfortable mid-table position.

Dinamo Zagreb

In August 2012, Brozović signed a seven-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb, as a replacement for Hamburger SV-bound Milan Badelj.[7] He was given squad number 77, and made his competitive debut on 14 September in the goalless draw against NK Osijek at home, appearing as a second-half substitute.[8] Four days later, Brozović made his UEFA Champions League debut by playing full-90 minutes in a 0–2 home defeat to Porto in the matchday 1 of group stage.[9]

He had to wait until 14 April of the following year to score his first Dinamo Zagreb goal, as he netted the second of the 2–0 home win over Inter Zaprešić.[10] Brozović finished his first season with the club by making 30 appearances in all competitions, including 23 in league, scoring twice in the process, as Dinamo Zagreb won league, reached second round of the 2012–13 Croatian Football Cup, and was eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League.[11]

Inter Milan

On 24 January 2015, Brozović signed with Inter Milan on a one-and-a-half year-loan deal, with a conditional obligation for Inter to buy.[12][13] He became the 900th player to wear the Nerazzurri shirt.[14] Brozović took his preferred shirt number 77, last worn at Inter by Sulley Muntari. He made his official debut with the club on 1 February 2015, coming on as a substitute in the 3–1 away upset of Inter against Sassuolo Calcio.[15] He scored his first Inter goal in final day in a 4–3 win over Empoli, helping Inter to end the season with a win.[16] Brozović finished his first Inter season with 15 league appearances, 13 of them as a starter and one goal.

Brozović begun his first full-season at Inter by starting in the 2015–16 Serie A opening match against Atalanta at home.[17] He scored his first league goal of the season on 23 November during the match against Frosinone at home, coming off the bench in 88th minute and netting the fourth goal of the match four minutes later, helping Inter to record its biggest win of the season.[18] On 12 December, Brozović scored his second league goal, a screamer, and the last goal of the 4–0 away win against Udinese, celebrating the goal with his teammates with EpicBrozo signature in the process.[19]

Three days later, in the 2015–16 Coppa Italia's round of 16 match against Cagliari, Brozović scored the same identical goal he scored against Udinese, helping Inter to progress in the quarter-final with a 3–0 win.[20] On 7 February of the following year, he assisted Jeison Murillo's goal from a corner kick in the match against Hellas Verona, which finished in a 3–3 away draw.[21] Two week later, Brozović supplied his second assist to Mauro Icardi who scored the third goal of the 3–1 home win against Sampdoria.[22]

On 2 March, in the returning leg of Coppa Italia's semi-final against Juventus at San Siro, Brozović scored a brace, including one with penalty kick, to help Inter overturn the 3–0 defeat and equal the aggregate 3–3, which led the match into the penalty shootouts; he scored his penalty shootout attempt, but Inter lost 3–5 and eventually was eliminated from the competition.[23][24]

Brozović started the new season by playing the last 20 minutes of the 2–0 defeat at Chievo Verona, picking up a yellow card in the 79th minute.[25] On 15 September, during the first match of 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stage against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Brozović played as a starter before was substituted in the beginning of the second half; he refused to stay in the bench which created controversies at Inter.[26] This led the coach Frank de Boer to omit him for the league match against Juventus for "unprofessional behaviour".[27] Speaking about the issue, De Boer stated that Brozović “has to demonstrate his discipline”, adding that "he did something I couldn’t accept".[28]

He was finally called back on 20 October for the league match against Cagliari,[29] finished in a 1–2 home defeat, remaining as an unused substitute.[30] Four days later, he made his on-field debut in the matchday 3 of 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stage against Southampton, but was sent off in the 77th minute after receiving a second yellow card.[31]

Brozović improved his game with the new coach Stefano Pioli,[32] scoring his first goal of the season on 24 November in the 3–2 away defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, despite being 2–0 up in the first half, which confirmed the elimination of Inter from Europa League.[33] That was followed by his first league goal four days later, scoring inside two minutes with a right shoot from edge the box, helping Inter past Fiorentina 4–2 at San Siro.[34] On 7 December, Brozović extended his contract with Inter Milan until 2021, with the new deal including a significant wage rise.[35] Four days later, he scored a double helping Inter to beat Genoa 2–0.[36]

He scored his first goals of the 2017–18 season on 2 October in the 2–1 home at newly promoted side Benevento.[37] Later on 11 February of the following year, during the league match versus Bologna, Brozović was replaced in 58th minute after a poor performance; while making his way out of the field, he was booed by some sections of the crowd, and he responded by sarcastically clapping back.[38] He was fined by the club for the incident,[39] and was left on bench for the following match versus Genoa, entering on the field only in the final minutes.[40] Later on throughout the season, Brozović returned to his best form, cementing his place in the starting and becoming a fan favourite again.[41][42] He made his 100th Serie A appearance on 12 May in the 1–2 upset loss to Sassuolo.[43] In the final match of the season, against Lazio, his delivery in the first half resulted in a Danilo D'Ambrosio goal, while his cross from a corner kick in the second half was finished by a Matías Vecino header as Inter won 3–2 to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 2018–19 season.[44] Individually, he scored four goals and provided nine assists, eight of them in the second part of the season, in 31 league appearances.[45]

In the 2018–19 season, Brozović made his first UEFA Champions League appearance for Inter on 18 September in the opening Group B match in a 2–1 comeback win versus Tottenham Hotspur.[46] He netted his first goal of the campaign four days later, a 94th-minute winner over Sampdoria in round 5 of Serie A.[47]

On 26 August 2019, he scored Inter's first goal of the season in a 4–0 victory over Lecce.[48] On 21 September he scored the opener in a 2–0 victory over Milan in Derby della Madonnina.[49] On 9 February 2020, Brozović captained Inter in another Derby della Madonnina and scored in the 4–2 victory.[50] On 17 August, in a Europa League semi-final, he provided Danilo D'Ambrosio with an assist for the second goal in a 5–0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at Merkur Spiel-Arena.[51] Four days later, he was named in the starting XI for the final against Sevilla, providing Diego Godín with an assist for Inter's second goal. Nevertheless, Sevilla won the trophy after a 3–2 victory over the Nerrazzuri.[52]

International career
Brozović during Brazil and Croatia match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Brozović appeared with Croatia in the under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 categories. With the latter he appeared well during 2013, scoring seven goals in eight appearances.

On 31 May 2014, Brozović was included in Niko Kovač's final list for 2014 FIFA World Cup,[53] and made his debut for the main squad on 7 June, starting in a 1–0 success against Australia at the Estádio de Pituaçu.[54] Brozović made his World Cup debut five days later, playing the last 26 minutes in a 1–3 loss against Brazil.[55]

Since the 2014 World Cup, Brozović became a regular starter in Croatia's Euro 2016 qualifiers, playing alongside Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić as part of a rotating midfield triangle for Croatia. He scored his first goal for Croatia against Azerbaijan, in a 6–0 win in Osijek.[56] His second goal of the Euro 2016 qualifiers came in March 2015 against Norway, when he gave his team a 1–0 lead with a low curving shot from 20 meters into the bottom right corner.[57]

In May 2016, Brozović was part of Croatia squad for the UEFA Euro 2016.[58] He made his first UEFA European Championship appearance in Croatia's first match of Group D versus Turkey, playing full 90 minutes as the team won 1–0.[59] He later netted a brace for Croatia on 12 November 2016 in a World Cup qualifier against Iceland.[60]

In May 2018 he was named in Croatia's preliminary 32 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[61] He made the final squad, as Croatia progressed all the way to the final versus France. Brozović was a mainstay in the starting lineup, and he went the full 90 as Croatia lost 4–2.[62]

Style of play

Brozović's style of play has been compared to that of Frank Lampard.[63] He is noted for his passing, tackling, runs and stamina.[63] He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker or box-to-box midfielder, but is considered to be a versatile midfielder who can perform well anywhere in midfield.[63]

Personal life

Brozović married Silvija Lihtar in 2016; their daughter, Aurora, was born one year later.[64] In October 2019 they had their second child, a son called Rafael.[65]

In summer 2018, Brozović donated sets of textbooks to all Cerić Primary School students for the forthcoming school year.[66] In June 2020, he paid €3,000 for hip surgery to a Macedonian woman he had never met before.[67]

On 13 November 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 while on international duty in Stockholm.[68]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 5 February 2021[69][70][71]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hrvatski Dragovoljac 2010–11 Prva HNL 22110——231
Lokomotiva 2011–12 274———274
2012–13 6111——72
Total 33511——346
Dinamo Zagreb 2012–13 Prva HNL 232106[lower-alpha 2]0—302
2013–14 276618[lower-alpha 3]11[lower-alpha 4]0428
2014–15 1410012[lower-alpha 5]21[lower-alpha 4]0273
Total 64971263209913
Inter Milan (loan) 2014–15 Serie A 15110——161
2015–16 32433——357
Inter Milan 2016–17 234203[lower-alpha 6]1—285
2017–18 31420——334
2018–19 322208[lower-alpha 2]0—422
2019–20 3233011[lower-alpha 7]0—463
2020–21 181305[lower-alpha 2]0—261
Total 18319163271—22623
Career total 302342555332038243
  1. Includes Croatian Cup and Coppa Italia
  2. All appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearances in Croatian Super Cup
  5. Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  6. All appearances in UEFA Europa League
  7. Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League

International
As of 11 October 2020[72]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Croatia
201471
201572
2016113
201770
2018120
201970
202040
Total556

International goals
As of 12 November 2016. Croatia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Brozović goal.[73]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 October 2014Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia6 Azerbaijan4–06–0UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2 28 March 2015Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia8 Norway1–05–1
3 17 November 2015Olimp-2, Rostov-on-Don, Russia14 Russia2–13–1Friendly
4 23 March 2016Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia15 Israel2–02–0
5 12 November 2016Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia24 Iceland1–02–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 2–0

Honours

Club

Dinamo Zagreb

Inter Milan

International

Croatia

Individual

Orders

References
  1. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 11 June 2014. p. 12. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. "Marcelo Brozovic: Player Profile". Inter Milan.
  3. "Àmbrōzije". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 17 March 2018. Brózović
  4. "Marcelo BROZOVIC". FIFA.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  5. "Hrvatski Dragovoljac vs. Karlovac 1 – 0". Soccerway. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  6. "Lokomotiva cilja na ostanak" [Lokomotiva aims to stay] (in Croatian). 13 July 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  7. Dubravac, Ante (31 August 2012). "Marcelo Brozović potpisao sedmogodišnji ugovor s Dinamom" [Marcelo Brozovic signed a seven-year contract with Dinamo]. Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  8. "Dinamo Zagreb vs. Osijek 0 – 0". Soccerway. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  9. David Crossan (18 September 2012). "Porto extend Dinamo losing streak". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. "Dinamo Zagreb vs. Inter Zaprešić 2 – 0". Soccerway. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  11. Elvir Islamović (3 December 2012). "Jurčić bids to stop Dinamo rot in Zagreb". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  12. "Marcelo Brozovic is an Inter player". Inter Milan. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  13. "Marcelo Brozovic unveiling". Inter Milan. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  14. "Happy Birthday Marcelo!". Inter. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  15. "Simone Zaza and Nicola Sansone on target as Sassuolo beat Inter Milan". ESPN. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  16. "Inter 4-3 Empoli: Seven second-half goals see Nerazzurri finish with a flurry". Goal.com. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  17. "Internazionale vs. Atalanta - Football Match Summary - August 24, 2015". ESPN. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  18. Hernán Buso (23 November 2015). "Inter Milan 4-0 Frosinone: Delight for Mancini as his team climb top". Vavel.com. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  19. "Mauro Icardi scored twice as Inter Milan dispatched Udinese to extend their lead at the top of Serie A". BBC.com. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  20. "Inter 3-0 Cagliari: Mancini's men stroll to Coppa Italia win". Goal.com. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  21. "Hellas Verona vs. Internazionale 3 – 3". Soccerway. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  22. "Watching Mourinho inspires Inter to 3-1 win over Sampdoria". Nzherald.co.nz. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  23. "Inter overturn 3-0 deficit but lose Coppa Italia shootout to Juventus". The Guardian. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  24. "Coppa: Juve penalties break Inter hearts". Football Italia. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  25. "Chievo vs. Internazionale 2 – 0". Soccerway. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  26. "Inter 0-2 Hapoel Be'er Sheva: Woeful Nerazzurri whipped at home". Goal.com. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  27. "'Unprofessional' Brozovic out of Inter-Juve". Football Italia. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  28. "De Boer: 'Brozovic must prove himself'". Football Italia. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  29. "Brozovic back in Inter squad". Football Italia. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  30. "Internazionale vs. Cagliari 1 – 2". Soccerway. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  31. Adrian Kajumba (20 October 2016). "Inter Milan 1-0 Southampton: Candreva nets stunning winter for 10-man hosts - 5 things we learned". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  32. "Inter, Brozovic rinato con Pioli: 4 gol in 5 gare, meglio di Icardi". Gazzetta.it. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  33. "Nine more through to round of 32, Inter Milan out". UEFA.com. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  34. "INTER PUT FOUR PAST FIORENTINA". Inter Milan. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  35. "Official: Brozovic renews with Inter". Football Italia. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  36. Andrea Sorrentino (12 December 2016). "Nuovo Brozovic e la difesa a tre così Pioli prova a sollevare l'Inter". la Repubblica (in Italian). p. 47.
  37. "Talking Points: Benevento 1 Inter Milan 2 – Brozovic double inspires the Nerazzurri to rough win". Daily Football Show. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  38. Kavan Flavius (13 February 2018). "Inter to Make an Example of Playmaker Marcelo Brozovic for Sarcastic Clap Towards Fans". 90min.com. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  39. "Brozovic to be fined by Inter". Football Italia. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  40. "Genoa 2-0 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. 17 February 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  41. "Agent: "Inter fans whistled at Brozovic and now he is their idol. Was close to join Sevilla in January"". FedeNerazzurra.net. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  42. Will Beckman (9 May 2018). "Brozovic Has Changed Inter & Become Unsellable". Sempre Inter. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  43. "Serie A: Inter-Sassuolo 1-2, as it happened..." Calcio Mercato. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  44. Jamie Smith (20 May 2018). "Lazio 2 Inter 3: Spalletti's men seal Champions League qualification with stunning comeback". Goal.com. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  45. "2017–18 Serie A statistics". Soccerway. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  46. Harry West (18 September 2018). "Inter 2 Tottenham 1: Icardi, Vecino complete dramatic late turnaround". Goal.com. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  47. "Sampdoria 0 Inter 1: Brozovic wins it late after VAR takes centre stage". FourFourTwo. 22 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  48. "'Maybe' - Inter's Brozovic keen to maintain focus in Scudetto challenge after stunning curler vs Lecce". Goal.com. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  49. "AC Milan 0–2 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  50. Hafez, Shamoon (9 February 2020). "Inter Milan 4–2 AC Milan". BBC Sport.
  51. Hina (17 August 2020). "Furiozni Inter u finalu Europske lige! Brozović asistirao, pa pokrenuo akciju za 3. gol u potopu Šahtara". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  52. "Šokantan gol dotukao Brozovićev Inter! Lukaku zabio na pogrešnoj strani, Sevilla osvojila Europsku ligu". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). 21 August 2020.
  53. "World Cup 2014: Lovren and Jelavic in Croatia squad". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  54. "Australia's 1–0 loss to Croatia was a step in the right direction ahead of the World Cup kick-off". Herald Sun. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  55. "Brazil 3–1 Croatia". 12 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  56. Elvir Islamović (13 October 2014). "Croatia beat Azerbaijan for third straight win". Osijek: UEFA.com. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  57. "Croatia thrashes Norway 5-1 in Euro qualifier". Yahoo. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  58. "Croatia's UEFA Euro 2016 Squad Named". Croatia Week. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  59. "Turkey 0-1 Croatia". BBC Sport. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  60. Vala Hafstad (14 November 2016). "Croatia Beats Iceland 2-0". Iceland Review. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  61. Rauf Arshad (12 June 2018). "Croatia World Cup 2018 Squad & Possible Starting Lineups". Total Sportek. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  62. "World Cup 2018: France 4-2 Croatia - player ratings". 15 July 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  63. Adam Durack (25 November 2014). "Marcelo Brozovic: Everything Arsenal fans need to know about the Croatian transfer target". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  64. "Agent: Why Brozovic is a beast…". Football Italia. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  65. "Inter, Brozovic is a dad again!". Calciomercato. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  66. D. I. (19 July 2018). ""Hvala, Marcelo": Brozović donirao udžbenike školarcima malog slavonskog mjesta" (in Croatian). Dnevnik.hr. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  67. Hina (19 June 2020). "Brozović oduševio regiju predivnom gestom: Ženi koju ne poznaje platio operaciju". Gol.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  68. "Loše vijesti iz Švedske uoči ključne utakmice! Nakon Domagoja Vide još jedan Vatreni pozitivan na koronu". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). 13 November 2020.
  69. "Croatia - M. Brozović - Profile with news, career statistics". Soccerway. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  70. Marcelo Brozović at Croatian Football Statistics
  71. "Marcelo Brozović". Inter Milan. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  72. "Marcelo Brozović". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  73. "Marcelo Brozović - national football team player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  74. McNulty, Phil (15 July 2018). "France 4–2 Croatia". BBC. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  75. "UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  76. "News: President Decorates Croatian National Football Team Players and Coaching Staff". Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019. the Order of Prince Branimir with Ribbon was awarded to Mr. Marcelo Brozović...
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.