Milan Škriniar

Milan Škriniar (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmilan ˈʃkɾiɲɪ̯aɾ]; born 11 February 1995) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Inter Milan and the Slovak national team.

Milan Škriniar
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-02-11) 11 February 1995
Place of birth Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Inter Milan
Number 37
Youth career
– Žiar nad Hronom
2007–2012[1] Žilina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Žilina 77 (12)
2013 → Zlaté Moravce (loan) 7 (0)
2016–2017 Sampdoria 38 (0)
2017– Inter Milan 122 (6)
National team‡
2011 Slovakia U17 3 (0)
2012–2013 Slovakia U18 5 (0)
2013–2014 Slovakia U19 3 (0)
2012–2017 Slovakia U21 19 (3)
2016– Slovakia 35 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:52, 5 February 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2020

Club career

MŠK Žilina
Škriniar with Žilina in 2015

Škriniar began his career in the youth structures of FK Žiar nad Hronom, before joining the youth setup of MŠK Žilina at age 12. He made his official Slovak Super Liga debut for the first team on 27 March 2012 aged 17 years and 49 days, in a match against ViOn Zlaté Moravce. On 23 November 2012 he scored his first goal in the Corgoň Liga against ViOn which MŠK Žilina won 4–1.[2]

Loan to Zlaté Moravce

Škriniar was sent on loan for half-season to ViOn Zlaté Moravce in February 2013, in order to gain more first-team experience.

Sampdoria

On 29 January 2016, Sampdoria announced the signing of Milan Škriniar on a four-and-half year contract.[3] He made his debut in a 2–1 home victory over Lazio in late April.[4] During the next season Škriniar played a key role for Marco Giampaolo's Blucerchiati, finishing the campaign as the youngest defender to have made at least 35 appearances in Serie A.

Inter Milan

On 7 July 2017, Škriniar completed a transfer to fellow Serie A side Inter Milan signing a five-year contract.[5] The club paid a reported fee around €20 million and also included the striker Gianluca Caprari.[6] The transfer made Škriniar the most expensive Slovak player of all time.[7] He was presented four days later and received squad number 37, stating: "It's amazing to think that in 18 months I've gone from the Slovakian league to playing for a club like Inter."[8]

Škriniar made his competitive debut for the club on 20 August in the opening matchday of 2017–18 Serie A versus Fiorentina as Inter won 3–0 at San Siro.[9] He scored his first Serie A goal later on 16 September against Crotone, the opener in the 82nd minute with a right-footed shot in an eventual 2–0 away win to keep Inter's winning streak.[10] His second of the campaign came in matchday 10 against his former side Sampdoria on 24 October, netting again the opener as Inter won 3–2.[11]

Škriniar was distinguished for his performances in the first part of the season, being one of the best players of the squad.[12][13] He continued with his great performances even in the second part of the season, which proved clinical for the team, which returned to UEFA Champions League after six years.[14] He concluded the season by playing in all 38 matches in league, receiving only two yellow cards.

In the 2018–19 season, Škriniar made his debut in the UEFA Champions League on 18 September in the opening group stage match against Tottenham Hotspur, playing full-90 minutes in a 2–1 comeback win at San Siro.[15] On 2 November 2019, in a Serie A match against Bologna which ended in a 2–1 away win, Škriniar made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Inter, all of them as starter.[16]

International career

Škriniar represented various Slovak youth teams, and made his debut for the Slovakia senior squad in a friendly 3–1 win over Georgia on 27 May 2016.[17] By the end of the year, he was a part of a number of different games and became a notable part of the squad in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, usually playing as a defensive midfielder.

After the international retirement of Ján Ďurica in November 2017, Škriniar took his place as a centre-back partner to Martin Škrtel in the national team, even directing Slovak defence in Škrtel's absences (for example in a double fixture against Netherlands and Morocco despite his relatively young age, compared to experienced side-backs Peter Pekarík and Tomáš Hubočan).

Ján Kozák's resignation incident

Škriniar was nominated for a double fixture against Czech Republic and Sweden on 13 and 16 October 2018, respectively.[18] Škriniar played throughout each entire game, but was involved in the controversy that had led to resignation of Ján Kozák, then Slovakia's longest-serving and most successful coach, who introduced Škriniar to the national team in 2016.

Škriniar violated the code of conduct of national team player, along with Martin Dúbravka, Michal Šulla, Norbert Gyömbér, Ľubomír Šatka, Vladimír Weiss and Stanislav Lobotka. On the night of 13 October 2018, after a loss in Slovakia's second UEFA Nations League fixture and a derby match against Czech Republic (1–2), they left the hotel and went out, missed the bedtime and violated the wellness policy, regarding regeneration and rehabilitation. They were allegedly noticed by Ján Kozák at about midnight, admitting to the incident and apologising the next day. Ján Kozák resigned from the national team in the afternoon of 14 October, revealing the details of his decision in a press conference on 18 October, to avoid distractions during the preparation for the fixture against Sweden, that was managed by his former assistant Štefan Tarkovič on a caretaker basis. Kozák cited his inability to work with the squad under such conditions as the primary reason, as about a third of the squad was involved, including players Kozák described as crucial for the future of Slovak football, with Škriniar among them. The President of SFZ, Ján Kováčik, said that the players will be punished by not receiving any financial rewards for any future nominations and performances in the national team during the upcoming qualification cycle.[19]

Only hours before the incident, Škriniar and Lobotka in particular faced criticism from Kozák during a post-match press conference, who described their performance as poor and commented on the need for these highly valued players, worth millions, to take responsibility, instead of relying on other more experienced players, like Martin Škrtel and Marek Hamšík.[20]

On 19 October, SFZ published a common statement of Škriniar and Lobotka, accepting Kozák's criticism as normal and justified, although disagreeing with the comments about their value and transfer rumours. They apologised to the fans, the FA and their teammates, although claiming that they understand that no apology is sufficient enough. They also accepted the sanctions and expressed hope for continued support of the national team.[21]

Style of play

Škriniar has been described as a defender who is "a strong tackler who is quick to make clearances".[13] A natural centre-back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder where he also produced outstanding performances with under-21 side.[22] His former youth manager said of him: He [Škriniar] has always been the leader on and off the pitch.[22] He has been described in the media as the successor to former Liverpool icon Martin Škrtel in Slovakia's defensive line.[23] He has also drawn praise from several Italian pundits for his positional sense, as well as his ability in the air, and in one on one situations.[24]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 5 February 2021.[25]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zilina 2011–12 Super Liga 2 0 1 0 0 0 — 3 0
2012–13 10 1 3 0 0 0 — 13 1
2013–14 15 1 1 0 1[lower-alpha 1] 0 — 17 1
2014–15 32 6 3 2 0 0 — 35 8
2015–16 18 4 1 1 8[lower-alpha 1] 0 — 27 5
Total 77129390—9515
Zlate Moravce (loan) 2012–13 Super Liga 7 0 0 0 — — 7 0
Sampdoria 2015–16 Serie A 3000——30
2016–17 35 0 0 0 — — 35 0
Total 38000——380
Inter Milan 2017–18 Serie A 38 4 2 0 — — 40 4
2018–19 35 0 2 0 9[lower-alpha 2] 0 — 46 0
2019–20 32 0 3 0 7[lower-alpha 3] 0 — 42 0
2020–21 17 2 3 0 3[lower-alpha 4] 0 — 23 2
Total 1226100190—1516
Career total 24317193280—29020
  1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League qualification.
  2. Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League.
  3. Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League.
  4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League.

International
As of match played 15 November 2020[26]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Slovakia 201670
201770
201890
201980
202040
Total350

Honours

MŠK Žilina

Inter Milan

Slovakia

Individual

References
  1. Milan Škriniar: Je na nás ako sa chopíme šance Archived 11 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine 14 February 2012, talenty-info.sk
  2. ŽILINA VS. ZLATÉ MORAVCE 4 - 1 23 November 2012, soccerway.com
  3. Sampdoria je dôležitým krokom v mojej kariére, hovorí Škriniar 30 January 2016, sport.sme.sk
  4. "Sampdoria vs. Lazio 2 – 1". Soccerway. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  5. "SKRINIAR JOINS INTER". Inter Milan. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. Joe Wright (7 July 2017). "Inter complete €20m signing of Sampdoria star Skriniar". Goal.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  7. Rhod Cannon (14 February 2018). "Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar reveals 'breathtaking' January offer amid Manchester United interest". International Business Times. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  8. "SKRINIAR: "AMAZING TO JOIN INTER"". Inter Milan. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. "INTER 3-0 FIORENTINA". Inter Milan. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  10. Matar, Daniella (16 September 2017). "Inter Milan leaves it late to beat Crotone and stay perfect". The Associated Press. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  11. "THE NERAZZURRI MARCH ON: INTER 3-2 SAMPDORIA". Inter Milan. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  12. Adam Digby (23 December 2017). "Is Milan Skriniar Ready for One of Europe's Elite Clubs?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  13. "Slovak footballer Škriniar named one of the best players of the season". Spectator. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  14. "Stunning Inter Comeback Breaks Lazio Hearts and Seals Champions League Qualification". Sports Illustrated. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  15. "Match Review, Inter 2-1 Tottenham: Vecino is there!". Inter Milan. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  16. "A special milestone for Skriniar: 100 Nerazzurri appearances, all as a starter". Inter Milan. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  17. "Slovakia vs. Georgia 3 – 1". Soccerway. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  18. "Tréner Kozák nominoval na Česko a Švédsko aj Škrtela či Pekaríka, pozvánku dostali a mladíci zo Serie A". SportDnes.sk. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  19. a.s., Petit Press. "Kozák vymenoval hráčov, ktorí po zápase s Českom porušili večierku (minúta po minúte)". sport.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  20. a.s., Petit Press. "Kozák: Lobotka a Škriniar? Vraví sa o miliónoch, ale treba to ukázať na ihrisku". sport.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  21. zväz, Slovenský futbalový. "SR A - Dúbravka, Škriniar, Lobotka, Gyömbér, Šulla a Šatka: Mrzí nás to, bola to chyba a budeme za ňu niesť následky". www.futbalsfz.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  22. "Skriniar Can Be The Next Central Defensive Superstar". Football Whispers. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  23. "Skriniar the more elegant heir to Skrtel's throne in Slovakia defence". ESPN FC. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  24. Ramazzotti; Rindone (1 February 2019). "Pagelle Inter-Lazio: ecco i top&flop" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  25. "Slovakia - M. Škriniar - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  26. "Milan Škriniar". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  27. "Thailand vs. Slovakia - Football Match Line-ups". espn.co.uk. ESPN. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  28. "Slovakia beat Thailand 3-2, win King's Cup". bangkokpost.com. Bangkok Post Public Company. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  29. "The official Under-21 Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com.
  30. "Futbalista roka 2019: Výsledky sú známe! Kto je najlepší hráč či tréner?" [Footballer of the Year 2019: Results are known! Who is the best player or coach?]. profutbal.sk (in Slovak). Fun Media Group. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
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