Danijel Subasic Croatian footballer, goalkeeper Date of Birth: 27.10.1984 Country: Croatia

1. Early Life and Career
2. Rise with Hajduk Split
3. Transfer to Monaco
4. Success with Monaco
5. Personal Life
6. International Career
7. Recognition and Awards

Early Life and Career

Daniel Subašić, a Croatian goalkeeper, was born in Zadar, Croatia. He began his professional career with his hometown club NK Zadar in the 2003/04 season. After Zadar's relegation at the end of the 2005/06 season, Subašić became a first-team regular during the club's spell in the Croatian Second Division.

Rise with Hajduk Split

In the summer of 2008, Subašić was sent on loan to Hajduk Split, where he immediately became a regular, featuring in all 18 league matches in the first half of the 2008/09 season. The club decided to sign him permanently during the winter break. He retained his place in the team for the second half of the season, making 13 more appearances for the club. He also played three matches for the club in their UEFA Cup qualifying campaign, making his debut in a 4-0 thrashing of Maltese side Birkirkara. During his second season at Hajduk, in 2009/10, he made a total of 28 league appearances, as well as two more in the Europa League qualifying, and helped the club win the Croatian Cup.

Transfer to Monaco

In January 2012, French Ligue 2 club AS Monaco entered the race for Subašić's signature, with German club FC Schalke 04 also initially interested. However, Subašić eventually made the move to France. The contract was signed for four and a half years, with the assistance of one of the best Croatian transfer managers, Marko Naletilić. Subašić himself was delighted with the move and promised to do everything he could to help the club return to the top division the following season. He played 17 times for the club during the 2011/12 season, keeping clean sheets in five of those games. In the final round of the season, he even scored a winning goal from a free kick, helping the team to a 2-1 away victory over Boulogne.

Success with Monaco

In the following season, Subašić played an important role in Monaco's Ligue 2 title win and promotion to the top flight. He missed only three league matches. On August 10, 2013, he made his Ligue 1 debut for Monaco in a 2-0 away victory over Bordeaux. He remained the first-choice goalkeeper after the promotion, keeping four clean sheets and keeping Monaco unbeaten in the first 11 rounds of play. Subašić played 35 times in Ligue 1 as Monaco finished in second place in the 2013/14 season.

Personal Life

Daniel Subašić's father is a Croatian Serb from the Orthodox Church, while his mother, née Brkljača, is a Roman Catholic Croatian from the village of Rašljević, near Benkovac. Subašić was initially not accepted by his father-in-law, who saw him as a Serb. However, Subašić told the media that he is a "Croat and a Catholic" and that his father has "nothing to do with Serbia... he is a Croatian Orthodox."

International Career

Subašić made his debut for the Croatia U21 team in a friendly match against Denmark on March 1, 2006. That year, he played a total of six international matches for the team, including two in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.

Recognition and Awards

In the 2016/17 season, Subašić played a key role in Monaco's first league title in 17 years and their run to the Champions League semi-finals, for which he was named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year.