Darijo Srna Croatian footballer Date of Birth: 01.05.1982 Country: Croatia

Biography of Dario Srna

Dario Srna, a Croatian football player, is a midfielder and captain of the club "Shakhtar" (Donetsk) and the Croatian national team. Srna was born on May 1, 1982, in the small town of Metković, which is known for its popularity in handball. Despite the majority of children in Metković playing handball, Srna never played the sport. His interest in football was greatly influenced by his father, a former professional football player.

Initially, Srna played football with his friends in the backyard and later joined the local sports school "Nerveta". At the age of 12, he wore the shirt of "Metković" for the first time, and at 13, he joined the national team. He was then invited to join the Zagreb-based "Dinamo" and "Hajduk" from Split. At the age of 16, Franco Baresi invited Srna to join the Italian club "AC Milan". However, his agent, Igor Štimac, advised him not to rush and to stay in Croatia, as he was still young. Following the advice, Srna signed a professional contract with "Hajduk".

After completing his academy, Srna joined Split's "Hajduk", where he played alongside Milan Rapaić, Ivan Leko, Mate Bilić, and Stipe Pletikosa. He made his debut in the senior team at the age of 17 during a match against Zagreb's "Dinamo" in the Croatian Cup final. However, in his first match, Srna received a red card for hitting an opponent in the face. Two years later, at the age of 19, he became the champion of Croatia. He had the opportunity to move to "Schalke 04", Borussia Dortmund, "Roma", "Kaiserslautern", and "Dynamo" Kyiv. However, "Shakhtar" presented the most concrete offer and offered the best contract terms. Several people from the former Yugoslavia had also moved to Ukraine, and Srna accepted the offer from Donetsk. He signed the contract on the same day as his former teammate, Stipe Pletikosa.

In the Croatian league, Srna played 69 games and scored 7 goals. He also played 13 games in the Croatian Cup. He made his debut for "Shakhtar" on July 12, 2003, in a match against Zaporizhzhia's "Metalurh". In May 2006, the newspaper "Komanda" ranked him as the third-best full-back in the Ukrainian championship, behind Răzvan Raț and Oleh Husyev.

In July 2006, there were reports that Srna could move to English club Portsmouth for £5 million. He made his debut for the Croatian national team in November 2002, in a friendly match against Romania.

Prior to the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Russia, Srna, Ivica Olić, and Boško Balaban left the national team's camp and went to a nightclub in Zagreb, which was 25 kilometers away. A fight broke out in the club, and the incident was captured by television cameras, sparking media attention. The country's state television even released a special report, describing the behavior of Srna, Olić, and Balaban as the most serious disciplinary violation by professional football players since Croatia gained independence.

As a result, the head coach of the Croatian national team excluded Srna, Olić, and Balaban from the squad. However, Srna was eventually called up for the Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Andorra and England. On October 4, 2006, he left the national team's camp due to a suspected muscle strain.

Throughout his career, Srna has achieved numerous accomplishments, including winning the UEFA Cup in 2008/2009, becoming the champion of Ukraine in the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2007-2008 seasons, and winning the Ukrainian Cup in 2004 and 2005. He was also named the best player in Ukraine for the 2008/2009 season and received the title of Honored Master of Sports in Ukraine in 2009. In addition, he was voted the best player in the Shakhtar Donetsk team in 2009, according to the official club website.