Marko Babic Croatian footballer, left back Date of Birth: 28.01.1981 Country: Croatia

Biography of Marko Babic

Marko Babic is a Croatian football player who primarily plays as a left-back. He has been playing for the German club Hertha since 2009. Babic has also been a part of the Croatian national football team since 2002 and has participated in the UEFA Euro 2004 and the FIFA World Cup 2006.

Early Career and Club Success
Babic began his football career at his hometown club, Osijek. At the age of 18, he broke into the first team and made his debut in the Croatian First League in 1998. However, he had limited playing time in his first few seasons. It was in the 1999/2000 season that he fully showcased his talent. His impressive performances in both the national league and the Croatian Under-21 team caught the attention of scouts from the German club Bayer Leverkusen. In the winter of 2000, Osijek sold Babic (alongside his teammate Jurica Vranjes) to Bayer Leverkusen for 2 million euros.

Babic faced challenges in his first two years at Bayer Leverkusen, struggling to adapt to the Bundesliga. However, it was with this club that he achieved his highest club successes. In 2002, Bayer Leverkusen became the runner-up in the German league and reached the final of the national cup. Additionally, the club reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in Glasgow, where Babic came on as a substitute in the final minutes. From the 2002/03 season onwards, Babic became a regular member of the club's lineup. The 2004/05 season was difficult for him as he lost his place in the starting lineup to Jacek Krzynowek. However, after Krzynowek's departure, Babic regained his position and helped Bayer Leverkusen secure fifth place in the Bundesliga in both 2006 and 2007. The team also reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup in 2007. During his seven years at Bayer Leverkusen, Babic played 144 matches in the league and scored 13 goals.

Move to Real Betis
In the summer of 2007, after the end of the season, Babic joined the Spanish club Real Betis as a free agent. He continued his professional football career in Spain.

International Career
Babic made his debut for the Croatian national team on May 8, 2002, in a match against Hungary (2-0 victory). He was included in the Croatian squad for the UEFA Euro 2004 but did not feature in any matches. Two years later, Babic went to the FIFA World Cup in Germany as a regular player and played in all three matches for the team.

Career Achievements
Croatian footballer Marko Babic has had several notable achievements throughout his career. In terms of national tournaments, he was the runner-up in the German championship in 2002 with Bayer Leverkusen. He also reached the final of the German Cup in the same year. In European club tournaments, Babic was a finalist in the UEFA Champions League in 2002 with Bayer Leverkusen.