Mandžukić playing for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Mario Mandžukić | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1986-05-21) 21 May 1986 (age 38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Slavonski Brod, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992–1996 | TSF Ditzingen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996–2003 | Marsonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2003–2004 | Željezničar Slavonski Brod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2004–2005 | Marsonia | 23 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2007 | NK Zagreb | 51 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Dinamo Zagreb | 81 | (41) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2012 | VfL Wolfsburg | 56 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2014 | Bayern Munich | 54 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2014–2015 | Atlético Madrid | 28 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2015–2019 | Juventus | 118 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | Al-Duhail | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | AC Milan | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 426 | (166) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004–2005 | Croatia U19 | 10 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | Croatia U20 | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Croatia U21 | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2018 | Croatia | 89 | (33) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021–2024 | Croatia (assistant coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Mario Mandžukić (Croatian pronunciation: [mâːrio mǎndʒukitɕ]; born 21 May 1986) is a Croatian football coach and a former player who was an assistant coach of the Croatia national team. As a player, he played as a forward and became known for his aggressiveness, defensive contribution, and aerial prowess.
Starting his career in 2004 at hometown club Marsonia, Mandžukić then moved to two Zagreb-based clubs: NK Zagreb in 2005 and Dinamo Zagreb in 2007. He was Croatian First League top goalscorer in the 2008–09 season. After joining VfL Wolfsburg in 2010, Mandžukić moved to fellow-Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in 2012. He helped Bayern win their first continental treble (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Champions League) in his first season, and became the first Croatian to score in a Champions League final. After winning a domestic double the following season, he left Bayern for La Liga club Atlético Madrid in 2014, and a season later was signed by Juventus in the Serie A. Mandžukić won four league titles and three Coppa Italia titles with Juventus, and reached the 2017 Champions League Final. He left Juventus in December 2019 for Qatari side Al-Duhail and returned Italy in January 2021, signing with AC Milan. He retired in September of the same year.
At the international level, Mandžukić debuted for Croatia in November 2007 under manager Slaven Bilić. He participated in four major tournaments with his national side, Euro 2012, the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, and the 2018 World Cup, reaching the final of the latter tournament, after which he retired from international football. In total, he made 89 international appearances and, with 33 goals, he is the Croatia national team's second-most prolific scorer of all time. He was named Croatian Footballer of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
Mandžukić is also one of the players to score in both the Champions League Final and World Cup Final. Mandzukic also scored a goal and an own goal in the 2018 World Cup final, becoming the first football player to score an own goal in a World Cup final.
Club career
Youth and early career
Mandžukić started playing football in Germany, where he and his parents relocated to due to the Croatian War of Independence. In 1992, he joined German club TSF Ditzingen, near Stuttgart. Upon returning to his home country, the newly independent Croatia, he spent the period between 1996 and 2003 at NK Marsonia before spending a season at the city minnows NK Željezničar. The next season, he returned to Marsonia and in the summer of 2005 he made a move to NK Zagreb.
Dinamo Zagreb
In the summer of 2007, Mandžukić was bought by the Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb for €1.3 million as a replacement for their Arsenal-bound star striker Eduardo da Silva. Upon his arrival, he managed to secure his spot in starting eleven, playing mostly in the position of second striker. On 4 October 2007, he put on an impressive performance against AFC Ajax in Amsterdam when he scored two goals in extra-time to secure Dinamo's 2–3 away win, as Dinamo qualified for the group stage of 2007–08 UEFA Cup. He finished his first season at Dinamo with 12 goals and 11 assists throughout 29 matches, but also had a poor discipline record, collecting eight yellow cards.
He started the 2008–09 season with two goals against Linfield in a qualifier for the UEFA Cup. In the 2008–09 Prva HNL, Mandžukić was the league's top goalscorer, bagging 16 goals in 28 appearances. He also scored three goals in the season's UEFA Cup. This was the season of his rise in the Croatia national team as well, as he collected eight caps in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. After the 2008–09 season had finished, he was linked with German side Werder Bremen, but the €12 million offer was rejected by the Dinamo board, who were of opinion that Mandžukić's worth was at least €15 million. He started the 2009–10 season by scoring a goal in a Champions League play-off match against Red Bull Salzburg. Mandžukić received red card in the last minutes of the game. After he told the referee that he got hit by the bottle that somebody threw from the stands, he gave him his second yellow card and ruled him out of the game. On 17 September 2009, after Dinamo lost 2–0 at home to Anderlecht in Europa League, Mandžukić was controversially fined €100,000 after being accused of poor effort. It was the first time in the history of the club that a player was financially fined. On 20 September, Mandžukić captained Dinamo to a 6–0 victory against HNK Rijeka in Prva HNL. In a post–match interview, Mandžukić rejected any speculation about him leaving the club after the fine, stating that it was his childhood dream to captain the Dinamo side and that he gives his best in any match he plays for the club. During that season, he appeared in 24 league matches, scoring 14 goals. He appeared in five Europa League matches as well.
Wolfsburg
On 14 July 2010, Mandžukić signed for VfL Wolfsburg for a fee believed to be around €7 million. Upon his arrival, in the first half of the 2010–11 season, he played regularly but mostly coming on as a substitute. At the time, he was mostly used as left winger under coach Steve McClaren, who played with only one striker, Edin Džeko. Things changed for Mandžukić, however, after the departure of Džeko to Manchester City in January 2011. Mandžukić scored his first Bundesliga goal for Wolfsburg on Matchday 26 against 1. FC Nürnberg under interim manager Pierre Littbarski. Upon the arrival of manager Felix Magath, Mandžukić was played in his natural position as striker. In the last seven matches of the domestic season, he scored eight goals, two of which came in the last match against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and were crucial for the club as they avoided relegation. In his second season in Wolfsburg, he became a regular starter in the Bundesliga and was the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals. In his two years at Wolfsburg, he scored 20 times in 56 appearances, establishing himself as one of Wolfsburg's best players during his stay and quickly becoming a fan favourite due to his goalscoring ability and attitude.
Bayern Munich
On 26 June, Mandžukić signed a contract with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich for a transfer fee of €13 million, pending a medical test, subsequent to his strong performance at UEFA Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, and because of his terrific form for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. On 27 June, the transfer was officially announced by Bayern Munich.
2012–13 season
On 24 July 2012, Mandžukić made his debut for Bayern in a 6–0 win against Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan, scoring the fifth goal in the friendly match in the 79th minute. On 12 August, he scored his first goal in an official game against reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in the sixth minute, helping his team win the German DFL Supercup. He scored his first league goal for Bayern against Greuther Fürth on matchday one and added another one the next matchday in a 6–1 win against VfB Stuttgart. He went on to score twice against his former club Wolfsburg.
Mandžukić then added four more goals in five more Bundesliga matches, taking his tally to nine goals in 11 matches in the German top tier. After the Bundesliga winter break, Mandžukić continued with his goal scoring activity, netting three more goals in first two games, against Greuther Fürth and Stuttgart. He scored another brace against 1. FSV Mainz 05. He finished his first Bundesliga season with Bayern as the club's top goalscorer, netting a total of 15 goals in 24 matches and having a major impact in winning the Bundesliga title. He scored his first Champions League goal of the season in the Round of 16 match against Arsenal. He netted another one in the quarter-final match against Juventus in Turin, giving Bayern the 0–1 away lead. On 25 May, Bayern faced Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final and Mandžukić scored the first goal of the match, giving Bayern a 1–0 lead in 60th minute. Bayern went on to win the match 2–1 after a late goal from Arjen Robben. With this goal, Mandžukić became the first Croat to score in a Champions League final game and it capped a highly successful first season for him in Munich, as the club completed a treble-winning season, claiming the Bundesliga, Champions League, and DFB-Pokal, as well as the German Supercup at the start of the campaign.
2013–14 season
Mandžukić first began the season slowly, having small issues adjusting to new Bayern coach Pep Guardiola's system. Guardiola changed Bayern's formation from the 4–2–3–1 they had used previously under Jupp Heynckes to a new 4–1–4–1 style. While it took a bit of time to adjust, Mandžukić regained his form nonetheless in time for league play. He opened the new season in the Bundesliga by scoring two goals in two league appearances. Mandžukić scored his first Champions League goal of the season when Bayern Munich began the defence of their Champions League title against CSKA Moscow with a 3–0 victory at the Allianz Arena. He headed the only goal as Bayern defeated a valiant FC Viktoria Plzeň in November to move into the knockout stages with a record-equalling ninth successive UEFA Champions League win. Mandžukić scored his tenth goal of the new Bundesliga season in a December match against Hamburger SV.
In the first semi-final of 2013 FIFA Club World Cup, Mandžukić dove low to head Thiago Alcantara's cross into goal for 2–0 against Guangzhou Evergrande. He eventually won the competition with Bayern after the final with Raja Casablanca, ended with a 2–0 victory. Upon the Bundesliga winter break, Mandžukić was left out of the Bayern Munich 18-man roster in their match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Guardiola reportedly unimpressed with his performances in training. He returned to the squad for the next match against VfB Stuttgart. A week later, against Eintracht Frankfurt, Mandžukić delivered a response with a commanding performance in Bayern's 5–0 win, scoring the last goal of the match and delivering a pinpoint pass to Mario Götze who opened the scoring. On 12 February, Mandžukić scored his first hat-trick of the season, as Bayern Munich eased their way into the DFB-Pokal semi-final with a 5–0 rout of Hamburger SV. In the match against Hannover 96, Mandžukić celebrated his 100th Bundesliga appearance by meeting Rafinha's cross to complete the goal. Despite being the club's top scorer with 26 goals, Mandžukić was dropped from the team by Guardiola ahead of the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final. Mandžukić stated that he wanted to leave Bayern because "the playing style of coach Pep Guardiola simply does not fit" him.
Atlético Madrid
On 10 July 2014, Mandžukić signed a four-year deal with the Spanish club Atlético Madrid for an undisclosed fee. On 24 July, Mandžukić was presented to Atlético Madrid fans at Vicente Calderón, wearing the number 9 shirt. He made his competitive debut in the first leg of the 2014 Supercopa de España on 19 August, a 1–1 draw away to Real Madrid, in which he played 78 minutes before being replaced by fellow debutant Raúl Jiménez. In the second leg at Vicente Calderón, Mandžukić scored his first competitive goal for the club, netting the winner after just two minutes. It was the quickest goal in the competition.
Mandžukić scored his first league goal against SD Eibar, on 30 August, as Atlético recorded their first win of the new Primera División season. In the opening match of the new Champions League campaign, against Olympiacos, Mandžukić collected Cristian Ansaldi's cross and sent home a close-range header into the bottom corner to make it 1–2, in eventual 2–3 loss. Mandžukić helped Atlético move within two points of joint-league leaders Barcelona and Sevilla on 26 October when he tapped in Arda Turan's cross to score the solitary goal in a win over Getafe.
After returning to action sporting a facemask, he went from strength to strength, bagging 14 goals in all competitions before the winter break – including a sensational hat trick against Olympiacos in the return group stage game at the Calderon on 26 November, which ensured a place in the Champions League knockout stage. Mandžukić scored his 11th La Liga goal of the season in his 19th appearance, in Los Colchoneros emphatic 4–0 victory over local rivals Real Madrid in the second league derby of the season, when sport analysts noted that Mandžukić put in one of the great centre-forward displays seen in La Liga in recent years, contributing to everything that was good about his side before putting the icing on the cake with a well-taken fourth. In total, Mandžukić bagged 20 goals in 43 appearances in his only season in Madrid, living up to his image of hard-working and proven goal scorer.
Juventus
On 22 June 2015, Serie A champions Juventus announced that Mandžukić joined the club from Atlético Madrid on a four-year contract for a fee of €19 million payable in three installments, including a possible extra €2 million in performance-related add-ons.
2015–16 season
On 8 August he scored the opening goal in the 69th minute for Juventus with a header against Lazio in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana, a 2–0 win in Shanghai. On 23 August 2015, he made an official league debut for Juventus, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 loss to Udinese, in the first league game of the 2015–16 Serie A season.
On 21 September 2015, it was confirmed that Mandžukić would be out for three weeks following a thigh related injury the day before in a 2–0 win over Genoa. However, he returned early, scoring Juventus's first goal, and temporary equaliser, as the team came from behind to win 2–1 away against Manchester City, during their opening match of the Champions League group stage, on 15 September 2015. On 25 October 2015, Mandžukić scored the final goal in Juventus's 2–0 home win over Atalanta in the 49th minute; this was his first Serie A goal in his 6th league appearance with the club. He scored again two games later, helping Juventus to defeat Empoli 3–1. On 25 November 2015, Mandžukić scored the winning goal in a 1–0 home win over Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League group stage, to secure the club a spot in the round of 16. Due to these significant goals, as well as another one in a 3–0 away win against Palermo on 29 November, he was voted Juventus player of the month for November 2015. On 27 January 2016, Mandžukić sustained a muscle injury during the first semi-final leg of the Coppa Italia against Inter Milan, putting him on the sidelines for four weeks. It was initially feared that he would miss the first round of 16 leg of the Champions League against his former club, Bayern Munich. However, he returned to action earlier than expected, starting in the match against Bayern on 23 February, and setting up Paulo Dybala's goal in a 2–2 home draw.
2016–17 season
Mandžukić's second season with Juventus was particularly notable, as he was often played out of position by the club's manager Massimiliano Allegri; throughout the 2016–17 season, he primarily served as a left winger, rather than as an out and out striker, a position which he normally occupied in the past. Although his goalscoring rate decreased, he drew praise in the media for his work-rate, versatility, consistency, and for the overall high quality of his performances in this new role. On 25 May 2017, Mandžukić signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2020. On 3 June, Mandžukić started in the Champions League Final. He scored the equalising goal in the 27th minute, just seven minutes after Cristiano Ronaldo's goal gave Real Madrid the lead. Mandžukić chested down a ball from Gonzalo Higuaín and hooked the ball over his shoulder from 15 yards (14 m), which arced over Keylor Navas in net. The goal was heralded as one of the best goals ever scored in a Champions League final, and was compared to Zinedine Zidane's goal in the 2002 final for Real Madrid; but Juventus were ultimately defeated 4–1. Mandžukić's bicycle kick goal against Real Madrid went on to win the 2016–17 UEFA Goal of the Season award.
2017–18 season
On 31 October 2017, Mandžukić made his 100th appearance for Juventus in a 1–1 away draw against Sporting in the UEFA Champions League. On 11 April 2018, he scored two goals in 3–1 away win against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of Champions League. The first goal scored after 76 seconds became the fastest goal Real Madrid conceded in Champions League home game and was the first opposition player to score a first-half double in a Champions League match at the Bernabeu.
2018–19 season
On 25 August 2018, Mandžukić scored his first goal of the 2018–19 season in a 2–0 home win over Lazio. On 6 October, he made his 100th appearance in Serie A with the club in a 2–0 away win over Udinese, setting up the second goal of the match scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. On 24 November, Mandžukić captained the first team in a 2–0 home win over SPAL, scoring his sixth goal of the season. Three days later, on 27 November, he scored his first goal of the Champions League season in a 1–0 home win against Valencia, assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo. Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Stampa noted the emerging symbiosis between Mandžukić and Ronaldo, described as an unexpected tandem of power and skill. On 4 April 2019, Mandžukić extended his contract with Juventus until 2021.
Al-Duhail
With the arrival of new Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri in the summer of 2019, Mandžukić was sidelined after being excluded from the manager's plans. As a result, he was also omitted from Juventus's Champions League squad, alongside teammate Emre Can. After failing to make a single appearance for the club during the 2019–20 season, he agreed to join Qatari side Al-Duhail on 24 December. On 29 December, the transfer was made official.
He made his league debut on 4 January 2020 in a goalless draw with Qatar SC. He scored his first goal for the club on 10 January in a 2–0 win over Al-Sailiya in Qatar Cup. On 11 February 2020, he made his debut and scored his debut goal in the AFC Champions League, scoring the opener in a group stage home victory. On 5 July 2020, after ten appearances and two goals overall, Mandžukić terminated his contract with the Qatari side by mutual consent.
AC Milan
Following the contract termination, several clubs showed interest for signing Mandžukić, including Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, Lokomotiv Moscow, AC Milan, Benevento, Hellas Verona, Fiorentina, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Marseille, Wolfsburg, Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04.
On 19 January 2021, Mandžukić joined Serie A club Milan on a contract until the end of the season, with the option of a further year. He made his league debut on 23 January in a 3–0 defeat to Atalanta. Due to recurring injuries that impaired his physical conditions and a poor form, Mandžukić made just 11 appearances for Milan, mostly as a substitute, with no goals scored. On 24 May 2021, Mandžukić announced his departure from Milan as the club management had not extended his contract.
On 3 September 2021, Mandžukić announced his retirement.
International career
After putting together a string of solid performances in the 2007–08 Prva HNL, as well as in Dinamo's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches, Mandžukić earned a call–up to the Croat national team, for which he debuted in a game against Macedonia on 17 November 2007. On 10 September 2008, he scored his first ever goal for Croatia in a 4–1 home loss against England in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Euro 2012
Mandžukić's influence in the national team increased during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying. His first goal of the campaign came in June 2011, when he scored an equalizer against Georgia at the Stadion Poljud. He added another header against Latvia in the last match of the qualifiers. With Croatia finishing second in their group, they had to face Turkey in the Euro 2012 play-offs. In the first match played in Istanbul, Croatia stunned the home fans by winning 0–3, with Mandžukić scoring the second goal from a header in the 32nd minute of the match.
Mandžukić was one of two of manager Slaven Bilić's first choice strikers for Croatia at UEFA Euro 2012, being paired with the Everton striker Nikica Jelavić. He scored twice in Croatia's opening 3–1 win against the Republic of Ireland, and also scored in a 1–1 draw against Italy the following match. Despite Croatia's group-stage exit, he was the joint-top scorer of the tournament with three goals alongside Mario Balotelli, Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alan Dzagoev, and future Bayern teammate Mario Gómez.
2014 FIFA World Cup
He opened the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification by providing two assists in the first two matches, against Macedonia in Zagreb and against Belgium in Brussels. He scored his first goal of the campaign against Wales in Osijek. Mandžukić added another goal to his tally in qualification match against Serbia, giving Croatia a 1–0 lead, in Zagreb. He also scored in the second match between the two sides in Belgrade. In the second leg of Croatia's play-off match against Iceland in Zagreb, Mandžukić gave Croatia the lead in an eventual 2–0 win. However, he later received a red card after a reckless high tackle on Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson connected with the Icelandic midfielder's left knee.
Mandžukić was named in Croatia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but was suspended for the team's first match against the host nation in São Paulo on 12 June 2014. He returned to the team for their second match against Cameroon on 18 June, and marked his debut at the World Cup scoring twice in a 4–0 win, being awarded the "Man of the Match" award.
Euro 2016
Mandžukić scored once in Croatia's successful UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, opening a 1–1 home draw with Italy in Split on 12 June 2015. The following 4 June, both he and Nikola Kalinić scored hat-tricks in a 10–0 warm-up win against San Marino in Rijeka ahead of the tournament; the result was a record victory for Croatia.
2018 FIFA World Cup
On 6 October 2016, Mandžukić scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Kosovo in Shkodër for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, the opponents' first competitive game as the home team.
On 4 June 2018, Mandžukić was named to Croatia's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the opening game against Nigeria, he caused Oghenekaro Etebo's own goal and won a penalty, that was successfully converted by Luka Modrić, as the game ended as a 2–0 win for Croatia. During the side's round-of-16 match against Denmark on 1 July, he scored the equalising goal in the 4th minute of play; following a 1–1 draw after extra-time, Croatia prevailed 3–2 in the resulting penalty shoot-out. In the quarter-finals against hosts Russia on 7 July, Mandžukić provided an assist in the first half of regulation time for Andrej Kramarić's equaliser. A 1–1 draw after 90 minutes saw the match go into extra-time, and following a 2–2 draw after 120 minutes of play, Croatia once again progressed to the next round in the ensuing shoot-out, winning 4–3 on penalties.
During Croatia's semi-final match against England on 11 July, with the score tied at 1–1 after regulation time, Mandžukić scored the match-winning goal in 109th minute to give Croatia a 2–1 victory, sending the team to the World Cup final for the first time in their history. In the final against France on 15 July, he became the first player ever to score an own goal in a World Cup final, when he headed Antoine Griezmann's free-kick into his own net to give France a 1–0 lead; he later scored Croatia's second goal by chasing down and capitalizing on an error from French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, as the match eventually ended in a 4–2 defeat. With that goal, Mario Mandžukić became the second player in World Cup history to score for both teams in a single match (the first being Ernie Brandts of the Netherlands in a 1978 World Cup match against Italy) and the first to do so in a final.
Retirement
On 14 August 2018, Mandžukić announced his retirement from international football. At the time of his retirement, he was the second highest goalscorer in the history of the Croatia national team with 33 goals.
In his statement, Mandžukić wrote about the 2018 World Cup silver medal:
We have made our dreams come true, achieved a historic success, and experienced unbelievable support. That month, including the welcome in Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, and the entire Croatia, will remain the most important memory of my career. This has been the most beautiful national team journey, and my favourite return to homeland. I am more than happy, fulfilled, and extremely proud of this silver, that has been forged through years, through pain, effort, work, disappointment, and difficult moments. There is no ideal moment to retire. If possible, we would all play for Croatia until we die, since there is no prouder feeling, but I feel this moment has come for me – now. I've given my best for Croatia, I have contributed to the biggest success of Croatian football.
Style of play
In addition to his goalscoring, pundits noted Mandžukić for his physical strength, versatility, mobility and fitness, as well as his ability in the air. He was even given the nickname Đilkoš [dʑîːlkoʃ] by Miroslav Blažević, which means brash and unsophisticated, referring to the striker's physical strengths, powerful physique and seemingly endless stamina, rather than his technical ability; his other nicknames included Mandžo and Super Mario. Known for his high work-rate and defensive contribution, Mandžukić's former manager at Wolfsburg, Felix Magath, noted his endurance, stating that the striker was "so fit that I think he could play two back-to-back games without stopping even for a minute."
Following his move to Atlético Madrid, Sky Sports analyst Adam Bate wrote that he was the perfect fit for manager Diego Simeone's style as Mandžukić was "often the instigator of the press with his energetic running, Mandzukic battles defences, driving them back to create space for teammates as well as preventing opponents building patiently without pressure on the ball." Bate further added that the Croatian was "...both a physical and mobile striker who does much of his best work without the ball, seemingly doing the work of two players and thus allowing an extra man in midfield." ESPN FC contributor Michael Cox also praised Mandžukić for his excellent team-work, highlighting that while he pressed his opponents energetically when they attempted to play the ball out from the back, he was also extremely diligent and disciplined in the manner in which he dropped back into his own half to defend behind the ball if his opponents managed to bypass his team's pressing. In 2014, Aleksandar Holiga commented on Mandžukić's playing, stating that "e stretches the defences with constant movement and seemingly endless stamina, opening space for others to come from behind or cut inside from the wing; his pressing on the ball has proven decisive on a number of previous occasions and he is, of course, one of the best strikers in the world when it comes to aerial power. So even if he does not score himself, his presence could be key for the team's chances."
While he primarily served as a striker or as target-man in the penalty area, courtesy of his height, aerial prowess, and physical strength, Mandžukić's work-rate, generosity, tactical intelligence, and versatility were demonstrated by his willingness to play in many different positions across or behind the front line; throughout his career, he was also deployed as a winger, as a second striker, as an attacking midfielder, or even as a wing-back, positions which allowed him the freedom to attack from deeper or wider areas with his runs, support and link-up with his more offensive teammates, draw opponents out of position with his movement, and cover defensively for full-backs making overlapping attacking runs. Indeed, in particular during his time at Juventus under manager Massimiliano Allegri, competition from other forwards often saw Mandžukić being used in these deeper or wider, more creative roles, in particular on the left flank, in which he excelled, drawing praise from the media for his consistently high-quality performances, because of his ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal and play off of his teammates, or drop into midfield to help win back the ball when his team were not in possession. He was also required to function as a "wide target man" on the left side of the pitch occasion, due to his movement and work-rate, as well as his ability to utilise his height to win aerial challenges, or use his strength and solid technique to hold up the ball for teammates and create space or chances for them; in this position, he essentially played a hybrid of the roles of a target man, left winger, and left-back. In addition to his ability as a footballer, Mandžukić was also known for his determination, leadership, and mental strength, and had been described as a "big-game player" in the media, due to his tendency to score decisive goals in important matches for both club and country. As such, during his time in Italy, he earned the nickname "guerriero" ("warrior," in Italian) from the Juventus fans. His playing style has been compared to that of compatriot Alen Bokšić, who also played as a forward for Juventus.
Personal life
Mandžukić was born in Slavonski Brod, present-day Croatia, on 21 May 1986. His father Mato is a Bosnian Croat from Prud near Šamac. Mato was also a football player, who moved to Slavonski Brod upon transferring from Kozara Bosanska Gradiška to BSK.
Mandžukić has been in a relationship with Ivana Mikulić from Strizivojna since 2007.
On 16 April 2021, AC Milan club Chairman Paolo Scaroni announced that Mandžukić donated his March salary to AC Milan's club charity, Fondazione Milan, as he was injured the entire month. Fondazione Milan is a charity set up by the club in order to develop facilities and help younger players with difficulty getting the chance to play football. Mandžukić later donated his April and May wages as a result of a long injury.
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Marsonia | 2004–05 | Druga HNL | 23 | 14 | — | — | — | 23 | 14 | |||
NK Zagreb | 2005–06 | Prva HNL | 28 | 3 | — | — | — | 28 | 3 | |||
2006–07 | Prva HNL | 23 | 11 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 27 | 14 | |||
2007–08 | Prva HNL | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
Total | 51 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 57 | 17 | |||
Dinamo Zagreb | 2007–08 | Prva HNL | 29 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 3 | — | 47 | 20 | |
2008–09 | Prva HNL | 28 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 3 | — | 43 | 24 | ||
2009–10 | Prva HNL | 24 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | — | 37 | 17 | ||
2010–11 | Prva HNL | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | ||||
Total | 81 | 42 | 16 | 10 | 31 | 11 | — | 128 | 63 | |||
VfL Wolfsburg | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 24 | 8 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 8 | ||
2011–12 | Bundesliga | 32 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 12 | |||
Total | 56 | 20 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 60 | 20 | ||||
Bayern Munich | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 24 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 22 |
2013–14 | Bundesliga | 30 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 48 | 26 | |
Total | 54 | 33 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 88 | 48 | ||
Atlético Madrid | 2014–15 | La Liga | 28 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 43 | 20 |
Juventus | 2015–16 | Serie A | 27 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 13 |
2016–17 | Serie A | 34 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 11 | |
2017–18 | Serie A | 32 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 10 | |
2018–19 | Serie A | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 10 | |
Total | 118 | 31 | 11 | 2 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 162 | 44 | ||
Al-Duhail | 2019–20 | Qatar Stars League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
AC Milan | 2020–21 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
Career total | 426 | 166 | 48 | 24 | 96 | 33 | 12 | 5 | 582 | 228 |
- Appearance in DFL-Supercup
- One appearance in DFL-Supercup, one in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup
- Appearances in Supercopa de España
- ^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
- Appearances in Qatar Cup
International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Croatia | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
2008 | 3 | 1 | |
2009 | 6 | 0 | |
2010 | 8 | 1 | |
2011 | 8 | 3 | |
2012 | 11 | 4 | |
2013 | 10 | 4 | |
2014 | 10 | 4 | |
2015 | 6 | 3 | |
2016 | 11 | 9 | |
2017 | 7 | 1 | |
2018 | 8 | 3 | |
Total | 89 | 33 |
- Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 September 2008 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 2 | England | 1–3 | 1–4 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 12 October 2010 | 17 | Norway | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
3 | 3 June 2011 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 19 | Georgia | 1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
4 | 11 October 2011 | Stadion Kantrida, Rijeka, Croatia | 24 | Latvia | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
5 | 11 November 2011 | Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey | 25 | Turkey | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
6 | 10 June 2012 | Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland | 30 | Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 |
7 | 3–1 | ||||||
8 | 14 June 2012 | 31 | Italy | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||
9 | 16 October 2012 | Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia | 37 | Wales | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
10 | 6 February 2013 | Craven Cottage, London, England | 38 | South Korea | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
11 | 22 March 2013 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 39 | Serbia | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
12 | 6 September 2013 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia | 43 | 1–0 | 1–1 | ||
13 | 19 November 2013 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 47 | Iceland | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
14 | 18 June 2014 | Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil | 51 | Cameroon | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
15 | 4–0 | ||||||
16 | 4 September 2014 | Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula, Croatia | 53 | Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
17 | 2–0 | ||||||
18 | 7 June 2015 | Stadion Varteks, Varaždin, Croatia | 59 | Gibraltar | 3–0 | 4–0 | |
19 | 12 June 2015 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 60 | Italy | 1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
20 | 17 November 2015 | Olimp-2, Rostov-on-Don, Russia | 63 | Russia | 3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
21 | 26 March 2016 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary | 65 | Hungary | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
22 | 4 June 2016 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 66 | San Marino | 2–0 | 10–0 | |
23 | 4–0 | ||||||
24 | 5–0 | ||||||
25 | 6 October 2016 | Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër, Albania | 71 | Kosovo | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
26 | 2–0 | ||||||
27 | 3–0 | ||||||
28 | 9 October 2016 | Tampere Stadium, Tampere, Finland | 72 | Finland | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
29 | 15 November 2016 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 74 | Northern Ireland | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
30 | 6 October 2017 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 79 | Finland | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
31 | 1 July 2018 | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia | 86 | Denmark | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
32 | 11 July 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia | 88 | England | 2–1 | 2–1 | |
33 | 15 July 2018 | 89 | France | 2–4 | 2–4 |
Honours
Playing career
Dinamo Zagreb
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2012–13, 2013–14
- DFB-Pokal: 2012–13, 2013–14
- DFL-Supercup: 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
- UEFA Super Cup: 2013
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
Atlético Madrid
Juventus
- Serie A: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
- Coppa Italia: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2015
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2016–17
Al-Duhail
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018
Individual
- Prva HNL Player of the Year: 2009
- Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award: 2008–09
- Croatian Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2013
- Vatrena krila: 2012
- Croatian Sportsman of the Year: 2013
- UEFA Goal of the Season: 2016–17
Orders
- Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
Coaching career
Croatia (as assistant manager)
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2022
Notes
- See
- See
References
- ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Croatia" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
- "Mario Mandžukić". Juventus. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- "Màrija". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 17 March 2018.
Mȃrio
- "Mandzukic named Croatian Player of the Year". Bundesliga.com. 16 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- Nair, Rohith (16 July 2018). "5 Players Who Scored in the Final of the Champions League and World Cup". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- "Accustomed to success". bundesliga.com. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- "Dinamo act quickly to replace Eduardo". UEFA.com. 10 July 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- "Mandžukića igrači trebaju šamarati zbog njegovog seljačkog ponašanja!". Milan Stjelja (in Croatian). Sportske novosti. 18 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
- "Ne želi o kaznama: 'Samo se nadam da će reakcija igrača biti pozitivna!". Davorin Olivari (in Croatian). Sportske novosti. 19 September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
- "Keine Verlängerung mit Mandzukic" (in German). kicker.de. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
- "Mandzukic versus Lewandowski in numbers". FIFA.com. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- "New Bayern Munich signing Mandzukic: It is great to be here". goal.com. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Terms agreed for Croatia striker Mandzukic". FC Bayern Munich. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Arsenal target Mario Mandzukic left out of Bayern squad as rift with Pep Guardiola deepens". mirror.co.uk. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- "Guardiola denies rift with striker Mandzukic". FourFourTwo. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- "Mandzukic stakes his claim". bundesliga.com. 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- "Mandzukic hits hat-trick as Bayern rout hapless Hamburg 5–0". Straitstimes. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- "Muller brace keeps Bayern rolling". foxsports.com. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- "Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund set for German Cup final". BBC Sport. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- "Es ist das Beste, dass wir uns trennen" (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- "Mario Mandzukic joins Atletico Madrid from Bayern Munich". BBC Sport. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- "Atletico predstavio Mandžu: Simeone i ja smo slični. Aupa Atleti!". gol.dnevnik.hr. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- "Mandzukic claims to share Simeone's passion for soccer in presentation". soccerly.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- "Spanish Super Copa: Real Madrid and Atletico draw 1–1 in first leg". Sky Sports News. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
- Chowdhury, Saj (22 August 2014). "Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid to win Spanish Super Cup". BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- "Mandžukić seals Super Cup for Atlético". UEFA. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- "Mario Mandzukic finds net as Atlético Madrid run close by Eibar". theguardian.co.uk. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- "Olympiakos 3–2 Atletico Madrid". espn.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- "Champions Atletico Madrid moved to within two points of leaders Barcelona and Sevilla by grinding out a victory over Getafe". BBC Sport. 26 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- Walker, Joseph (26 November 2014). "Mandžukić takes Atlético through in style". UEFA. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- "Atletico 4 Real 0". bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- Marcotti, Gabriele. "Atletico Madrid re-shape forward line as Mario Mandzukic moves on". espnfc.com. ESPN. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- La Riccia, Mike. "Is Jackson Martínez the striker Atletico need to replace Mario Mandzukic?". outside90.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- "Mandzukic joins Juventus". Juventus Football Club. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- "Dybala and Mandzukic score as Juventus beat Lazio for Super Cup". ESPN. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- "Juventus 0–1 Udinese: Awful start for Serie A champions". Sky Sports. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- "Mandzukic out for three weeks". Football Italia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- McNulty, Phil (15 September 2015). "Man City 1 Juventus 2". BBC. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- "Juventus 2 Atalanta 0". BBC. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- "Juventus battle back to win at Empoli". ESPN FC. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "Juventus beat Manchester City to qualify from Champions League group". ESPN FC. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "Palermo 0 3 Juventus". bbc.com. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- "Mario Mandzukic gets MVP for November!". Juventus Official Website. Juventus.com. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- "Mandzukic doubt for Bayern". Football Italia. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- Chowdhury, Saj (23 February 2016). "Juventus 2–2 Bayern Munich". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ Cox, Michael (30 May 2017). "Can Mandzukic become the latest out-of-position Champions League winner?". ESPN FC. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- "Mandzukic extends Juventus deal to 2020". FourFourTwo. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- Joseph, Adi (3 June 2017). "Juventus' Mario Mandzukic nets one of the craziest goals in Champions League history". USA Today. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- "Is Mario Mandzukic's goal the best ever in a Champions League final?". The Independent. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- "Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo see off Juventus to win Champions League". The Guardian. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- "Mandzukic wins goal of the season". football-italia.net. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- "Juventus Boss Allegri Claims 'Eccentric' Mandzukic Would Make a Great Defender". Sports Illustrated. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- "Juventus come back to seal draw at Sporting, keep hopes alive". ESPN FC. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- "Real Madrid 1-3 Juventus (agg: 4-3)". BBC Sport. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- "Juventus-Lazio 2-0: in gol Pjanic e Mandzukic. Ronaldo ancora a secco". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- Lorenzo Di Benedetto (6 October 2018). "Juve, Pjanic e Mandzukic fanno 100 alla Dacia Arena". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- "Udinese 0 – 2 Juventus". Football Italia. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- "Ronaldo hits 50-year scoring first with Juventus". Goal. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- "Juventus 1-0 Valencia: Mandzukic scores goal as Juventus progress". BBC. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- "Juve, Mandzukic-Cristiano Ronaldo: che coppia!" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- "Juve, Ronaldo e Mandukic: che simbiosi. Tra capolavori, assist e gol" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- Gianluca Oddenino (28 September 2018). "Arte e forza per la coppia perfetta. Mandzukic-CR7: gol diviso in due" (in Italian). La Stampa. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- "Official: Mandzukic renews with Juve". Football Italia. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- Krušelj, Dražen (23 December 2019). "KAKO JE DOŠLO DO NAJBOGATIJEG MANDŽUKIĆEVOG TRANSFERA Dolazak u jedan od najvećih klubova već se činio gotovom stvari, a onda je proigrao mladi lav..." (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- "MANDŽUKIĆ STAVIO POTPIS NA UGOVOR S NOVIM KLUBOM! Talijani su objavili lažnu informaciju da od posla nema ništa, jedna je fotografija prelomila sve" (in Croatian). Sportske novosti. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
- "Mandzukic joins Al-Duhail". Football Italia. 29 December 2019.
- "Qatar SC hold Al Duhail on Mandzukic debut". The Gulf Times. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- "Al Duhail Reaches Qatar Cup Final". Al Duhail. 10 January 2020.
- "VIDEO: TO JE KLASIČNI MANDŽO! TREBALO MU JE SAMO PET MINUTA DA ZABIJE U LIGI PRVAKA Pogledajte gol hrvatske legende i veliko slavlje u novom klubu" (in Croatian). Sportske novosti. 11 February 2020.
- "Former Juventus striker Mandzukic terminates Al-Duhail contract after just six months in Qatar | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- "Mandžukić totalno zaludio nogometno tržište! Javio se novi klub koji ga želi spojiti s drugim Vatrenim". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). 9 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- "Ribery je dobio zadatak uvjeriti Mandžukića da prihvati ponudu, ali ima i onih koji ga ne žele!". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 10 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- Krušelj, Dražen (20 January 2021). "Mandžukić zaprepastio liječnike odmah po dolasku! Evo koliko će zaraditi u slučaju najboljeg scenarija". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- "OFFICIAL STATEMENT: MARIO MANDŽUKIĆ". Associazione Calcio Milan. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- "Mandžukić debitirao u debaklu Milana. Umalo je zabio gol u prvom dodiru s loptom". Index.hr (in Croatian). 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- "'A pleasure to play for AC Milan' - Mandzukic bids farewell as Rossoneri spell comes to an end | Goal.com". www.goal.com.
- Mandžukić, Mario (3 September 2021). "Mario Mandžukić objavio kraj igračke karijere". Hrvatski nogometni savez (in Croatian). Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- "Mandzukic, goals guaranteed". Juventus.com. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "Theo Trio: England Humble Croatia". Sky News. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "Euro 2012: Republic of Ireland 1–3 Croatia". UEFA. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- Jurejko, Jonathan (14 June 2012). "Italy 1–1 Croatia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "UEFA EURO 2012 Statistics Goals scored". UEFA.com. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
- "Mario MANDZUKIC". FIFA. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- "Croatia forward Mario Mandžukić will miss the World Cup opener versus Brazil: how will the team replace him?". The Telegraph. 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- "Cameroon 0–4 Croatia". BBC. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- "Cameroon 0–4 Croatia Report". FIFA. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- "Croatia 1–1 Italy". BBC Sport. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- "Croatia 10 San Marino 0: Mandzukic, Kalinic net hat-tricks". FourFourTwo. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
- "Mandzukic hat-trick paves the way for historic Croatia romp over Kosovo". FourFourTwo. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- "Izbornik Dalić potvrdio konačan popis putnika za SP" (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- Whalley, Mike (16 June 2018). "World Cup 2018: Luka Modric penalty secures 2-0 win for Croatia against Nigeria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- Paul Fletcher (1 July 2018). "Croatia beat Denmark in tense shootout". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- Gabriele Marcotti (2 July 2018). "Luka Modric vanquishes ghosts of penalties past in what could be his final World Cup". ESPN. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- David Hytner (2 July 2018). "'Now we can forget Turkey': Modric and Croatia lay ghost of 2008 to rest". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- Anderson, Jamie (July 2018). "World Cup result: Croatia BEAT Denmark on penalties despite Kasper Schmeichel heroics". Express. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- Patrick Jennings (7 July 2018). "Croatia knock out Russia on penalties". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- "Croatia through as hosts pay the penalty". FIFA. 7 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- Phil McNulty (11 July 2018). "Croatia 2-1 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- Phil McNulty (15 July 2018). "France 4-2 Croatia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- Sputnik News (16 July 2018). "Mandzukic becomes first player in 40 years to score for both teams at a World Cup". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- "Dao sam najbolje od sebe za Hrvatsku" (in Croatian). Hrvatski nogometni savez. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- "Opraštam se od hrvatske reprezentacije" (in Croatian). Instagram. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ""I've given my best for Croatia" – Croatian Football Federation". hns-cff.hr. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- Uersfeld, Stephan (28 October 2013). "Pep Guardiola hails Mario Mandzukic". ESPN FC. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- "Mario Mandzukic and Atletico Madrid Are a Great Match". Bleacher Report. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- "Four Things You Don't Know About Mario Mandžukić". Croatia Times. 12 July 2018.
- "Inspired Mandzukic eyeing strong World Cup campaign". FIFA. 17 June 2018.
Super Mario, as he is known in the Croatian media
- "Football is not coming home: Super-Mario Mandzukic küsst Kroatien ins Glück". Berliner Kurier. 11 July 2018.
- Nyari, Cristian (9 April 2013). "Performance Analysis – Mario Mandzukic's Importance to Bayern Munich". Bundesliga Fanatic. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
- ^ "La Liga: Why new signing Mario Mandzukic is proving the perfect fit for Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid team". Sky Sports. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- Cox, Michael (23 June 2015). "Defensive forwards a common trait among Europe's elite". ESPN FC. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Holiga, Aleksandar (17 June 2014). "Mario Mandzukic's return gives Croatia naked ambition against Cameroon". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ Chioffi, Stefano (12 October 2009). "Mandzukic, il "nuovo Boksic" della Dinamo Zagabria" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- ^ "Galatasaray go for Mandzukic". Football Italia. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Valerio, Nick (24 January 2017). "Audacious Juve the new norm". Football Italia. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Crosetti, Maurizio (13 June 2012). "Il fascino dei Balcani da Boban a Mandzukic classe, istinto e anarchia". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Wright, Chris (16 February 2016). "Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic in The Joker disguise". ESPN FC. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "West Ham want Mandzukic for Zaza". Football Italia. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "Who could Tottenham Hotspur target in January?". Sky Sports. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- ^ Rzouki, Mina (6 December 2016). "Mario Mandzukic proving worth to Juventus and Max Allegri yet again". ESPN FC. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Homewood, Brian (10 May 2017). "Versatile Mandzukic becomes Juve's secret weapon". Reuters. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- McKay, Gaby (2 February 2017). "Juventus can't forget 3–5–2". Football Italia. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "OPPONENTS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: JUVENTUS". A.C. Milan. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Agnew, Paddy (23 January 2017). "Paddy Agnew's Notes from Italy: audacious Allegri has Juventus back on track". World Soccer. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "Allegri admits new Juventus formation was a 'mad idea'". beIN Sports. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Hammond, Daryl (23 February 2015). "The brilliance of Griezmann & Mandzukic". Football España. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Rzouki, Mina (1 October 2016). "As Dybala and Higuain learn to coexist, Juventus need goals from elsewhere". ESPN FC. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Holiga, Aleksandar (3 December 2013). "The beast within: could any Premier League boss tame Mario Mandzukic?". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- "Mandzukic versus Lewandowski in numbers". FIFA. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Marcus Christenson (1 June 2017). "From Khedira to Mandzukic: how Juventus built one of Europe's best squads". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- Michael Cox (19 February 2019). "Juventus' twin towers of Ronaldo, Mandzukic to provide a unique test for Atletico's stingy defence". ESPN FC. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- Robson, Stewart (5 October 2019). "Ronaldo's free role with Juventus is a headache for Sarri. How can he work around his star?". ESPN FC. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- Gabriele Marcotti (22 August 2018). "Cristiano Ronaldo conundrum: How should Max Allegri use Juventus' star?". ESPN FC. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- James Walker-Roberts (6 December 2018). "Is Cristiano Ronaldo undergoing another evolution at Juventus?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- "Allegri: 'Mandzukic will do well'". Football Italia. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
- Graham Ruthven (11 July 2018). "World Cup 2018: Heartbreak for England as Croatia win semi-final in extra-time after Mandzukic goal". Eurosport. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- "Mandzukic vola in Qatar: i tifosi della Juve lo salutano così". Il Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 22 December 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- Ćubel, Jelena; Buškulić, Ante. "Mandžukić: Životna priča ratnika velika srca, koji uopće nije htio biti napadač". Goal.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- Patković, Nikola (5 July 2018). "ŽIVOTNI PUT SUPER MARIJA Maturirao je kao keramičar, ali nogomet je za njega bio suđen, na terenu je eksplozivan, a privatno, kako sam kaže - dosadan". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- "Mario Mandžukić godinama ljubi samozatajnu Ivanu iz Strizivojne". Večernji list (in Croatian). 19 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- "Mandžukić gives March salary to charity after not playing". Seattle Times. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ "M. Mandžukić". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- Mario Mandžukić at National-Football-Teams.com
- "Mario Mandžukić profile". EU-Football.info.
- McNulty, Phil (15 July 2018). "France 4–2 Croatia". BBC. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- Tolić, Josip (1 March 2015). "Ivanu Perišiću 'Vatrena krila': "Iznimna čast i dodatan motiv"" (in Croatian). 24sata. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- "Mandzukic wins goal of the season". Football Italia. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- "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 13 November 2018.
the Order of Prince Branimir with Ribbon was awarded to...
External links
- Official website
- Mario Mandžukić – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Mario Mandžukić – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Mario Mandžukić at National-Football-Teams.com
- Atlético Madrid profile
- Juventus profile
Croatia squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Slavonski Brod
- Yugoslav Wars refugees
- Croatian men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- NK Marsonia players
- NK Zagreb players
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb players
- VfL Wolfsburg players
- FC Bayern Munich footballers
- Atlético Madrid footballers
- Juventus FC players
- Al-Duhail SC players
- AC Milan players
- Croatian Football League players
- Bundesliga players
- La Liga players
- Serie A players
- Qatar Stars League players
- UEFA Champions League–winning players
- Croatia men's youth international footballers
- Croatia men's under-21 international footballers
- Croatia men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2012 players
- 2014 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2016 players
- 2018 FIFA World Cup players
- Croatian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
- Croatian football managers
- Association football coaches