Vedran Corluka
Encyclopedia
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatia
n footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
as a defender
. He is also a part of the Croatia national team
. Equipped with a strong physical presence and excellent understanding of the game, he is a regular player in the Croatian national team and is a regular player for Tottenham Hotspur where he is affectionately known as 'Charlie'.
, a village near Derventa
, Yugoslavia
, in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina
, but it was officially said he was born in Doboj
because his village Modran was closer to Doboj Hospital. He started to play football in Dinamo Zagreb
's youth teams when he was only eight years old, impressing many scouts from the youth academy. Ćorluka's professional career started in 2003 but during that season he didn't make an appearance for the first team. He was sent on loan to Inter Zaprešić
and played one season for them, helping the team to second place in the league, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005. After establishing himself as a key player in Dinamo, he went on to help them win the Prva HNL title 3 seasons in a row, first in 2006 and thereafter. He also played a dominant part in his side capturing the Croatian cup in the 2006 season.
on 2 August 2007.
City did not reveal the fee, but Croatian media reports suggested the deal was worth around £8 million, with the 21-year-old penning a five-year deal.
As usual, he consistently found a starting spot for his side in the Premier League. Despite a nightmare blunder during his side's shocking 6–0 defeat to Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge
, he remained strong during his first season in England as his side finished 9th in the league and gained entry to a UEFA Cup
qualifying round via the UEFA fair play ranking. On few rare occasions, he was also used as a defensive midfielder during the season, proving to be a factor for opposing attackers.
He scored his first goal in the 4–2 loss at Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the 2008–09 season. In the UEFA Cup second qualifying round match second leg, Ćorluka scored the decisive spot kick in the dramatic 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory over Danish minnows Midtjylland
after the tie had ended 1–1 on aggregate. He played his last match for City against Sunderland on 31 August 2008, throwing his shirt into the crowd at the end of the match.
for a fee of £5.5 million on a six-year contract, joining his fellow Croatian international
and best friend, Luka Modrić
at the club. During the game against Stoke City on 19 October, Corluka was severely injured. Kneed under his chin by teammate Gomes
, he was immediately knocked unconscious. After ten minutes of on field treatment he was rushed to hospital where it was announced no serious damage was evident.
In the Carling Cup
final on 1 March 2009, Ćorluka scored his first and Tottenham's only penalty in the shootout loss to Manchester United. He is known to most Spurs fans as 'Charlie'
Ćorluka scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham during a 2–2 draw against Bolton
on 3 October 2009. On Wednesday 2 February 2011, Corluka started and played the full 90 minutes at right-back ahead of the injured Alan Hutton
, in the 1-0 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park
. So far during 2010-11 campaign, he has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Spurs.
and eventually progressed to his country's senior national team
, for which he soon made his debut in the friendly match against world champions Italy
on 16 August 2006 in Livorno
, Italy
. Croatia won the match 2–0 and Ćorluka, aged 20 during his debut, entered the game in the second half and satisfied critics with his very good, solid performance against experienced Serie A
forwards.
During Croatia's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, he became one of the key players under current head coach Slaven Bilić
. Croatia finished first in Group E, notably ahead of Russia
and favorites England
, who eventually failed to qualify from the group as Croatia conceded only 8 goals.
Ćorluka was in the final match of the tournament where Croatia's exit came against Turkey
in the extra time and penalty shootout. Turkey winger Arda Turan
revealed in an interview with UEFA
that Ćorluka is the most difficult right-back he has ever played against, whom he came up against during this match.
Tottenham Hotspur
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He is also a part of the Croatia national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
. Equipped with a strong physical presence and excellent understanding of the game, he is a regular player in the Croatian national team and is a regular player for Tottenham Hotspur where he is affectionately known as 'Charlie'.
Early days
Ćorluka was born in ModranModran (Derventa)
Modran is a village in the municipality of Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, a village near Derventa
Derventa
Derventa is the name of a town and municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northern part of Republika Srpska just northwest of the town of Doboj, in the Posavina region...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, but it was officially said he was born in Doboj
Doboj
Doboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and...
because his village Modran was closer to Doboj Hospital. He started to play football in Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
's youth teams when he was only eight years old, impressing many scouts from the youth academy. Ćorluka's professional career started in 2003 but during that season he didn't make an appearance for the first team. He was sent on loan to Inter Zaprešić
NK Inter Zaprešic
NK Inter Zaprešić is a Croatian football club based in Zaprešić, a town northwest of the capital Zagreb originally founded in 1929. They play in the Prva HNL after they were promoted from Druga HNL at the end of the 2006–07 season...
and played one season for them, helping the team to second place in the league, before returning to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005. After establishing himself as a key player in Dinamo, he went on to help them win the Prva HNL title 3 seasons in a row, first in 2006 and thereafter. He also played a dominant part in his side capturing the Croatian cup in the 2006 season.
Manchester City
After consistently strong performances, Ćorluka was signed by Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 2 August 2007.
City did not reveal the fee, but Croatian media reports suggested the deal was worth around £8 million, with the 21-year-old penning a five-year deal.
As usual, he consistently found a starting spot for his side in the Premier League. Despite a nightmare blunder during his side's shocking 6–0 defeat to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, he remained strong during his first season in England as his side finished 9th in the league and gained entry to a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualifying round via the UEFA fair play ranking. On few rare occasions, he was also used as a defensive midfielder during the season, proving to be a factor for opposing attackers.
He scored his first goal in the 4–2 loss at Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the 2008–09 season. In the UEFA Cup second qualifying round match second leg, Ćorluka scored the decisive spot kick in the dramatic 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory over Danish minnows Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland
FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning and Ikast. The team is a result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad...
after the tie had ended 1–1 on aggregate. He played his last match for City against Sunderland on 31 August 2008, throwing his shirt into the crowd at the end of the match.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 1 September 2008, it was announced that Ćorluka had signed for Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
for a fee of £5.5 million on a six-year contract, joining his fellow Croatian international
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
and best friend, Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
at the club. During the game against Stoke City on 19 October, Corluka was severely injured. Kneed under his chin by teammate Gomes
Heurelho da Silva Gomes
Heurelho da Silva Gomes , born 15 February 1981 in João Pinheiro, Minas Gerais), commonly known as Heurelho Gomes or just Gomes, is a Brazilian goalkeeper, who currently plays for . He previously made a name for himself at Dutch club PSV....
, he was immediately knocked unconscious. After ten minutes of on field treatment he was rushed to hospital where it was announced no serious damage was evident.
In the Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final on 1 March 2009, Ćorluka scored his first and Tottenham's only penalty in the shootout loss to Manchester United. He is known to most Spurs fans as 'Charlie'
Ćorluka scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham during a 2–2 draw against Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 3 October 2009. On Wednesday 2 February 2011, Corluka started and played the full 90 minutes at right-back ahead of the injured Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton
Alan Hutton is a Scottish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Scotland national football team.-Rangers:...
, in the 1-0 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. So far during 2010-11 campaign, he has made 21 appearances in all competitions for Spurs.
Career statistics
| Club | League | Season | League | Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Inter Zaprešić NK Inter Zaprešic NK Inter Zaprešić is a Croatian football club based in Zaprešić, a town northwest of the capital Zagreb originally founded in 1929. They play in the Prva HNL after they were promoted from Druga HNL at the end of the 2006–07 season... |
Prva HNL | 2004–05 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 |
| Club Total | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | Prva HNL | 2005-06 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 |
| 2006-07 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 4 | ||
| Club Total | 61 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 7 | ||
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
Premier League | 2007-08 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2008-09 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Club Total | 38 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 1 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
Premier League | 2008-09 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2010-11 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2011-12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Club Total | 72 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 91 | 1 | ||
| Career Total | 198 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 223 | 13 | ||
International career
He started to play for the Croatian under-21 teamCroatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
and eventually progressed to his country's senior national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, for which he soon made his debut in the friendly match against world champions Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
on 16 August 2006 in Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Croatia won the match 2–0 and Ćorluka, aged 20 during his debut, entered the game in the second half and satisfied critics with his very good, solid performance against experienced Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
forwards.
During Croatia's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, he became one of the key players under current head coach Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilić is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatia national team. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany and England...
. Croatia finished first in Group E, notably ahead of Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and favorites England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, who eventually failed to qualify from the group as Croatia conceded only 8 goals.
Ćorluka was in the final match of the tournament where Croatia's exit came against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in the extra time and penalty shootout. Turkey winger Arda Turan
Arda Turan
Arda Turan is a Turkish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid and the Turkish national team, as a left winger. At the age of 22, prior to the 2009–10 season he was made the captain of Galatasaray....
revealed in an interview with UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
that Ćorluka is the most difficult right-back he has ever played against, whom he came up against during this match.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 October 2009 | Kantrida Stadion na Kantridi Stadion Kantrida is a football stadium in the Croatian city of Rijeka. It is named after the Kantrida neighborhood in which it is located, in the western part of the city. It has served as home of the football club NK Rijeka since 1946. The stadium has a distinctive appearance as it is situated... , Rijeka Rijeka Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants... |
Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|||
| 2. | 11 November 2011 | Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and... , Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Euro 2012 Qualifying | |||
Honours
Dinamo Zagreb- Prva HNL: 2
-
- 2005–06, 2006–07
- Croatian CupCroatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
: 1
- Croatian Cup
- 2006072006–07 Croatian CupThe 2006–07 Croatian Cup was the sixteenth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.-Calendar:-Preliminary round:The preliminary round was held on 30 August, 2006.-First round:Matches played on 20 September, 2006.-Second round:...
- Croatian SupercupCroatian SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
: 1
- Croatian Supercup
- 2006
- 2005–06, 2006–07
Tottenham Hotspur
- Vodacom ChallengeVodacom ChallengeThe Vodacom Challenge is a association football pre-season tournament that features Vodacom-sponsored South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs plus from 2006 onwards an invited European club...
: 1
-
- 20112011 Vodacom ChallengeThe Vodacom Challenge celebrated its 11th anniversary in 2011 with the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur touring South Africa and playing against two local PSL clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs....
- 2011