Life story by Mario Mandzukic | 24sata

As a gifted footballer Mato came to Slavonski Brod. He played for BSK and got a job in « Djura Djakovic ». The company also gave him an apartment. And Mari’s grandfather Marko, aka Mandzuk (1938-2011), was a football player.

He defended for Samački in his time Fighter And for Banovic. He was, they say, a great goalkeeper, he played in a penalty area, followed the game, cleaned on time … However, he never devoted himself to his career. Matthew’s brother Ilija, Mari’s uncle, was also a great football talent.

– I remember, in 1968, we were the Cup winners in the courts near Bijeljina. Marko Mandzukic defended, we got 2-1. No one could give him a goal – he told 24 hours at one time Mato Vidovic Pajinwho played football with Mandzukic’s grandfather.

While Mandzo played for Dinamo, when he scored a goal, his grandfather often worshiped at the local home of culture.

Started playing at the age of six

While living in Slavonski Brod, he played for BSK and worked in « Đuri Đaković », Mato Mandzukic received his son Marija on May 21, 1986.
But the war made his family move to Germany and seek happiness. So Mario, as a six -year -old boy, started playing in the German TSF Ditzingen from the city of the same name near Stuttgart.

And the Germans quickly noticed his talent and perseverance. However, since after four years spent in Germany he could not get a work visa, Mato Mandzukic had to return to Croatia. When he returned from Germany in 1996, Mato continued to work in « Đuri Đaković » and his son Mario as a 10 -year -old continued to train in Marsonia and attend school.

But the return to Croatia for Mali Mary was shocking. He began to form in a decorated Germany, learned his language, went to school there and started playing football, gaining friends … Returning home, followed by a cultural shock in war affected by Croatia.

After returning to the ship, the first Marija coach was Damir Ruhek. He has worked with Mandza for over five years. What immediately fell into Ruhek are the physical predisposition of little Mary, at least when it comes to running.

Miracle at the age of 11

– He was smaller and lower than other boys, but very durable. As we had a bad playground, it was played on the corpse, I knew them from BSK Stadium to the recreational stadium, 2.5 km away, to run if they wanted. and I would connect cones and balls by car.

– Mario, no matter what he was with the older age, he was always among the first three to reach the terrain we trained on. The tests show that Mario ran 3350 meters in 12 minutes at the age of 11. For someone who is only 11 years old, it’s a really fantastic result. Many have not even believed in that today – he said Ruhek 2014:

– At me, Mario and Kresimir Prgomet, after the striker of Cibalia and Canadian Croatia from Toronto, played because of the results in the tests: Mario right and the left side. In doing so, they scored goals from the second plan because they ran a lot. On this basis, Mario developed the lungs because, if the lung player does not develop to puberty, it remains limited. Although, honestly, I didn’t even know about that information.

Father Mato worked himself, feeding a four -member family in his difficult war and post -war years.

Mandzho was great – Libero

Ruhek tried Mandza in Marsonia pioneers in various positions.

– He played Libera as a dragon. I put it on the right midfielder, which he also played well. Once, in Pozega we play with Slavonia and in the first half we lead 3-0. Mandzo scored two goals as a side because both of them were injured in that match. And I didn’t have anyone forward, so at half -time I say to Mandzi: ‘You play centerfoot’. And he finds herself in the hinterland three or four times, misses two rings and doesn’t score a goal. After the game, he approached me. I ask him, ‘What is, Mandzho, what do you need?’ And he will, ‘Coach, I came to say that I was not for you for the attacker’ – the story Ruhekwho praises Mandzukic’s perseverance and dedication:

– He never taught. For example, when we played against Osijek or Cibalia, I didn’t give them football on Saturdays to rest them, to refresh themselves. If the match is on Saturday, Mandzho plays football next to his school ‘Vladimir Nazor’ or next to the building where he lived on Friday afternoon. I always knew where I would find him, he was eager for the game because it was not much played in training. I taught them more technique, running and receiving the ball, hitting the ball and the like.

Small Mario Mandzukic He knew what he wanted – to become a professional footballer. When Ruhek conducted a survey among children, on
The question of what will happen when they grow up everyone wrote that there would be merchants, car mechanics, doctors and the like.

Only Mandzho wrote – a football player.

– I told him, ‘You didn’t answer the question, you wrote’ football player ‘and not some interest. And he says, ‘I fulfilled everything. I’ll be a football player when I grow up. ‘

After graduating from the elementary school, Mandzukic attended high school, a ceramist in Slavonski Brod. He didn’t really brilliant in school, but he wasn’t as bad as other football players.

– I always went to schools to meet the classmates of those players who had a lot of units. Because of Mary, I didn’t have to go – Ruhek recalls, who became an assistant to the senior coach in Marsonia in 2002, which means that he had to leave the children he had been leading as a coach for years.

Photo: Daniele Mascolo

To the coach, I would go to the cave

In 2003, the heads of Marsonia sent Mandža to loan to the low -ranked Football Club Željezničar from Slavonski Brod. Mandzukic is in Brodski Željezničar retained for six months. As he played his right back, he asked the coach to put him forward, in the attack, threatening that he would not otherwise come to training. And he put him on the attack just to stay.

When he returned to Marsonia, Mandzukic was a junior. In the first lineup, he was invited by Miroslav Buljan, who trained and led him. When he played for the first team, he was very quickly invited to the young team. While playing for the Croatian national team up to 19,

Mandzukic and goalkeeper Filip Loncaric caused Drazen Ladic’s problems to coach Drazen Ladic. They were not disciplined, and Ladic knew how to drive them out of the national team because of it.

FC Bayern Munich vs fc kaiserlautern |

Photo: Sven Hoppe/DPA/PIXSELL

Because of the ax chose Wolfsburg

Mandzukic left Marsonia in 2006 to NK Zagreb. He was trained there by Ciro Blazevic, who also called him a ‘jilkos’ (gang). His playing ascent is due to his father’s genetics and hard work. After Kranjcevic, Mandzukic first led the trip only a few tram stations further, to Maksimir and then to Germany.

The Mari’s sister lives there, which is why he chose all offers Wolfsburg. After the euro in 2012, he ended up in Bayern, who brought the title of European Championship with a goal in the finals and a great game.

He played for the first time at the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. Due to the red card he earned in qualifying, he had to miss the introductory match against Brazil. In the next against Cameroon, he immediately scored two goals, but we couldn’t go through Mexico.

Mandzukic then changed the club and moved to Madrid Atletico. He only stayed there for a year, but enough to win the Super Cup against Real. Then he moves to Juventus, where he quickly becomes a favorite among fans because of his fighting and sacrifice. Fans love him more than Higuain and Dybale, they say he never had such an attacker.

The attacker who runs, scores, assists, but also returns to defense and slipping on his 16 meters. This is Mario Mandzukic, so was the Croatian jersey. Always one hundred percent, always to the end. And we will all remember him like that. Happy 39th birthday, legend!