Marko Babić (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 January 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Osijek, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left midfielder / full-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–1999 | Osijek | 16 | (0) |
| 2000–2007 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 144 | (13) |
| 2007–2009 | Real Betis | 12 | (0) |
| 2009 | Hertha BSC | 8 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Real Zaragoza | 14 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Osijek | 26 | (4) |
| 2013 | LASK Linz | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 228 | (17) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997 | Croatia U15 | 1 | (0) |
| 1996–1999 | Croatia U17 | 12 | (2) |
| 1999–2000 | Croatia U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Croatia U19 | 8 | (4) |
| 2000–2001 | Croatia U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Croatia U21 | 9 | (3) |
| 2002–2008 | Croatia | 49 | (3) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 July 2013. | |||
Marko Babić (born 28 January 1981 in Osijek) is a Croatian international footballer. He primary plays as left midfielder, but is also often deployed as a left-back.
Babić began his senior career with Osijek in 1997. However, he only made 16 league appearances before moving to Germany, and joining Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He became a regular for the club, and made 144 league appearances before joining Spanish side Real Betis. He was less successful here, and made 12 league appearances in two years, whilst his spells at Hertha BSC and Real Zaragoza were brief. In 2010, Babić returned to Osijek, but struggled to re-establish himself, and made just 26 league appearances in two years. A switch to LASK Linz followed in 2013, but this yielded just eight league games before he left the club.
Having represented Croatia at under-15, under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-20 levels between 1996 and 2001, Babić made his under-21 and senior international debut in 2002, and made 49 appearances for the senior international appearances. However, he was omitted from Croatia's EURO 2008 squad, and has not played since.
Career
Club career
Babić made his debut with NK Osijek where he spent three seasons. In 2000, the young midfielder completed his move to Bayer Leverkusen where he joined the German outfit's Croatian contingent. He played for the club during their loss to Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final.
He was offered a new contract in 2003.[1]
Real Betis presented the player to the press and fans on 17 July 2007. Early reports suggested he had signed on a free transfer as his contract had ended.[2] On 23 July 2007 Babić made his Betis debut in a friendly game against CD San Fernando. His competitive debut came in the La Liga season against Recreativo de Huelva on 26 August 2007.
In January 2009, Babić left Spain to play for Hertha BSC on a free transfer and gave up the non-EU quota to Ricardo Oliveira.[3] He left Hertha six months later. On 8 August 2009 he signed a two-year contract with Real Zaragoza.[4] On 6 September 2010 his contract was terminated.[5] On 2 March 2011, Babić signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with NK Osijek.[6]
International career
Babić made his Croatian national team debut in May 2002 against Hungary. Babić was part of the Croatian roster at Euro 2004, but did not play in any games. He played all three games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, stationed as a left wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation. He was a surprise omission from Slaven Bilić's Euro 2008 squad.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 June 2005 | Vasil Levski, Sofia |  Bulgaria |
World Cup 2006 Qualifying | ||
| 2 | 23 May 2006 | Ernst Happel, Vienna |  Austria |
Friendly | ||
| 3 | 28 May 2006 | Gradski vrt, Osijek |  Iran |
Friendly |
References
- ↑ "Babic lengthens Leverkusen stay". UEFA.com. 24 November 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
- ↑ "Babić to bid Levekusen adieu". UEFA.com. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
- ↑ "Hertha sign Marko Babic". Hertha BSC. 28 January 2009. Archived from [http://www.herthabsc.de/index.php?id=15702&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4547&tx_ttnews[backPid]=15546&cHash=26225687ac the original] on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
- ↑ "Babic, sexto fichaje de la temporada" (in Spanish). realzaragoza.com. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- ↑ "Babic y Songo'o se desvinculan del Real Zaragoza" (in Spanish). 6 September 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ↑ Plavčić, Mario (2 March 2011). "Babić: Pomoći ću mladima". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2 March 2011.
External links
- Marko Babić at the Croatian Football Federation website (Croatian)
- Marko Babić – FIFA competition record
- Marko Babić at National-Football-Teams.com
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