Danijel Pranjić

Danijel Pranjić (pronounced [dǎnijel prǎːɲit͡ɕ]; born 2 December 1981) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Ayia Napa in the Cypriot Second Division.[3] Being a versatile left-footed player, he can play all across the left wing and can also be used as a central midfielder.

Danijel Pranjić

Pranjić in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Danijel Pranjić[1]
Date of birth	(1981-12-02) 2 December 1981
Place of birth	Našice,[2] SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position(s)	Left winger, full-back
Club information
Current team	Ayia Napa
Number	40
Youth career
1998–2000	NAŠK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2000	NAŠK
2000–2001	Papuk
2001–2002	Belišće	28	(7)
2002–2004	Osijek	53	(3)
2004–2005	Dinamo Zagreb	29	(2)
2005–2009	Heerenveen	129	(32)
2009–2012	Bayern Munich	55	(1)
2011	Bayern Munich II	1	(0)
2012–2013	Sporting CP	9	(0)
2013	→ Celta de Vigo (loan)	10	(0)
2013–2016	Panathinaikos	80	(9)
2016–2017	Koper	20	(1)
2017–2019	Anorthosis	61	(6)
2019–	Ayia Napa	17	(1)
National team
2002–2004	Croatia U21	15	(1)
2004–2015	Croatia	58	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 May 2020

Club career

Pranjić started his career at Papuk. He played for NAŠK, Papuk, Belišće, and Osijek before making his move to a bigger stage at Dinamo Zagreb in 2004. While at Dinamo Zagreb, he also played regularly during their 2004–05 UEFA Cup campaign, making six appearances and scoring one goal in the competition.

In 2005, he was transferred to Dutch Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen. His good performances as an offensive winger secured him a return to international football with Croatia in 2007. He started the 2008–09 Eredivisie season well, netting four goals in his first three league matches. Pranjić scored his first hat-trick in the Dutch Cup on 12 November 2008 in a huge 7–0 win against Haaglandia. On 31 January 2009, he made the lone goal in a Heerenveen victory at AFC Ajax. A month later, he scored a late penalty that gave Heerenveen a 3–2 win at PSV.

He won the Dutch Cup with Heerenveen at the end of the 2008–09 season, which turned out to be his last match for the club.[4] In June 2009, Bayern Munich announced Pranjić would join the club.[5][6] He struggled to make an impact in his first season with the club, starting only 14 matches and losing out to first choice left-back Holger Badstuber. Due to his utility and injuries to other teammates, however, he started an increasing number of games in his second season with the Bavarian club.

On 13 July 2012, after the expiration of his Bayern contract, Pranjić was announced as a new signing for Portuguese Primeira Liga team Sporting Clube de Portugal. He played nine games for Os Leões before joining Spanish La Liga club Celta de Vigo in January 2013 on loan until the end of the season.[7]

On 30 August 2013, Pranjić and Sporting terminated the contract in mutual agreement.[8]

On 2 September 2013, it was officially announced that Pranjić had signed with Panathinaikos for three years.[9] He made his professional debut in a 1–1 away draw against Platanias F.C.

On 11 September 2016, Pranjić joined Slovenian club FC Koper on free transfer.[10]

On 21 July 2017, Pranjić signed with Cypriot club Anorthosis.[11]

On 1 July 2019, Pranjić signed with Ayia Napa, competing in the Cypriot Second Division.[12]

International career

Pranjić started his international career with the Croatian national under-21 football team, winning a total of 15 international caps and scoring one goal for the team between 2002 and 2004.

On 16 November 2004, Pranjić made his full international debut for Croatia in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. After two years of absence from the national team, he was called up for a friendly match against Norway in February 2007. Later that year, he also appeared in three UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Asked to play a defensive role by Croatia coach Slaven Bilić, although still predominantly a midfielder in his club career, Pranjić was the only Croatian to start all four games at the UEFA Euro 2008 finals. Pranjić provided an assist to Darijo Srna to score the opener in Croatia's 2–1 victory over Germany and an assist to Ivan Klasnić to score the only goal in their next game, a 1–0 win over Poland.

He kept his place as a regular in the national team during their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, appearing in a total of nine matches.

On 28 September 2012, Pranjić retired from the national team in protest to the call up of Brazilian-born player Sammir.[13]

On 10 November 2013, Kovač called up Pranjić to the national team after Ivan Strinić sustained an injury that made him ineligible for the playoffs against Iceland.[14]

Pranjić exceptional season year with Panathinaikos and was called to the final 23-man squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

As of 18 May 2019

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Croatia			League		Croatian Cup		Europe		Total
2002–03	Osijek	Prva HNL	30	1					30	1
2003–04			23	2					23	2
2004–05	Dinamo Zagreb	Prva HNL	29	2			6	1	35	3
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		Europe		Total
2005–06	Heerenveen	Eredivisie	32	5	2	0	8	0	42	5
2006–07			34	2	1	0	6	1	41	3
2007–08			33	9	2	0	2	0	37	9
2008–09			30	16	2	3	4	1	36	20
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Europe		Total
2009–10	Bayern Munich	Bundesliga	20	1	2	0	7	0	29	1
2010–11			28	0	4	0	7	0	39	0
2011–12			7	0	1	0	5	0	13	0
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Europe		Total
2012–13	Sporting CP	Primeira Liga	9	0	2	0	6	1	17	1
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
2012–13	Celta de Vigo	La Liga	10	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
Greece			League		Greek Cup		Europe		Total
2013–14	Panathinaikos	Superleague Greece	28	5	7	0	0	0	35	5
2014–15			29	4	1	0	10	0	40	4
2015–16			23	0	6	0	4	0	33	0
Slovenia			League		Slovenian Cup		Europe		Total
2016–17	Koper	PrvaLiga	20	1					20	1
Cyprus			League		Cypriot Cup		Europe		Total
2017–18	Anorthosis Famagusta	First Division	32	1	0	0	0	0	32	1
2018–19			29	5	0	0	2	1	31	6
2019–20	Ayia Napa	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	Croatia		82	5			6	1	88	6
	Netherlands		129	32	7	3	20	2	156	37
	Germany		55	1	7	0	19	0	81	1
	Portugal		9	0	2	0	6	1	17	1
	Spain		10	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
	Greece		80	9	14	0	14	0	108	9
	Slovenia		20	1					20	1
	Cyprus		61	6	0	0	2	1	63	7
Career total			446	54	30	3	67	5	543	62

International goals

Scores and Results show Croatia's goal tally first

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref
1.	28 March 2015	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	Norway	5–1	5–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification

Honours

Heerenveen

• KNVB Cup: 2008–09

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2009–10
• DFB-Pokal: 2009–10
• DFL-Supercup: 2010
• UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2009–10, 2011–12

Panathinaikos

• Greek Cup: 2014

References

1. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 11 June 2014. p. 12. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
2. "Danijel Pranjic". FC Bayern Munich. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
3. Aalbers, Dave (3 June 2020). "Danijel Pranjić over lange nachten in Heerenveen, Van Gaal en vikings". vice.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
4. "Laatste duel voor Pranjic" (in Dutch). sportwereld.nl. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
5. "Danijel Pranjic to sign for Bayern". Bayern Munich. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
6. "Pranjic heeft eindelijk gewenste droomtransfer" (in Dutch). SC Heerenveen. 22 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
7. "Danijel Pranjic assina por três anos (Danijel Pranjic signs for three years)". Record (in Portuguese). Cofina. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
8. "Pranjic farewell to Alvalade". Sporting Clube de Portugal. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
9. "Συμφωνία με Pranjic" (in Greek). Panathinaikos. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
10. A.V. (11 September 2016). "Nekdanji član Bayerna Pranjić v Kopru" [Former Bayern member sign for Koper] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
11. Ανορθωσιάτης ο Ντάνιελ Πράνιτς (in Greek). Anorthosis Famagusta FC. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
12. "Danijel Pranjić baš ne želi odustati. Sada je potpisao ugovor s ciparskim drugoligašem" [Danijel Pranjić just does not want to give up. He just signed a contract with a Cypriot second league club]. telesport.telegram.hr (in Croatian). 1 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
13. "Pranjić napušta reprezentaciju: "Rekao sam da ću otići ako pozovu Sammira!"" (in Croatian). index.hr. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
14. "Zbog ozljede Strinića Niko Kovač za Island pozvao Danijela Pranjića" (in Croatian). hrsport.net. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.

External links

• Danijel Pranjić at fussballdaten.de (in German)
• Danijel Pranjić at National-Football-Teams.com
• Danijel Pranjić at the Croatian Football Federation