While enigmatic Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho was at the peak of his power, a certain young lad in Dinamo Zagreb’s youth team was sweating trying to replicate the Brazilian’s impressive repertoire of skills. Marko Pjaca believed, like many aspiring kids, that one day he would succeed and succeed as a professional football player. Marko is certainly not finished yet, but he is on the verge of realizing his immense potential.
Bio of Marko Pjaca
Marko Pjaca was born on May 6, 1995 in Zagreb. As a child, he displayed a passion for sports, excelling in basketball, handball and table tennis. However, football was always going to be his first choice. At the age of nine, he joined Dinamo Zagreb’s youth squad where he spent five years. In 2009 he moved to NK ZET where he spent a year before moving to the Locomotiva youth team.
Marko Pjaca was promoted to the senior team in the 2011/12 season and made his first appearance in the Croatian Football First League on February 24, 2012. Locomotiva won the match 3-0 against Pjaca with an assist. It would take another season for him to get another start. The following season he got more playing time and finished the season with 2 goals in 17 games.
In 2013-14, his return of 7 goals in 31 games made it clear to the biggest teams that a new star was on the rise. It was only a matter of time before the biggest clubs in the country started making the rounds for his services.
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In 2014, Croatian Football League champions Dinamo Zagreb paid €1m to sign Pjaca. He made his first Dinamo appearance in the season opener against Slaven Belupo, marking his debut with a goal. His first professional hat-trick came in the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League group stage against Scottish club Celtic on 11 December 2014, a thrilling game that ended 4-3 in favor of the Croatians .
Enroute Dinamo’s tenth consecutive league title, Pjaca helped the team with a comeback of 14 goals in 47 appearances. The success of 2015 also included a triumph in the Croatian Football Cup final against RNK Split.
Following the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League qualifying draw against Macedonian club Vardar, Pjaca was given a standing ovation by fans at Stadion Maksimir after announcing earlier that he was leaving Dinamo Zagreb.
His string of impressive performances in the Croatian league attracted many suitors from all over Europe. Marko Pjaca was renowned for his silky skills and inventive flair as a winger capable of creating space for his teammates. It was also helpful for him to be able to play in all forward line positions. His versatility was a huge asset to his coaches and allowed him to always come in handy when other teammates were injured or suspended.
Agile, quick and smart, Pjaca was gradually becoming one of Europe’s most promising young hopefuls. It was only a matter of time before he outgrew the Croatian league.
Italian giants Juventus announced the signing of Marko Pjaca on July 21, 2016, on a five-year deal. Juve paid 23 million euros for his services and this transfer was considered the most expensive sale Dinamo ever made. It was also the most expensive export in the history of the Croatian Football League.
On August 27, 2016, Marko Pjaca donned the Juve shirt for the first time in a competitive game coming on as Paulo Dybala’s substitution in the Old Lady’s 1-0 win over Lazio. Barely two months into his career at Juventus, he was injured while on international duty, suffering a fractured fibula. The injury held him back for three months. He returns against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia and later in a cameo against Fiorentina in Serie A.
His first Juventus goal came in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 ending in a 2-0 victory over FC Porto. There was more bad news for him on the injury front that season, as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in March while on international duty. He watched him miss action for another six months.
In a bid to return to full fitness ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, on January 4, 2018, Pjaca sealed a loan move to German club Schalke 04 until the end of the 2017–18 season.
Pjaca has represented his country at all age tournaments and was part of the Croatia squad at Euros 2016. He was also part of the Croatia squad that qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.
Parents and siblings
Marko was born into a family with a sporting background. Her father, Željko, was a professional wrestler, while her mother, Višnja, was a judoka. He has two older sisters: Iva and Martina Pjaca.
Marko Pjaca Height, Weight and Body Stats
A first look at Pjaca in full flightYou’d think he was one of the nimble, creative little midfielders in world football, but records show he stands at 1.85m and weighs 83kg. His other measurements are not available.