Matej Delač
Encyclopedia
Matej Delač is a Croatia
n football goalkeeper who is currently on loan in Dynamo České Budějovice from Barclays Premier League club Chelsea
.
youth academy, Delač started to impress very early on and after only a few appearances for Croatia U-15 he attracted attention from bigger clubs across Europe. During summer 2008, Delač went on trial at Portuguese Liga
club Benfica and came very close to joining them, but the two clubs couldn't agree terms so he stayed at Zaprešić
.
He had his professional debut for NK Inter Zaprešić
in the 2008–09 season on 22 February 2009 against NK Zagreb
, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the Croatian first division (at 16 years and 186 days of age). He impressed football pundits in his debut by miraculously saving a penalty from Davor Vugrinec
in the 85th minute, contributing to Inter's 1–0 victory and becoming man of the match. Delač continued with good performances and finished the 2008-09 season with 15 appearances, as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.
, Croatian news reports revealed that Delač had stayed in London for a medical examination and was on the verge of signing a pre-contract with English Premier League club Chelsea
. Reports claimed that Chelsea scouts had been following Delač's performances in the Croatian First Division for months and that their Director of Football
Frank Arnesen
previously went to Zagreb to agree terms of the transfer.
It was announced at a press conference held by Inter on 17 September 2009 that Delač had indeed penned a five-year contract with Chelsea which will come into effect in the January 2011 transfer window. In the meantime, Delač will continue playing at Inter, his wages will be paid by Chelsea, and he is also expected to participate in training at Chelsea's training ground
whenever his Prva HNL obligations allow.
On 24 August 2010, Vitesse confirmed he would be on loan for the rest of the season. On 13 September 2011, Dynamo České Budějovice chairman Karel Poborský
confirmed that Delač would join the club on loan for the rest of the season.
manager Slaven Bilić
on 30 August 2009 to join the squad as third-choice goalkeeper (behind Vedran Runje
and Danijel Subašić
) for their 2010 World Cup qualifiers
against Belarus
and England
, breaking the record for the youngest Croatian player ever called up for international duty.
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 football goalkeeper who is currently on loan in Dynamo České Budějovice from Barclays Premier League club 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...
.
Inter Zaprešić
A product of NK Inter ZaprešićNK 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...
youth academy, Delač started to impress very early on and after only a few appearances for Croatia U-15 he attracted attention from bigger clubs across Europe. During summer 2008, Delač went on trial at Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
club Benfica and came very close to joining them, but the two clubs couldn't agree terms so he stayed at Zaprešić
Zaprešic
Zaprešić is a city in Zagreb County in Croatia. Its population is 25.875 inhabitants for the city proper, and over 51,000 for its seven-municipality metropolitan area. Zaprešić is the third-largest, and most densely populated division of the county. It is located northwest of the Croatian capital...
.
He had his professional debut for NK 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...
in the 2008–09 season on 22 February 2009 against NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb
NK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in the Croatian first division (at 16 years and 186 days of age). He impressed football pundits in his debut by miraculously saving a penalty from Davor Vugrinec
Davor Vugrinec
Davor Vugrinec is a Croatian footballer who plays for NK Varaždin as a forward.-Early years:...
in the 85th minute, contributing to Inter's 1–0 victory and becoming man of the match. Delač continued with good performances and finished the 2008-09 season with 15 appearances, as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.
Chelsea
On 11 September 2009, two days after Croatia's defeat at WembleyWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, Croatian news reports revealed that Delač had stayed in London for a medical examination and was on the verge of signing a pre-contract with English Premier League club 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...
. Reports claimed that Chelsea scouts had been following Delač's performances in the Croatian First Division for months and that their Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen
Frank Arnesen is a former Danish football player and currently sporting director at Hamburger SV. Arnesen was Director of Football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea....
previously went to Zagreb to agree terms of the transfer.
It was announced at a press conference held by Inter on 17 September 2009 that Delač had indeed penned a five-year contract with Chelsea which will come into effect in the January 2011 transfer window. In the meantime, Delač will continue playing at Inter, his wages will be paid by Chelsea, and he is also expected to participate in training at Chelsea's training ground
Cobham Training Centre
The Cobham Training Centre is the state of the art training ground of Chelsea Football Club located in Stoke d'Abernon near Cobham, Surrey. The Chelsea first team have trained at Cobham since 2005, but it was not officially opened until 2007.-History:...
whenever his Prva HNL obligations allow.
On 24 August 2010, Vitesse confirmed he would be on loan for the rest of the season. On 13 September 2011, Dynamo České Budějovice chairman Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:...
confirmed that Delač would join the club on loan for the rest of the season.
International career
After earning 8 caps for Croatia's U-17 and U-19 teams between 2007 and 2008, Delač was called up by CroatiaCroatia 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...
manager 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...
on 30 August 2009 to join the squad as third-choice goalkeeper (behind Vedran Runje
Vedran Runje
Vedran Runje is a Croatian football goalkeeper who is currently a free agent after his contract with RC Lens expired in 2011.-Club career:...
and Danijel Subašić
Danijel Subašic
Danijel Subašić is a Croatian football goalkeeper playing for Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL.-Club career:Subašić started his professional career playing for his hometown club Zadar during the 2003–04 season...
) for their 2010 World Cup qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 6
The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 6 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.The group was won by England, who qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
against Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
and 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...
, breaking the record for the youngest Croatian player ever called up for international duty.
External links
- Article on Delač at UEFA.com
- Matej Delač at Transfermarkt.co.uk