Mateo Kovačić (Croatian pronunciation: [matěo kǒʋatʃitɕ];[4][5] born 6 May 1994) is a Croatian

professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Croatia
national team. Kovačić is usually deployed as a central midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, but
he is considered to be a versatile midfielder, having played in different positions and adapted to
playing either wide on the left or as an attacking midfielder.[6]

Kovačić began his professional career with Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16, with whom he won
two consecutive league titles, before joining Inter in 2013. After the 2014–15 season, he moved
to Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League on three occasions. He joined Chelsea on
one-year loan in 2018, winning Europa League in the process. A full Croatian international since
2013, Kovačić represented the nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016 and the
2018 FIFA World Cup, including a runner's up finish in the latter tournament. He is nicknamed
Il Professore (The Professor).[7][8]

Club career

Youth career

Born in Linz, Austria, to Bosnian Croat parents who had moved there from Kotor Varoš in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kovačić began playing at an early age at the local LASK Linz's
academy.[9] In 2007, when Kovačić was 13, he was spotted by scouts from several prominent
European clubs, including Ajax, Inter Milan, Juventus and Bayern Munich, but his family opted
to move to Zagreb instead, where he joined the academy of Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb.[9][10]
Kovačić suffered a serious injury in 2009 in which his leg was broken, but he returned to the
pitch after a lengthy recovery on 31 May 2010, appearing in the last match of the Croatian under-
17 academy league, a 5–0 win against RNK Split under-17s.[11]

Dinamo Zagreb

Kovačić started training with the club's senior squad under manager, Vahid Halilhodžić, four
months later, on 6 October 2010,[12] but continued to appear for the club in academy league
matches during October. Later that month, it was reported by the local sports daily, Sportske
novosti, that Arsenal's chief scout, Steve Rowley, had arrived in Zagreb to watch him perform in
under-17 matches against Cibalia and NK Zagreb.[13]

Kovačić eventually had his professional league debut in the 2010–11 Croatian First Football
League away match against Hrvatski Dragovoljac on 20 November 2010, in which he scored
Dinamo's fourth goal in their 6–0 win.[14] This made him the youngest goalscorer in the history
of the league, at the age of 16 years and 198 days, breaking the record set only a week earlier by
Dino Špehar who had scored for NK Osijek at the age of 16 years and 278 days on 13 November
2010.[15][16] In his first senior season with Dinamo Zagreb he managed to appear in 7 matches,
making a contribution in winning the league title.

In the 2011–12 season, Kovačić rapidly established himself as a first team regular. He played
mainly in the position of left midfielder in 4–2–3–1 system. In the beginning of the season, he
helped the team reach the Group Stage of the season's Champions League for the first time in 12
years. Being only 17 years old, he appeared in the starting lineup of Dinamo's first group match
against Real Madrid. He finished his first European season with Dinamo by scoring a goal
against Olympique Lyonnais in the last game of the Group Stage in Zagreb and thus became the
second youngest ever scorer in the Champions League. In the domestic league, he was a regular
starter, appearing in 25 league matches and scoring five goals in the process. During a league
match against NK Lučko, he became the youngest player to wear the captain's armband in
Dinamo's history, taking the captaincy from Leandro Cufre.[17] It was another successful season
for him in domestic competitions as he appeared in 32 domestic league and cup matches during
that season, helping Dinamo to win their seventh consecutive league title. He also scored in the
Croatian Cup final against NK Osijek on Maksimir Stadium. In December 2011, he was named
Croatian Football Hope of the Year.[18]

In the beginning of 2012–13 season, he suffered a metatarsal bone injury that caused him to miss
several games on the club's qualifying road to another Champions League. He returned just in
time to play in Dinamo's first Champions League game against Porto. Kovačić played in all six
Dinamo Zagreb's matches in the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League group stage, against Porto,
Paris Saint-Germain and Dynamo Kyiv. He continued to impress with his mature performances
at a young age during the first half of the season. In October 2012, he was nominated for Golden
Boy, an award given by sports journalists to a young player from Europe perceived to have been
the most impressive during a season.[19] During the season's winter break, Dinamo's board threw
away the speculations about Kovačić leaving the club in the near future by saying they are
building a new team around him and another rising star, Alen Halilović.[20] However, on 30
January 2013, the media surprisingly revealed Kovačić was sold to Italian Serie A club Inter
Milan.

During his time with Dinamo, Kovačić won two domestic league titles and two Croatian Cup
titles, appearing in a total of 73 official matches, including 12 appearances in the UEFA
Champions League.

Inter Milan
Kovačić with Inter in February 2013.

On 31 January 2013, Kovačić agreed to a transfer to Inter Milan. It was revealed the deal was
worth €15 million in total, with €11 million paid immediately and €4 million when and if Inter
qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.[21] Upon his arrival, Kovačić was given the number
10 shirt, previously worn by Wesley Sneijder.[21]

2012–13 season

Kovačić made his Inter Milan debut three days later on 3 February, coming on as a half-time
substitute in a Serie A match against Siena.[22] On 14 February, Kovačić made his European
debut before the home crowd at San Siro in UEFA Europa League match against CFR Cluj. He
provided the winning assist for Rodrigo Palacio, who made it 2–0 for Inter, impressing the crowd
with his performance, and was given standing ovations while being substituted off in the 89th
minute.[23] He also played full 90 minutes in the 3–0 away win against CFR Cluj as Inter
proceeded to the next round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.[24]

Kovačić made his first domestic league start for Inter in the next round of Serie A in a 1–4 away
loss against Fiorentina. In the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, Inter was drawn to play
against Tottenham Hotspur. After a 3–0 loss in London, Inter needed a 4–0 win in Milan to
proceed to the next round. The match ended in a 4–1 win for Inter after the match went into extra
time, with Kovačić playing as a starter. He impressed with his composure and playmaking
ability, once again receiving ovations by the fans.[25] Then-Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni
hailed his performances on several occasions, describing him as a "star for the future".[26]

On 30 March, Kovačić was a starter in his first Derby d'Italia against Juventus at San Siro. The
derby ended in a 1–2 win for Juventus, with Kovačić starting the action that resulted in Rodrigo
Palacio's 1–1 equalizer.[27] Kovačić was a starter in Inter's next Serie A match, a 0–2 away win
against Sampdoria, as well as in their surprising 3–4 loss to Atalanta at San Siro, where he
provided an assist for Ricky Álvarez's goal.[28][29] By the end of the second half of the season, he
was a starter in all of the club's Serie A fixtures, as Inter finished in disappointing ninth place on
the Serie A table. In May, he was given the "Gentleman Revelation of the Year" award, awarded
by Inter fans.[30]

2013–14 season

Kovačić missed most of the pre-season training with the squad due to series of small
injuries,[31][32] and made his comeback just few days before the first official match of the new
season, a Coppa Italia match against Cittadella at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.[33] During the pre-
season interviews, new Inter manager Walter Mazzarri hinted Kovačić would be given a new
role on the pitch, a role similar to Marek Hamšík's in Napoli.[34] During the first half of the
season, Kovačić played regularly, although he struggled with adjusting to his new tactical
role.[35] Kovačić made his first assist of the season in the match against Livorno, when he
delivered an assist for Yuto Nagatomo.[36] Unlike the previous season under manager Andrea
Stramaccioni, Kovačić was not a regular starter during the 2013–14 season. In 32 Serie A
matches played, he started only 14, playing the entire 90 minutes on just eight occasions.[37] He
received the chance to restore his confidence towards the end of the season, as he was Mazzarri's
first-choice in the midfield in Inter's last six matches. On 10 May, in Javier Zanetti's last
competitive match at the San Siro, Kovačić made three assists in 4–1 victory over Lazio.[38]