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FOOTBALL EUROPE: Vrdoljak keeps his head up at Dinamo

/noticias.info/ Misfortune has dogged Ivica Vrdoljak but after scoring the winner in a recent Croatian classic, the NK Dinamo Zagreb defensive midfielder hopes his luck has turned.

Package deal
Having made his name at NK Zagreb, Vrdoljak joined Dinamo in the summer along with forward Mario Mandžukić in a deal worth €2.5m. Injured and out of form for his first months with the club, he belatedly underlined his arrival on 8 March with the only goal in the victory against eternal rivals HNK Hajduk Split – a result that opened up an 18-point gap at the top of the table.

Bad luck
Vrdoljak is not accustomed to good fortune, on or off the field. Just 24, his career has already seen him knocked unconscious twice on the pitch while he also broke his leg in a bathroom accident. He has been struck by more personal tragedy in the last 12 months, with his father losing both of his legs and his mother undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour.

"Life is unpredictable and you never know what tomorrow brings" Ivica Vrdoljak

Rough spell
"I have been through a lot of difficult times in my life and I hope I am ready for new challenges," said Vrdoljak, who dedicated a previous goal against HNK Rijeka to his mother and the strike against Hajduk to both of his parents. "But I hope there will be no more hard situations and that I will have a smooth period. Life is unpredictable and you never know what tomorrow brings."

Croatia talk
Despite all his personal worries, Vrdoljak's play has continued to improve, and there has even been a suggestion that he may play for Croatia one day. "It's too early for that," he said. "First I have to prove I am a good signing for Dinamo. My main aim is to show the reason why I was brought here and to show that I deserve to be at Dinamo. Then I can start to think about other goals."

Upward trajectory
Goals are certainly an issue. The strike against Hajduk was his third of the season, matching the total he achieved in his best campaign at Zagreb. "I hope I will score some more before the end of the season," he said. "Scoring is a nice feeling. I am satisfied although I know I can play even better. I don't think I will play at a lower level than this again." notas_de_prensa_archivo