Davor Vugrinec

Davor Vugrinec

Personal information
Date of birth	24 March 1975 (1975-03-24) (age 36)
Place of birth	Varaždin, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Varaždin
Number	30
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1997	Varteks	123	(55)
1997–2000	Trabzonspor	85	(29)
2000–2002	Lecce	71	(19)
2003–2004	Atalanta	30	(0)
2004–2005	Catania	20	(2)
2005–2006	Rijeka	23	(15)
2006–2008	Dinamo Zagreb	34	(16)
2008–2010	NK Zagreb	55	(29)
2010–	Varaždin	24	(6)
National team‡
1995	Croatia U20	1	(0)
1994–1997	Croatia U21	19	(3)
1999	Croatia B	1	(0)
1996–2006	Croatia	28	(7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 February 2006

Davor Vugrinec (born 24 March 1975 in Varaždin) is a Croatian footballer who plays for NK Varaždin.

Club career

Vugrinec started his professional career at local club NK Varteks in 1992, becoming a regular at the club in his second professional season and playing for them until June 1997, when he started an abroad career, first in Turkey with Trabzonspor, then in Italy with US Lecce (two and a half seasons), Atalanta Bergamo (one and 1/2) and Calcio Catania (in 2004-05). On 12 November 2000 he scored as Lecce clinched historic victory over Inter Milan in San Siro.

After five years in Italy, Vugrinec returned to Croatia by signing with Rijeka in the summer of 2005 and subsequently played a very successful season with the club. Together with Ahmad Sharbini, he was the club's top goalscorer with 15 goals in 2005-2006's Croatian First League, and also helped the team to win the Croatian Cup by scoring the crucial goal in the second-leg match against his first club Varteks Varaždin (Rijeka lost 5-1 after winning 4-0 in the first leg and won the Cup on away goals).

Vugrinec went on to sign with Dinamo Zagreb in early June 2006 and made his official debut for the club on 19 July, in the Croatian Supercup against his previous club Rijeka, assisting for two goals in Dinamo's 4-1 victory. He went on to score his first goals for Dinamo as he was on target once in both their first UEFA Champions League qualifier against FK Ekranas and their first domestic league match of the 2006-07 season against Slaven Belupo. He subsequently suffered an injury in the club's second domestic league match of the season, at home against HNK Šibenik on 4 August 2006. He nevertheless started the club's first-leg third-round Champions League qualifier against Arsenal four days later, but was forced off the pitch in the first 30 minutes and subsequently missed the second-leg, as well as three domestic league matches before making his comeback in Dinamo's home match against Kamen Ingrad on 9 September 2006.

On April 16th 2011, Vugrinec ranked second best all-time goalscorer in the Croatian First League with a total of 121 goals scored (scoring for Varteks (later renamed NK Varaždin), HNK Rijeka, NK Zagreb and GNK Dinamo Zagreb). He is currently trailing Igor Cvitanović by 5 goals.

International career

Vugrinec made his debut for the Croatian national team on 10 April 1996 in their friendly match against Hungary at home in Osijek, but subsequently had to wait for two and half years to win his second international cap, in the nation's second Euro 2000 qualifier, away against Malta on 10 October 1998. He entered the match as an early substitute after injury forced off Jurica Vučko in the 16th minute and went on to score two goals in the second half, as Croatia came from behind to take it 4-1. At the time, he also made two appearances and scored one goal for the Croatian national B-team, playing in friendly matches against Romania on 17 March 1998 and France on 19 January 1999.

In 2000, he became a regular in the main squad, and went on to appear in seven out of possible eight qualifying matches for the 2002 World Cup. He also scored two goals during the qualifying as he was on target once in Croatia's home matches against Latvia and San Marino respectively. He was subsequently part of the final stages squad, and appeared in two group matches before the team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round after finishing third in their group. He started the second match against Italy, but was substituted in the 57th minute. He also played in the final group match against Ecuador, entering as a substitute in the 52nd minute.

After the 2002 World Cup, Vugrinec only appeared in one friendly match and two Euro 2004 qualifiers before being uncapped for more than three years, until January 2006. He made his international comeback by appearing in two matches at the 2006 Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, thus applying for a spot in the final squad of 23 at the 2006 World Cup finals, especially after scoring a hat-trick in Rijeka's 4-0 league victory away against Hajduk Split, but was eventually omitted.

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1–2	10 October 1998	Ta' Qali, Ta' Qali	Malta	2 – 1	4 – 1	Euro 2000 Qualifying
				3 – 1
3	13 June 1999	Dongdaemun, Seoul	Egypt	2 – 2	2 – 2	Friendly
4	28 February 2001	Kantrida, Rijeka	Austria	1 – 0	1 – 0	Friendly
5	24 March 2001	Gradski vrt, Osijek	Latvia	4 – 1	4 – 1	World Cup 2002 Qualifying
6	2 June 2001	Stadion Varteksa, Varaždin	San Marino	4 – 0	4 – 0	World Cup 2002 Qualifying
7	15 August 2001	Lansdowne Road, Dublin	Republic of Ireland	1 – 2	2 – 2	Friendly

References

External links

• Davor Vugrinec at nogometni-magazin (Croatian)
• Davor Vugrinec – FIFA competition record
• Davor Vugrinec at National-Football-Teams.com
• Davor Vugrinec international stats at the Croatian Football Federation website

Persondata
Name	Vugrinec, Davor
Alternative names
Short description	footballer
Date of birth	24 March 1975
Place of birth	Varaždin, Yugoslavia
Date of death
Place of death