Dario Krešić (born 11 January 1984) is a Croatian retired professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

Club career

Panionios

The Croatian shot-stopper spent three seasons (2006–2009) at

Panionios F.C. Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan- Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis'') ...

, where he made 56 appearances for the Athenian side in all competitions. He became the first-choice goalkeeper for the team in his second season, and his solid play between the posts played a crucial role in Panionios' run to the 2007–08 Super League play-offs last season.

PAOK

He moved to

PAOK FC P.A.O.K. FC ( el, ΠΑΕ ΠΑΟΚ, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών, '' Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstadinoupolitón'', "Pan-Thessalonian Sports club, Athlet ...

in June 2009 on a free transfer from Panionios F.C. At PAOK, Krešić was expected to challenge Greece international

Kostas Chalkias for the starting role. While Chalkias' experience played a key role in PAOK's ability to clinch a berth in the UEFA Europa League next season, Krešić's athleticism and potential will most definitely challenge Chalkias' tenure between the goal posts. On 28 July 2010, PAOK was playing against

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

Amsterdam Arena The Johan Cruyff Arena ( nl, Johan Cruijff Arena ; officially stylised as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the main stadium of the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam and the home stadium of football club AFC Ajax since its opening. Built from 1993 to 1996 ...

and Kostas Chalkias who was injured at the 15th minute was substituted by Krešić. He played in 18 games in the 2010–11 season, as of November 2010. He was also voted

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the team three times. On 27 July, when Krešić realised that he was not counted as the main goalkeeper of the team, he asked to leave from the club. PAOK released him the next day.

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 31 July 2012, Krešić signed a two-year contract with

FC Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (''FC Lokomotiv Moskva'', russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Локомотив" Москва, ) is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three o ...

. He made his debut for the new club on 11 August 2012 against

Alania Vladikavkaz FC Alania Vladikavkaz (russian: "Алания" (Владикавказ), os, Футболон клуб "Алани" (Дзæуджыхъæу)) is a Russian football team from Vladikavkaz. Founded in 1921, the club played in the Soviet Top League ...

. After having made only one substitute appearance for Lokomotiv in the first part of 2013–14 season, Krešić was released by his club.

Mainz 05

On 6 January 2014, 1. FSV Mainz 05 signed Krešić for the remaining part of 2013–14 season with an option until 2016.

Bayer Leverkusen

On 23 May 2014, Krešić joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen on a free transfer, signing a two-year contract, which would keep him at the club until June 2016.

Omonia

On 20 August 2016, he signed with

AC Omonia Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia ( el, Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Oμόνοιας Λευκωσίας, ΑΣΟΛ; ''Athlitikos Sillogos Omonias Lefkosias'', ''ASOL''), commonly known as Omonia Nicosia, or simply Omonia ("Harmony"; also tran ...

in Cyprus. He had 7 appearances with the club. On 26 May 2017 the club announced that with the end of the season the player is released.

International career

Krešić debuted for

Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team ( hr, Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a ...

on 10 September 2013 in a friendly match against

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, playing for 90 minutes before he was substituted in the injury time of the game. It would be Krešić's only appearance for the national side.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kresic, Dario 1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Vukovar Association football goalkeepers Croatian footballers Croatia youth international footballers Croatia under-21 international footballers Croatia international footballers SV Eintracht Trier 05 players Panionios F.C. players PAOK FC players FC Lokomotiv Moscow players 1. FSV Mainz 05 players Bayer 04 Leverkusen players AC Omonia players 2. Bundesliga players Super League Greece players Russian Premier League players Bundesliga players Cypriot First Division players Croatian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Germany Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Expatriate footballers in Russia Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Russia Expatriate footballers in Greece Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Greece Expatriate footballers in Cyprus Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus