Marin Pongračić (; born 11 September 1997) is a Croatian

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 plays as a defender for Italian club Lecce. He also represents the Croatia national team. Pongračić is principally a centre-back but can also play at

right-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

or as a

defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...

Club career

1860 Munich

Pongračić started his football career as a product of Bayern Munich

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

, before moving to

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Ba ...

in 2013 at the age of 16. He made 38 appearances at under-17 and under-19 levels, before moving to

1860 Munich , commonly known as TSV 1860 München (; lettered as ) or 1860 Munich, is a sports club based in Munich. The club's football team currently plays in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football. 1860 Munich was one of the founding members of ...

in 2016 in search of professional football. After establishing himself in the

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...

, he made his

2. Bundesliga The 2. Bundesliga ( ) is the second division of professional football in Germany. It was implemented 11 years after the founding of the Fußball-Bundesliga as the new second division for professional football. The 2. Bundesliga is ranked below ...

debut on 16 April 2017 in a 1–1 draw with Sandhausen. He made seven appearances for the first team, including an appearance in a

relegation play-off In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...

against

Jahn Regensburg Sport- und Schwimmverein Jahn Regensburg e. V., commonly known as SSV Jahn Regensburg, Jahn Regensburg, SSV Jahn or simply Jahn is a German football club based in Regensburg, Bavaria. The club is based on a gymnastics club founded in 1886 a ...

. Pongračić was

sent off In sports, an ejection (also known as dismissal, sending-off, disqualification, or early shower) is the removal of a participant from a contest due to a violation of the sport's rules. The exact violations that lead to an ejection vary depending ...

in the 80th minute, as the match ended up as a 1–1 draw.

Red Bull Salzburg

In summer 2017, he joined Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg on a four year deal. He made his debut for the club on 22 July in a 2–0 victory over

Wolfsberger AC Wolfsberger AC, commonly referred to as Wolfsberg or simply WAC, is an Austrian association football club from Wolfsberg, Carinthia, who currently play in the Austrian Bundesliga. Between the 2007–08 and 2011–12 seasons, Wolfsberger AC enter ...

. However, due to an abductor muscle injury, he missed thirteen games for the club. He returned to the team for the 5 November game against

St. Pölten ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

. He made his

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...

debut on 23 November in a 3–0 victory over

Vitória Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória ( ...

. He then featured throughout Salzburg's Europa League campaign as they reached the semi-final, where they were eliminated by

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

. Salzburg ended the

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...

as the

Austrian champions Austrian champions (in German: Österreichischer Meister) is the general name for a champion in a team or singles competition Austria's elite national sport (bundesliga) competitions and is thus comparable with the title of German champions. In c ...

. On 29 August 2018, in a Champions League

play-off The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

against

Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...

, Pongračić fouled

Milan Pavkov Milan Pavkov ( sr-cyr, Милан Павков; born 9 February 1994) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for Saudi club Al-Fayha FC, Al-Fayha in Saudi Profess ...

and received a

yellow card Yellow card may refer to: * Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas * Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band * Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...

. The game ended as a 2–2 draw and Red Star qualified on away goals. Red Star captain

Vujadin Savić Vujadin Savić ( sr-cyr, Вујадин Савић; born 1 July 1990) is a retired Serbian footballer. Club career Early career Savić was eight years old when he began training for the Red Star Belgrade, where he passed all age categories. Betwe ...

later credited Pongračić's foul as the reason for his club's triumph, calling Pongračić out for " provocations during the whole match." On 21 February 2019, he provided

Patson Daka Patson Daka (born 9 October 1998) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Leicester City and the Zambia national team. Coming through the youth system, Daka played for local club Kafue Celtic, who sent him on loa ...

with an assist for the second goal as Salzburg defeated Club Brugge 4–0 in

Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...

round of 32 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

. In his second season at the club, Pongračić helped Salzburg win the

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

. During the first half of the 2019–20 season, he made only seven appearances for the club due to injuries. On 5 November, he made his Champions League debut in a 1–1 draw with

Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

VfL Wolfsburg

After the injury-stricken stint at Salzburg, Pongračić joined

VfL Wolfsburg Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...

on 15 January 2020 on a four-and-a-half year deal for a fee believed to be €10 million. On 8 February, in his second appearance for the club, he was sent off after elbowing

Alfredo Morales Alfredo Morales (born May 12, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for New York City FC in Major League Soccer. Born in Germany, Morales represented the United States national team. Club career Morales t ...

, as Wolfsburg drew 1–1 with

Fortuna Düsseldorf Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V., commonly known as Fortuna Düsseldorf (), is a German football club in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, which competes in the 2. Bundesliga. Founded in 1895, Fortuna entered the league ...

. On 26 May, Pongračić scored twice as Wolfsburg defeated

Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...

by a score of 4–1. After he missed the beginning of the new

due to

mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...

, Pongračić returned to the team on 8 November as an injury time substitute for

Xaver Schlager Xaver Schlager (; born 28 September 1997) is an Austrian footballer who plays as defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the Austria national team. Club career Red Bull Salzburg After playing for the youth team of SC St. Valent ...

in the 2–1 victory over

1899 Hoffenheim Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg. Originally founded in 189 ...

. However, on 18 November, he tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

. On 27 February 2021, he was sent off in the injury time of a 2–0 victory over

Hertha Berlin Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charlo ...

Borussia Dortmund (loan)

On 31 August 2021, Pongračić joined

Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...

on loan for the duration of the 2021–22 season. He made his Dortmund debut on 11 September in a 4–3 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Lecce

On 22 August 2022, Pongračić moved on loan to Lecce in Italy, with an option to buy. On 30 June 2023, Lecce announced that they had exercised their option to buy with the defender signing an initial two-year deal with the option for a further year.

International career

Eligible to represent

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, Pongračić was called up to a training camp for the Croatia U17s in 2014. He was capped three times on under-21 level, against

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. He was dropped from Croatia's squad for UEFA Under-21 Euro 2019 due to injuries. He received his first call-up for the senior team on 17 August 2020 for September Nations League fixtures against

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

and

. However, ten days later, he withdrew from the squad due to

and was replaced by Mile Škorić. He was called up once again on 4 November for same-month fixtures against

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

, Sweden and Portugal. He made his debut on 11 November in a friendly 3–3 draw with Turkey, having been named in the starting lineup. On 17 May 2021, Pongračić was named in the preliminary 34-man squad for the

UEFA Euro 2020 The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2020) or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...

, but did not make the final 26. On 31 October 2022, he was named in the preliminary 34-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final 26 again.

Personal life

Pongračić was born in Landshut, Germany. His parents Stribor and Anđelka fled from

Slavonski Brod Slavonski Brod (), commonly shortened to simply Brod, is a city in eastern Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Being one of the principal cities in the historical regions of Slavonia and Posavina, Slavonski Brod was the 7th large ...

, Croatia to Germany during the Croatian War of Independence. Pongračić named

Kalidou Koulibaly Kalidou Koulibaly (born 20 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the Senegal national team. Koulibaly began his professional club career with French team Metz in 2010, before mo ...

and

Virgil van Dijk Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, Van Dijk is known for his strength, lea ...

his football idols. He is also a fan of

Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Red Bull Salzburg * Austrian Bundesliga: 2017–18, 2018–19 * Austrian Cup: 2018–19

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pongračić, Marin 1997 births Living people Sportspeople from Landshut Footballers from Lower Bavaria German people of Croatian descent Men's association football central defenders German men's footballers Croatian men's footballers Croatia men's under-21 international footballers Croatia men's international footballers TSV 1860 Munich II players TSV 1860 Munich players FC Red Bull Salzburg players VfL Wolfsburg players Borussia Dortmund players US Lecce players Regionalliga players 2. Bundesliga players Austrian Football Bundesliga players Bundesliga players Serie A players Croatian expatriate men's footballers Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Austria Expatriate men's footballers in Austria Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Italy