Dario Kneževic
Encyclopedia
Dario Knežević is a Croatian
football
defender who currently plays for Italian club Livorno
and the Croatian national team
.
, Knežević started his professional career with the city's First League
side NK Rijeka
in 2002 and subsequently made 115 appearances in the league before moving to Livorno
on a three-year deal in late August 2006. He made his Serie A
debut on 25 October 2006 in Livorno's 4–1 defeat to Internazionale
and scored his first goal in the league against Cagliari
on 18 April 2007 to secure his team a 2–1 victory.
On 30 June 2008, Juventus
has swooped to sign Knežević on a season-long loan deal worth €750 thousand, with the option to acquire half of the contractual rights at €1.6 million following Livorno's relegation to Serie B
. He played in several of Juventus' pre-season matches before being subbed off during a game versus Hamburger SV
, in the Emirates Cup
, along with teammate Christian Molinaro.
The two defender
s will miss about a week of on the pitch action. On 5 October, Knežević made his first league appearance for the team. It was a 2–1 home loss to Palermo
.
On 15 June 2009, Knežević made his return to Livorno
; with Juventus
he appeared only 4 times, since he was a substitute and only the fourth centre-back in the team.
, making his debut as well as scoring his first international goal in a friendly match against Hong Kong
on 1 February 2006. He was not called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was a regular part of Croatian team in qualifying matches for 2008 European Championship
. Knežević came on as a substitute in two tournament matches, but in the third match which he started, he played 25 minutes before he had to be replaced because of an injury.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
defender who currently plays for Italian club Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
and the Croatian national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
.
Club career
Born in RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Knežević started his professional career with the city's First League
Croatian First League
The Prva HNL , also known as 1. HNL or for sponsorship reasons the MAXtv Prva Liga, is the top Croatian football league competition, established in 1992. The winners qualify for the UEFA Champions League...
side NK Rijeka
NK Rijeka
HNK Rijeka is a Croatian football club, from Rijeka on the Croatian coast.-History:The club was founded as NK Kvarner in 1946, after Rijeka passed from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. During its early period in Yugoslavia, the club had moderate success in various Yugoslav...
in 2002 and subsequently made 115 appearances in the league before moving to Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
on a three-year deal in late August 2006. He made his Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
debut on 25 October 2006 in Livorno's 4–1 defeat to Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
and scored his first goal in the league against Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
on 18 April 2007 to secure his team a 2–1 victory.
On 30 June 2008, Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
has swooped to sign Knežević on a season-long loan deal worth €750 thousand, with the option to acquire half of the contractual rights at €1.6 million following Livorno's relegation to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. He played in several of Juventus' pre-season matches before being subbed off during a game versus Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, in the Emirates Cup
Emirates Cup
The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...
, along with teammate Christian Molinaro.
The two defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
s will miss about a week of on the pitch action. On 5 October, Knežević made his first league appearance for the team. It was a 2–1 home loss to Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
.
On 15 June 2009, Knežević made his return to Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
; with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
he appeared only 4 times, since he was a substitute and only the fourth centre-back in the team.
National team
Knežević has won twelve caps and scored one goal for the Croatian national teamCroatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, making his debut as well as scoring his first international goal in a friendly match against Hong Kong
Hong Kong national football team
The Hong Kong national football team , represents Hong Kong in international association football events such as the FIFA World Cup, AFC Asian Cup and East Asian Football Championship. The team is represented by the Hong Kong Football Association....
on 1 February 2006. He was not called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was a regular part of Croatian team in qualifying matches for 2008 European Championship
2008 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008...
. Knežević came on as a substitute in two tournament matches, but in the third match which he started, he played 25 minutes before he had to be replaced because of an injury.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 February 2006 | Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium it reincarnated as Hong Kong Stadium in 1994... , Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly match Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
External links
- Dario Knežević profile, detailed club and national team statistics, honours (palmares) and timeline
- Become A Croatia Fan Website – Dario Knežević Player Profile