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Roko Šimić

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Roko Šimić
Šimić with Red Bull Salzburg in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-09-10) 10 September 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Milan, Italy
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Kortrijk
Number 9
Youth career
0000–2011 Dinamo Zagreb
2011–2015 Kustošija
2015–2020 Lokomotiva Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 Lokomotiva Zagreb 25 (3)
2021–2024 Red Bull Salzburg 38 (5)
2021–2022 → FC Liefering (loan) 24 (19)
2023 → Zürich (loan) 16 (4)
2024– Cardiff City 0 (0)
2024– → Kortrijk (loan) 3 (0)
International career‡
2017 Croatia U15 1 (0)
2018–2019 Croatia U16 13 (3)
2019–2020 Croatia U17 9 (1)
2021–2024 Croatia U21 20 (8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 October 2023

Roko Šimić (born 10 September 2003) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian Pro League club Kortrijk, on loan from EFL Championship club Cardiff City.

Career

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Lokomotiva Zagreb

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Šimić made his senior debut for Lokomotiva Zagreb on 16 August 2020 in a 6–0 league defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, getting substituted on for Indrit Tuci in the 66th minute. He was given an opportunity by coach Goran Tomić due to the club's lack of squad depth.[2] During the season, which was marked by Lokomotiva's struggle to preserve the first league status,[3] Šimić made 26 appearances and scored four goals.[4] He scored his debut goal for Lokomotiva on 7 October 2020, in a 3–2 victory over Gaj Mače in the Croatian Cup.[5] His debut league goals came on 21 April 2021 when he scored a brace in the 4–0 victory over Varaždin.[6][7]

Red Bull Salzburg

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The first rumours that Red Bull Salzburg was following Šimić appeared in April 2021 in Kleine Zeitung.[8][7] Šimić signed a three-year deal with the Austrian club on 18 July 2021.[1] With income of €4 million, it is Lokomotiva's most expensive transfer surpassing that of Ivo Grbić to Atlético Madrid.[3] Despite the initial plan to leave the player at Lokomotiva on loan for half a season,[3] he moved to Austria immediately and joined Salzburg's feeder club FC Liefering.[9] He made his debut for Liefering on 30 July 2021, getting substituted on for Dijon Kameri in the 46th minute, and scored his debut goal within a minute in a 2–1 victory over St. Pölten.[4] On 10 October, he extended his contract with Salzburg until 2025, after impressing the club executives by scoring six goals in nine league appearances and two goals in two Youth League appearances.[10][11] On 20 October 2021, he made his senior team and Champions League debut, replacing Noah Okafor in the 87th minute of the 3–1 victory over VfL Wolfsburg.[12] Four days later, he made his league debut for the senior team, replacing Karim Adeyemi in the 87th minute of the 4–1 victory over Sturm Graz. During Salzburg's path to the Youth League Final, Šimić contributed seven goals and three assists, making him the joint-top goalscorer of the competition together with Mads Hansen and Aral Şimşir.[13]

On 5 January 2023, Šimić joined reigning Swiss Super League champions Zürich on loan until the end of the 2022–23 season.[14] He scored two goals on his debut on 21 January 2023 against FC Luzern, after entering the game only in the 77th minute.[15]

On 20 September 2023, he scored his first Champions League goal by netting a penalty in a 2–0 away win over Benfica.[16]

Cardiff City

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On 30 August 2024, Šimić signed a four-year contract with Cardiff City.[17] Two days later, he was loaned to Kortrijk in Belgium for one season.[18]

Personal life

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He is the son of former footballer Dario Šimić and his wife Jelena Medić,[19] and was born in Milan during his father's stint with AC Milan.[20] He has three brothers – Viktor, Nikolas and David.[21] He is also a nephew of Josip Šimić. Roko Šimić is also confirmation sponsor of Lukas Kačavenda,[22] and a distant relative of Herzegovinian hajduk Andrijica Šimić,[23]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 19 May 2024[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lokomotiva Zagreb 2020–21 Prva HNL 25 3 1 1 0 0 — 26 4
Red Bull Salzburg 2021–22 Austrian Bundesliga 1 0 1 0 1[b] 0 — 3 0
2022–23 Austrian Bundesliga 9 0 2 1 2[b] 0 — 13 1
2023–24 Austrian Bundesliga 28 5 3 0 6[b] 1 — 37 6
Total 38 5 6 1 9 1 — 53 7
FC Liefering (loan) 2021–22 2. Liga 24 19 0 0 — — 24 19
Zürich (loan) 2022–23 Swiss Super League 16 4 0 0 — — 16 4
Career total 103 31 6 2 9 1 0 0 119 34
Notes
  1. ^ Includes Croatian Cup and Austrian Cup
  2. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

Honours

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Red Bull Salzburg

Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b "Roko Šimić". FC Red Bull Salzburg. 17 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  2. ^ Šola, Robert (16 August 2020). "VIDEO: Šest golova na Maksimiru! Majer prvo ime večeri, zabio je dvaput i asistirao Dinamovom povratniku". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Jurišić, Predrag (12 July 2021). "Gotovo je, sin HR-legende odlazi - odmah! Pao je rekordni transfer nakon velikog preokreta". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Video: Sin legendarnog Vatrenog oduševio odmah na startu! Majstor zabio nakon samo jedne minute na terenu". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  5. ^ Lacković, Elvis (7 October 2020). "Fantastični Gaj odveo Lokose do produžetaka". Zagorje.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  6. ^ Galić, Mato (22 April 2021). "'Pokojnoj dadilji Elis posvetio sam golove protiv Varaždina'". 24sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b Hrnčić, Fabijan (26 April 2021). "Roka Šimića prati RB Salzburg!". 24sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  8. ^ Sebestyen, Markus (26 April 2021). "Dutt in Wolfsberg: "Der Fokus liegt auf den Spielen, wir wollen jetzt keine Ablenkung"". Kleine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  9. ^ "New striker from Croatia". FC Red Bull Salzburg. 17 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Salzburg verlängert Vertrag mit Roko Simic bis 2025". Kicker (in German). 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. ^ Bradovski, Mihaela (10 October 2021). "Roko Šimić stavio potpis na produženje ugovora s RB Salzburgom". Sportnet (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ HINA (20 October 2021). "Barcelona slavila na Camp Nou, debi Roka Šimića u Ligi prvaka i velika pobjeda Salzburga". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  13. ^ a b UEFA.com (25 April 2022). "Benfica end title wait: 2021/22 at a glance | UEFA Youth League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  14. ^ "ROKO SIMIC WECHSELT LEIHWEISE ZUM FC ZÜRICH". www.fcz.ch (in German). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Roko Šimić zablistao u debiju" [Roko Šimić shined in his debut]. Večernji list (in Croatian). Zagreb. 21 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Benfica 0–2 Salzburg". UEFA. 20 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Roko Simic agrees four-year contract". Cardiff City. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Roko Simic naar het Guldensporenstadion" [Roko Simic to the Guldensporen Stadium]. K.V. Kortrijk. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Talented Croatian footballer following in his father's footsteps". Croatia Week. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Put Roka Šimića mimo Dinama od Kustošije do Red Bull Salzburga". Nacional (in Croatian). 12 September 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  21. ^ Matteoni, Robert (30 December 2019). "ČAK TRI SINA LEGENDARNOG VATRENOG KRENULA PUTEM SLAVNOGA OCA! JEDAN JE VEĆ ZAKORAČIO U ELITU Sa samo 16 godina već je priključen prvoj momčadi!". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  22. ^ Junaci, Robert (8 October 2021). "Dario Šimić otkrio posebnu povezanost dva mlada vatrena: Ovo još niste znali". Večernji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  23. ^ "VIDEO: 110. godina od smrti hajduka Andrijice Šimića". Grude Online (in Croatian). 5 February 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  24. ^ Roko Šimić at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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