Darijo Srna [ˈdaːriɔ ˈsrna] (born on May 1, 1982 in Metković^[1]) is a Croatian footballer who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk and the Croatia national football team, in which he is currently the leading goalscorer out of the current active squad, and 3rd on the all time list. Croatia has never lost a match in which Srna has scored.

Career

Srna started his career in Hajduk Split, where he was considered one of their best players. In 2003 he was sold, along with Stipe Pletikosa, to Shakhtar Donetsk.^[2]. He is a common member and the vice captain in his club side, in which he has made a large impact in the league with. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on 18 September 2007 in his sides 2-0 home victory over Celtic. Shakter were eventually eliminated from the competition after an unsuccessful group stage.

Srna was part of the Croatian national team in Euro 2004, where he played in two games.^[3] He also starred in all 3 games of Croatia's 2006 World Cup campaign where he was strictly criticized for his penalty miss against Japan, although highly praised and remembered for his spectacular 30 yard free kick which put Croatia ahead against Australia in the match that ended 2-2 and saw Croatia therefore exit from the group stage.

In September 2006 he was temporarily dropped from the Croatian squad for a Euro 2008 qualifying match with Russia because of a late night partying in a local disco along with teammates Boško Balaban and Ivica Olić.^[4]

After the World Cup, two-time European Cup winners SL Benfica were after the player's signature but nothing materialized, with what many considered a fallen or rejected sale. Since then, he has been linked with a number of other clubs, including Lazio.

Srna was considered the hero of the match when he came on as a substitute against Macedonia in a Euro 2008 qualifying match and scored shortly after from a free kick which was shot into the right corner of the goal.^[5] In the 88th minute he provided a cross which found fellow teammate Eduardo da Silva, and allowed him to score and snatch a win for Croatia.

Since helping his country qualify for Euro 2008 with a strong qualifying campaign, he has unsurprisingly been named in their 23 man squad for the upcoming tournament.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
01.	29 March 2003	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Belgium	1 – 0	4 – 0	Euro 2004 Qualifying
02.	31 March 2004	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Turkey	2 – 1	2 – 2	Friendly
03.	8 September 2004	Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden	Sweden	0 – 1	0 – 1	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
04.	9 October 2004	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Bulgaria	1 – 0	2 – 2	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
05.	9 October 2004	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Bulgaria	2 – 0	2 – 2	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
06.	9 February 2005	Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel	Israel	1 – 2	3 – 3	Friendly
07.	3 September 2005	Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik, Iceland	Iceland	1 – 3	1 – 3	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
08.	8 October 2005	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Sweden	1 – 0	1 – 0	World Cup 2006 Qualifying
09.	1 March 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Argentina	2 – 2	2 – 3	Friendly
10.	22 June 2006	Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany	Australia	1 – 0	2 – 2	World Cup 2006
11.	15 November 2006	Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel	Israel	1 – 1	3 – 4	Euro 2008 Qualifying
12.	24 March 2007	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	FYR Macedonia	1 – 1	2 – 1	Euro 2008 Qualifying
13.	22 August 2007	Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0 – 2	3 – 5	Friendly
14.	22 August 2007	Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2 – 4	3 – 5	Friendly
15.	12 September 2007	Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	Andorra	0 – 1	0 – 6	Euro 2008 Qualifying

Playing Style

Srna plays in the right midfield wing position for Croatia, but he plays in the right-back position for his club Shakhtar Donetsk. He is most well known for his ability to score from free kicks and makes precise crosses. Quick on his feet, he is talented in being able to constantly create an offensive game. While playing at national level, he is often praised for his hard work which sees him control the midfield battle of the game. At club level, he plays in a further held back defensive position with a common habit and license to move further forward and assist in attacking chances. He is usually the first choice penalty and free kick taker for both his club and national team.

Personal Life

Srna has on many occasions been portrayed as a family man. He has stated that he owes all his credentials to his father who kept him alive and faithful during the tough years of the war, helping him pursue his dream as a footballer. Before leaving Croatia to join for Shakter, he gifted him with a brand new Mercedes.

His brother, Igor, also suffers from Down's Syndrome illness. Srna as a result dedicates all his goals to him, and even revealed a shirt under his jersey saying "Igor, svi smo uz tebe" ("Igor, we are all here for you") when he scored a goal against Macedonia.

References