1. Early Life and Background
Bruno Petković was born in Metković, Croatia. His father, Jakov Petković, is from Metković, and his mother, Ruža Nižić, is a Herzegovinian Croat from Crveni Grm near Ljubuški. From a young age, Petković harbored aspirations in football, looking up to prominent international stars. His childhood football idols were the Brazilian legend Ronaldo and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović.
1.1. Youth Career
Petković began his football journey with his hometown clubs ONK Metković from 2003 to 2006, and then NK Neretva from 2006 to 2007. His talent soon caught the eye of larger clubs, leading him to join the youth academy of GNK Dinamo Zagreb in 2007, where he remained until September 4, 2009. He then transferred across town to the youth academy of city-rivals NK Zagreb, playing there until 2010. Over the next two seasons, he represented NK HAŠK (2010-11) and NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac (2011-12) before making a significant move to Italy, joining Serie A side Calcio Catania. During his youth career, Petković made a notable single appearance for the Croatia U21 team on August 13, 2013, against U21 Liechtenstein, where he scored one goal in a decisive 5-0 victory.
2. Club Career
Petković's professional club career began in Italy, spanning several clubs before his impactful return to Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb.
2.1. Early Career in Italy
On August 27, 2012, Bruno Petković officially transferred to Calcio Catania. Although the transfer fee was not disclosed, he was initially integrated into the club's youth academy. His first call-up to the senior squad came on January 27, 2013, for a Serie A match, where Catania secured a 2-1 home victory over Fiorentina. Petković made his league debut on the final matchday of the 2012-13 Serie A season, appearing as an 89th-minute substitute in a 2-2 away draw against Torino. Before the 2013-14 Serie A season, Petković was officially promoted to the first team and assigned the number 32 jersey.
In January 2016, Petković moved to Serie B side Trapani. He made a significant impact, scoring seven goals in the second half of the Serie B season. His contributions helped the Sicilian team come close to promotion to Serie A, ultimately falling short in the final play-off match against Pescara. The following season, he scored three goals in the first half of the 2016-17 Serie B campaign. For his impressive performances, he was voted the club's "Best Young Player" by supporters.
On January 12, 2017, Petković was purchased by Serie A team Bologna for 1.20 M EUR on a three-year contract. Despite expectations for him to become a key player, he made a total of 21 Serie A appearances for the team without scoring a goal. Consequently, on January 11, 2018, he was loaned to Hellas Verona.
2.2. Dinamo Zagreb
Petković's return to Croatian football marked a significant turning point in his career, as he established himself as a prolific striker and a vital player for Dinamo Zagreb.
2.2.1. 2018-19 Season
On August 6, 2018, Bruno Petković joined Dinamo Zagreb on a season-long loan from Bologna, with an obligation for Dinamo to make the transfer permanent if certain conditions were met. He quickly made his mark, scoring his first hat-trick for Dinamo on August 25 in a 3-0 home win against Lokomotiva. As the season progressed, Petković became increasingly indispensable to the squad, playing a starring role in Dinamo Zagreb's 2018-19 UEFA Europa League campaign. In the Round of 32 home fixture against Viktoria Plzeň, he assisted the first goal and scored the third in a commanding 4-0 victory. In the Round of 16 home fixture against Benfica, he scored the only goal in a 2-0 win. However, Benfica ultimately overturned the deficit, beating Dinamo 3-0 at Estádio da Luz after extra time in the return leg. He concluded his first season with the club with 7 goals and 3 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions.
2.2.2. 2019-20 Season
Petković was instrumental in Dinamo Zagreb's successful Champions League qualifying campaign. He scored four crucial goals against Saburtalo Tbilisi (both home and away legs), Ferencváros away, and Rosenborg at home. His impressive performances led to a new contract with Dinamo, signed on September 13, 2019, extending his stay until 2024.
He made his Champions League group stage debut on September 18, 2019, in a dominant 4-0 home victory over Atalanta. His first goal in the competition came on November 6, 2019, in a thrilling 3-3 home draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. On June 17, 2020, he scored a last-minute goal in a 3-2 home victory over Slaven Belupo, which was the first home game under Dinamo's new coach Igor Jovićević. Unfortunately, on June 27, he suffered an injury in a goalless draw with Osijek, which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
2.2.3. 2020-21 Season
After missing Dinamo's opening game of the season against Lokomotiva due to his injury, Petković returned on August 21 for a match against Istra 1961. Coming off the bench, he scored the only goal from a penalty in a 1-0 victory. Throughout this season, Petković faced criticism from both the media and fans due to perceived inconsistency and periods of poor form. However, he notably regained form on February 18, 2021, in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League Round of 32. In an away match against Krasnodar, he scored a brace and provided a pre-assist for Luka Ivanušec's goal, which was eventually finished by Iyayi Atiemwen, as Dinamo secured a 3-2 win.
2.2.4. 2021-22 Season
Petković continued his contributions in European competitions during the 2021-22 season. On September 30, 2021, he scored two goals from the penalty spot in a commanding 3-0 away win over Genk. A notable incident occurred on December 16, 2021, in a match against Istra 1961. After being substituted on, Petković was tasked with taking a 90th-minute penalty. He paused during his run-up before striking the ball. The referee deemed this a violation of the rules, resulting in a second yellow card for Petković (leading to a red card) and the penalty being disallowed.
2.2.5. 2022-23 Season
In the 2022-23 season, Petković continued to feature prominently for Dinamo Zagreb. On November 2, 2022, he scored a goal in a 2-1 away defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League group stage.
2.2.6. 2023-24 Season
Petković maintained his significant role within the Dinamo Zagreb squad during the 2023-24 season, contributing with crucial goals in both domestic and European competitions.
2.2.7. 2024-25 Season
Bruno Petković continues to be an active member of the Dinamo Zagreb squad in the ongoing 2024-25 season, featuring in both league and European matches.
3. International Career
Bruno Petković has represented Croatia at both youth and senior international levels, becoming a key player for the senior national team.
3.1. Youth National Team
Despite early assessments, Petković did make one appearance for the Croatia U21 squad. This came on August 13, 2013, against U21 Liechtenstein, where he scored a goal in a 5-0 victory.
3.2. Senior National Team
Petković received his first senior Croatia call-up in March 2019, as a replacement for the injured Marko Livaja, for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Hungary. He made his senior international debut on March 21, 2019, in a 2-1 victory against Azerbaijan. His first goal for the national team came on June 11, 2019, in a friendly loss to 1-2 against Tunisia.
Petković proved instrumental in Croatia's successful UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist, and notably finished as the top scorer in Croatia's qualifying group. However, following the tournament's postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Petković faced considerable criticism for his perceived inefficiency and inconsistent form in the national team during Croatia's disappointing 2020-21 UEFA Nations League campaign, where the team managed to secure only three points in six games.
Despite periods of criticism, Petković remained a vital part of the squad. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match on December 9, 2022, he scored a crucial equalizing goal against Brazil in extra time, forcing the game to penalties. Croatia went on to win the shootout, advancing to the semi-finals.
4. Personal Life
On April 3, 2021, Bruno Petković and his partner Iva Šarić welcomed a baby boy, whom they named Adrian. Outside of football, Petković is known to be an active amateur chess player. He regularly participates in humanitarian chess tournaments organized by Croatian chess grandmaster and Vice President of the European Chess Union, Alojzije Janković. Petković also served as an inspiration for a scene in the first episode of RTL Televizija's Croatian comedy drama show San snova, where a character's reaction to being interviewed by reporters mirrored Petković's own well-publicized interaction with journalists at Zagreb Airport in 2022.
5. Career Statistics
5.1. Club Statistics
As of October 27, 2024.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Catania | 2012-13 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Varese (loan) | 2014-15 | Serie B | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 1 | ||
| Reggiana (loan) | 2014-15 | Lega Pro | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 18 | 4 | |
| Virtus Entella (loan) | 2015-16 | Serie B | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 1 | ||
| Trapani | 2015-16 | Serie B | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 21 | 7 | |
| 2016-17 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 10 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 38 | 10 | |||
| Bologna | 2016-17 | Serie A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 0 | ||||
| Hellas Verona (loan) | 2017-18 | Serie A | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 0 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2018-19 | Prva HNL | 25 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 2 | - | 39 | 12 | |
| 2019-20 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 13 | ||
| 2020-21 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 14 | ||
| 2021-22 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 | - | 45 | 11 | |||
| 2022-23 | HNL | 28 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 14 | |
| 2023-24 | 27 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 18 | ||
| 2024-25 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | - | 15 | 5 | |||
| Total | 169 | 56 | 18 | 3 | 78 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 268 | 87 | ||
| Career total | 282 | 72 | 20 | 3 | 78 | 28 | 9 | 0 | 389 | 103 | ||
The "National cup" column includes appearances in the Coppa Italia and Croatian Cup. The "Europe" column includes appearances in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. The "Other" column includes appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs and the Croatian Super Cup.
5.2. International Statistics
As of October 12, 2024.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2019 | 8 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 42 | 11 | |
Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first, with the score column indicating the score after each Petković goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 11, 2019 | Stadion Varteks, Varaždin, Croatia | 3 | Tunisia | 1-1 | 1-2 | Friendly |
| 2 | September 6, 2019 | Anton Malatinský Stadium, Trnava, Slovakia | 4 | Slovakia | 3-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 3 | October 10, 2019 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 6 | Hungary | 2-0 | 3-0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 4 | 3-0 | ||||||
| 5 | November 16, 2019 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 8 | Slovakia | 2-1 | 3-1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 6 | September 5, 2020 | Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal | 9 | Portugal | 1-3 | 1-4 | 2020-21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 7 | December 9, 2022 | Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | 27 | Brazil | 1-1 | 1-1 - 4-2 (pen.) | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 8 | June 14, 2023 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | 30 | Netherlands | 3-2 | 4-2 | 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals |
| 9 | September 8, 2023 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 32 | Latvia | 1-0 | 5-0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 10 | 3-0 | ||||||
| 11 | March 27, 2024 | New Administrative Capital Stadium, New Administrative Capital, Egypt | 36 | Egypt | 2-1 | 4-2 | 2024 FIFA Series |
6. Honours
Dinamo Zagreb
- HNL: 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
- Croatian Cup: 2020-21, 2023-24
- Croatian Super Cup: 2019, 2022, 2023
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2022
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2022-23
Individual
- Football Oscar - Best Prva HNL player: 2020, 2021
- Football Oscar - Prva HNL Team of the Year: 2019, 2020, 2021
- Tportal Prva HNL Player of the Year: 2019
- Croatian First Football League top assist provider: 2019-20, 2020-21
- CIES Croatian First Football League Team of the Season: 2021-22
- Croatian Football League Player of the Year: 2023-24
- Croatian Football League Team of the Year: 2023-24
- UEFA Nations League Finals Goal of the Tournament: 2023