1. Overview
Franko Andrijašević is a Croatian professional footballer who primarily plays as a midfielder, often in an attacking role. Born on June 22, 1991, in Split, Croatia, he is known for his extensive club career across various European leagues and his contributions to the Croatian national team. A product of the Hajduk Split academy, Andrijašević has played for several prominent Croatian clubs including Dinamo Zagreb and Rijeka, where he achieved significant success, including winning the league title and Croatian Football Cup. He also had spells in Belgium with K.A.A. Gent and Waasland-Beveren. Currently, he serves as the captain for Chinese Super League club Zhejiang FC, leading them to promotion and AFC Champions League qualification. He has also represented Croatia at various youth levels and made appearances for the senior national team.
2. Early Life and Personal Background
Franko Andrijašević was born on June 22, 1991, in Split, Croatia. Football runs in his family, as both his father, Stjepan Andrijašević, and his brother, Pjero Andrijašević, were also professional footballers. This family background likely influenced his early life and decision to pursue a career in the sport.
3. Club Career
Franko Andrijašević's club career spans multiple leagues, primarily in Croatia, but also including significant periods in Belgium and China. He began his professional journey with HNK Hajduk Split and has since played for several notable teams, often making a significant impact.
3.1. HNK Hajduk Split
Andrijašević is a product of the Hajduk Split academy, where he developed his skills. He made his professional debut for the senior team on May 13, 2010, in a league match against NK Croatia Sesvete, which was Hajduk's final match of the 2009-10 season. He continued to play for Hajduk Split until 2014, making 71 league appearances and scoring 12 goals. During his time with Hajduk Split, he also won the Croatian Cup in the 2012-13 season.
3.2. NK Dugopolje (loan)
In August 2011, Andrijašević was loaned to second division side Dugopolje for a one-year period. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club on his debut against Hrvatski Dragovoljac in a dominant 5-0 victory. He made 13 appearances and scored 4 goals during his loan spell at Dugopolje in the 2011-12 season.
3.3. GNK Dinamo Zagreb and NK Lokomotiva Zagreb
On June 18, 2014, Andrijašević made a significant transfer to Dinamo Zagreb, a fierce rival of his former club, Hajduk Split. Although he joined Dinamo, he subsequently went on loan to Lokomotiva Zagreb. While at Dinamo Zagreb, he made 10 league appearances and scored 3 goals, contributing to their Prva HNL title and Croatian Cup win in the 2014-15 season. His loan spell at Lokomotiva Zagreb was more extensive, where he played 42 league matches and scored 18 goals across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, scoring a total of 21 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions for Lokomotiva.
3.4. HNK Rijeka
Andrijašević signed a three-year contract with Rijeka on July 26, 2016. This transfer was part of a larger deal that saw Marko Lešković move from Rijeka to Dinamo Zagreb. His tenure at Rijeka was highly successful and he quickly became a fan-favourite. In his first season, the 2016-17 season, he scored 16 goals in the league, playing a crucial role in helping Rijeka secure their first-ever league title. His exceptional performance also earned him the Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award for the best player of the league in the 2016-17 season. He also won the Croatian Cup with Rijeka in the same season. He later returned to Rijeka on loan for two more seasons, from August 2019 to August 2021, winning another Croatian Cup in the 2019-20 season.
3.5. K.A.A. Gent and Waasland-Beveren (loan)
In July 2017, Andrijašević moved to Belgian club K.A.A. Gent for a transfer fee of 4.25 M EUR. He played for Gent in the Belgian First Division A. In January 2019, he was loaned from Gent to Waasland-Beveren, another Belgian First Division A club, where he made 16 appearances and scored 3 goals. He then returned to Rijeka on loan in August 2019, with the loan being extended for another season in August 2020.
3.6. Zhejiang FC
On July 6, 2021, China League One club Zhejiang announced the signing of Andrijašević. He made his debut for Zhejiang in a league game on July 12, 2021, against Beijing Sport University, which resulted in a 1-0 defeat. Despite the initial loss, he quickly established himself as a vital member of the team. His contributions were instrumental in the club gaining promotion to the top-tier Chinese Super League at the end of the 2021 campaign. He has since become the team's captain and has played a key role in their success, including qualifying for the AFC Champions League. As of December 31, 2024, he has made 98 league appearances and scored 32 goals for Zhejiang FC.
4. International Career
Franko Andrijašević has represented Croatia at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad. His international career reflects his consistent performance and development as a player.
4.1. Youth Career
Andrijašević was a regular fixture in Croatia's youth national teams. He played for the Under-16 team from 2006 to 2007, making 12 appearances. He then progressed to the Under-17 team (2007-2008, 13 appearances, 2 goals), Under-18 team (2008-2009, 12 appearances, 2 goals), and Under-19 team (2008-2010, 12 appearances, 5 goals). He also had stints with the Under-20 team (2010-2011, 4 appearances) and the Under-21 team (2010-2012, 3 appearances).
4.2. Senior Career
On January 22, 2013, national team head coach Igor Štimac called up Andrijašević for a friendly match against South Korea. He made his senior national team debut on February 6, 2013, at Craven Cottage in London, coming on as a substitute in the 65th minute of the game. He scored his first international goal on January 11, 2017, against China at the Guangxi Sports Center in Nanning, China, during the 2017 China Cup. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Croatia losing 1-4 in a penalty shootout. As of January 14, 2017, he has made 3 appearances for the senior national team, scoring 1 goal.
5. Career Statistics
As of December 31, 2024, Franko Andrijašević's career statistics are as follows:
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Hajduk Split | 2009-10 | 1. HNL | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
2010-11 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 9 | 1 | |||
2011-12 | 12 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | |||||
2012-13 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 32 | 7 | |||
2013-14 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 30 | 7 | |||
Total | 71 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 15 | ||
Dugopolje (loan) | 2011-12 | 2. HNL | 13 | 4 | - | - | - | 13 | 4 | |||
Dinamo Zagreb | 2014-15 | 1. HNL | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 15 | 3 | |
Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan) | 2014-15 | 1. HNL | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 6 | ||
2015-16 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | - | 35 | 15 | |||
Total | 42 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 21 | ||
Rijeka | 2016-17 | 1. HNL | 28 | 16 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 32 | 18 | ||
Gent | 2017-18 | Belgian First Division A | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 22 | 2 | |
2018-19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | |||
Total | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | ||
Waasland-Beveren (loan) | 2018-19 | Belgian First Division A | 16 | 3 | - | - | - | 16 | 3 | |||
Rijeka (loan) | 2019-20 | 1. HNL | 26 | 5 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 5 | ||
2020-21 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | - | 40 | 14 | |||
Total | 56 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 19 | ||
Zhejiang FC | 2021 | China League One | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | 26 | 7 | |
2022 | Chinese Super League | 32 | 13 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 13 | |||
2023 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | - | 27 | 10 | |||
2024 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | - | 28 | 8 | |||
Total | 98 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 115 | 39 | ||
Career total | 364 | 108 | 29 | 7 | 34 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 429 | 124 |
5.1. International
As of January 14, 2017, Franko Andrijašević's international statistics are as follows:
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Croatia | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
2014 | 0 | 0 | |
2015 | 0 | 0 | |
2016 | 0 | 0 | |
2017 | 2 | 1 | |
2018 | 0 | 0 | |
2019 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 3 | 1 |
List of international goals scored by Franko Andrijašević
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 January 2017 | Guangxi Sports Center, Nanning, China | China | 1-1 | 1-1 (1-4 p) | 2017 China Cup |
6. Honours
Franko Andrijašević has achieved several team and individual honours throughout his career:
Dugopolje
- Druga HNL: 2011-12
Hajduk Split
- Croatian Cup: 2012-13
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2014-15
- Croatian Cup: 2014-15
Rijeka
- Prva HNL: 2016-17
- Croatian Cup: 2016-17, 2019-20
Individual
- Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 2012
- Football Oscar - Team of the Year: 2013, 2017
- HNL's Footballer of the Year: 2016
- Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award: 2017