Ivan Jelić Balta

Ivan Borna Jelić Balta (born 17 September 1992) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Koper. Primarily a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a centre-back.^[1]

Ivan Jelić Balta

Personal information
Full name	Ivan Borna Jelić Balta
Date of birth	(1992-09-17) 17 September 1992 (age 33)
Place of birth	Zagreb, Croatia
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Koper
Number	5
Youth career
2004–2010	Bjelovar
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2012	Bjelovar
2012–2013	Mladost Ždralovi
2014–2015	SV Hellas 94 Bietigheim
2015–2016	Stuttgarter Kickers II	19	(0)
2016	Mladost Ždralovi
2017	Rudeš	10	(1)
2018	Varaždin	8	(0)
2018	Arsenal Kyiv	4	(0)
2019–2022	Koper	70	(4)
2022–2023	Wisła Kraków	16	(0)
2023	→ Sarajevo (loan)	13	(0)
2023–2025	Sarajevo	6	(0)
2024	→ Slaven Belupo (loan)	19	(0)
2025–	Koper	1	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2025

Club career

Born in Zagreb, Jelić Balta is a native of Bjelovar^[2] where he went through the school of the local NK Bjelovar, joining the ranks of the third-tier first team in 2010. After two seasons, he joined local rivals Mladost Ždralovi in the same tier, which ended up winning the 2012–13 season of the Croatian Third League.

After that, he played for lower division clubs in Germany until his return to Croatia. In July 2018, he signed a contract with newly promoted Ukrainian Premier League club Arsenal Kyiv.^[3]

Career statistics

As of match played 23 August 2025^[4]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Stuttgarter Kickers II	2015–16	Oberliga Baden-Württemberg	19	0	—		—		—		19	0
Rudeš	2016–17	Croatian Second League	9	1	0	0	—		—		9	1
	2017–18	Croatian First League	1	0	1	0	—		—		2	0
	Total		10	1	1	0	—		—		11	1
Varaždin	2017–18	Croatian Second League	8	0	0	0	—		2[b]	0	10	0
Arsenal Kyiv	2018–19	Ukrainian Premier League	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
Koper	2019–20	Slovenian Second League	17	1	3	0	—		—		20	1
	2020–21	Slovenian PrvaLiga	24	1	3	1	—		2[c]	1	29	3
	2021–22	Slovenian PrvaLiga	29	2	3	0	—		—		32	2
	Total		70	4	9	1	—		2	1	81	6
Wisła Kraków	2022–23	I liga	16	0	3	0	—		—		19	0
Sarajevo (loan)	2022–23	Bosnian Premier League	13	0	0	0	—		—		13	0
Sarajevo	2023–24	Bosnian Premier League	1	0	0	0	2[d]	0	—		3	0
	2024–25	Bosnian Premier League	5	0	2	0	—		—		7	0
	Total		19	0	2	0	2	0	—		23	0
Slaven Belupo (loan)	2023–24	Croatian Football League	9	0	0	0	—		—		9	0
	2024–25	Croatian Football League	10	0	2	0	—		—		12	0
	Total		19	0	2	0	—		—		21	0
Koper	2025–26	Slovenian PrvaLiga	1	0	0	0	—		—		1	0
Career total			164	5	17	1	2	0	4	1	187	7

1. Includes Croatian Cup, Ukrainian Cup, Slovenian Cup, Polish Cup, Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup
2. Appearance(s) in Prva HNL relegation play-offs
3. Appearance(s) in Slovenian PrvaLiga relegation play-offs
4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Rudeš

• Croatian Second League: 2016–17^[4]

Koper

• Slovenian Cup: 2021–22^[4]

Sarajevo

• Bosnian Cup: 2024–25