Josip Pivarić

Josip Pivarić (Croatian pronunciation: [jǒsip pǐʋaritɕ];^[2][3] born 30 January 1989) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

Josip Pivarić

Pivarić in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Josip Pivarić[1]
Date of birth	(1989-01-30) 30 January 1989 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s)	Left-back
Youth career
1999–2008	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2017	Dinamo Zagreb	115	(8)
2008–2012	→ Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan)	67	(1)
2017–2020	Dynamo Kyiv	29	(0)
2020–2023	Lokomotiva Zagreb	79	(11)
International career
2005	Croatia U16	1	(0)
2005	Croatia U17	11	(2)
2005–2007	Croatia U18	8	(0)
2007–2008	Croatia U19	8	(0)
2008	Croatia U20	1	(0)
2013–2018	Croatia	26	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Croatia FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2018
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Dinamo Zagreb

Pivarić joined the Dinamo Zagreb youth academy at a young age. He was promoted to the first team during the spring of 2008. He went out on loan to Dinamo feeder club Lokomotiva Zagreb that same year, making 13 appearances in his first season with the Lokosi. In January 2009, he signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb, spending until the end of the 2011–12 season on loan at Lokomotiva.

In January 2012, Pivarić rejoined the senior squad at Dinamo. He made his senior debut for Dinamo on 25 February 2012, in a 0–3 win over Karlovac. His first goal for the Modri came in a 1–1 draw with Rijeka on 21 April 2012.

Pivarić scored a historic goal for Dinamo in September 2015, the opening goal in a famous 2–1 victory over Arsenal in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League.^[4]

In a friendly match against Norwegian side Strømsgodset in January 2016, Pivarić sustained extensive ligament damage to his knee, forcing him out for the remainder of the 2015–16 season and missing out on probable UEFA Euro 2016 national team selection.^[5] Pivarić made his return on 6 July 2016, in a 1–0 pre-season friendly victory over Copenhagen.^[6]

Dynamo Kyiv

On 8 August 2017, Pivarić signed a three-year contract with Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv.

Lokomotiva Zagreb

On 1 October 2020, Pivarić returned club Lokomotiva Zagreb as a free transfer.

Retirement

On 1 July 2023, Pivarić announced his retirement from football aged 34.

International career

Pivarić made his international debut for the Croatia national football team on 14 August 2013, in a 3–2 win over Liechtenstein in Vaduz.

In May 2018 he was named in Croatia's preliminary 32 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.^[7] Throughout the tournament Ivan Strinić, Croatia's first choice left back, was battling injuries mostly due to his team playing three consecutive extra time matches to get to the final. This allowed Pivarić a great deal of playtime in Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup Final. He earned a total of 26 caps, scoring no goals. His final international was an October 2018 friendly against Jordan.^[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of the match played on 1 July 2023

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan)	2008–09	Druga HNL	13	1	—		—		—		13	1
	2009–10	Prva HNL	9	0	—		—		—		9	0
	2010–11	Prva HNL	29	0	—		—		—		29	0
	2011–12	Prva HNL	16	0	—		—		—		16	0
	Total		67	1	—		—		—		67	1
Dinamo Zagreb	2011–12	Prva HNL	10	3	5	0	—		—		15	3
	2012–13	Prva HNL	28	3	1	0	11[a]	0	—		40	3
	2013–14	Prva HNL	22	1	5	0	8[b]	0	—		35	1
	2014–15	Prva HNL	16	0	4	0	9[c]	0	1[d]	0	30	0
	2015–16	Prva HNL	15	0	—		11[a]	2	—		26	2
	2016–17	Prva HNL	24	1	3	0	8[a]	0	—		35	1
	Total		115	8	18	0	47	2	1	0	181	10
Dynamo Kyiv	2017–18	Ukrainian Premier League	21	0	3	0	8[e]	0	—		32	0
	2018–19	Ukrainian Premier League	6	0	1	0	5[f]	0	—		12	0
	2019–20	Ukrainian Premier League	2	0	1	0	0	0	—		3	0
	Total		29	0	5	0	13	0	—		47	0
Lokomotiva Zagreb	2020-21	Prva HNL	23	6	1	1	—		—		24	7
	2021-22	Prva HNL	28	3	3	2	—		—		31	5
	2022-23	Prva HNL	28	2	2	0	—		—		30	2
	Total		79	11	6	3	—		—		85	14
Career total			290	20	29	3	60	2	1	0	380	25

1. Appearance(s) in the UEFA Champions League
2. Five appearances in the UEFA Champions League, three appearances in the UEFA Europa League
3. Two appearances in the UEFA Champions League, seven appearances in the UEFA Europa League
4. Appearance in the Croatian Super Cup
5. Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League
6. Three appearances in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Europa League

International

As of 15 October 2018^[9]

Croatia
Year	Apps	Goals
2013	2	0
2014	0	0
2015	3	0
2016	4	0
2017	9	0
2018	8	0
Total	26	0

Honours

Dinamo Zagreb

• HNL: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• Croatian Cup: 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16
• Croatian Super Cup: 2013

Dynamo Kyiv

• Ukrainian Cup: 2019-20

Croatia

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018^[10]

Orders

• Order of Duke Branimir: 2018^[11]