Vedran Corluka Croatia. Biography

One of the best foreign players of the Russian championship decided to stay in the troubled Lokomotiv for another four years. Weekly Football met with Vedran Corluka to ask why he is still in Cherkizovo.

Contract

— You had a stormy summer. What clubs have you been interested in - Bayern, Fiorentina, Besiktas, probably West Ham, Spartak...

— It’s always like this after the European Championship. Everyone is watching: you played well - you will have plenty of offers. Croatia were good at Euro 2016. Yes, we were relegated unsuccessfully, but we were still rated very highly. European clubs began to become interested. But you see - while I'm here.

— Was there a moment when just a little more, half a step more, and you were no longer at Lokomotiv?

- Honestly? Was. When the leadership change process began, I felt some uncertainty. At the same time, some clubs really showed a substantive interest in me. But you know how everything was resolved in the end - the contract with Loko was extended.

— You are perhaps the best central defender in Russia and definitely one of the best in Europe. You probably had an offer from London - your favorite city; they want to see you in Istanbul, where any football player is a little god. Fiorentina, a club from the most beautiful city in Europe, wants you. Spartak, a club with a completely different number of fans, is standing at your door with a contract in hand. But you still choose Lokomotiv. Why?

— Do you remember how I ended up in Moscow? It was 2012. I wasn’t doing well at Tottenham, I was on loan at Leverkusen, and now Bilic and Lokomotiv are giving me one of the best chances of my life. I have friends here, this is a great stadium. Moscow, no matter what you say, is a wonderful city. But the main thing is that I haven’t given everything I should to Lokomotiv yet. They always believed in me here. In the summer I should have believed in Lokomotiv.

- Open Wikipedia. Vedran Corluka, titles - all won in Zagreb, plus one and only Cup - with Lokomotiv. It seems like it should be a shame.

— When I come to the Croatian national team, we sit down and everyone tells us what’s good about their club. Modric says that they won with Real, Rakitic - that in Barcelona, ​​Mandzukic - whatever in Juventus. And so on, all the guys take turns. And I sit and remain silent and dream that someday I will tell them too: we won the championship, we took the Cup. In the meantime, yes, it’s a shame. I stayed, among other things, to fix this.

"Locomotive"

“It was a very difficult year for Lokomotiv - you say these words after every season. Have you ever had one period when it was easy for you and your team was happy?

— When Kuchuk was a coach and we had a player like Diarra. I was happy then and saw that the team was capable of a lot. And the next season was a disaster. I don’t understand why - on the contrary, we had to take a step up. But it’s always like this with Lokomotiv: there is no middle ground, there is only black and white. Sometimes I wonder why these are not our club colors (laughs).

- Why is that?

— Do you remember how we started this season? Change of boss, three coaches in a month, three players on the last day of transfers. I have never seen a club start a championship like this in my life. I see that the new management wants to bring back the fans, they want positivity. But people in Russia always believe in miracles, they think that everything can be changed in a day or a month. I understand them: the fans bought a T-shirt, bought a ticket, they have the right to demand results from us. But they must also understand: to do something worthwhile takes time.

— You never said a bad word about Olga Smorodskaya. But you couldn’t help but see and hear what was happening in the stands of your stadium. Have you seen that there is a war between fans and the club president?

- We are not deaf or blind. But again I won’t say a bad word about Olga. I saw what she was going through, I saw how she was - how do you say that in Russian? – happy when we took the Cup. But I'll tell you one more situation. Kuchuk's time. We have a game with Terek, and if we win, we become first. There are 7 thousand fans in the stadium. We, the players on the field, need every one of them. But the entire match the stands shout: “Olga is this, Olga is that.” I respect the fans' opinion. But I don’t understand, is it really impossible to forget about your war for 90 minutes and be with the team at the most crucial moment?

Bilic

— Slaven Bilic brought you to Moscow. Are you talking now?

- O, sure. This is my football dad, and many in the Croatian national team will say the same about him. I was 18 years old when he called me up for the youth team. I'm now watching his West Ham and worrying about it. He can call me, Modric, or one of the other guys, and then we discuss among ourselves what he told whom.

— When you become a coach, will you be the same as Bilic?

- I don't want to be a coach. A coach is when you have 25 people and everyone has their own head, and what’s in that head is unknown. I know the thoughts of only one football player - Vedran Corluka. And if I were a coach, I wouldn’t want Corluka on my team. And the coach has 25 such players, and everyone thinks that he knows better than anyone else how and what to do.

— Everyone is crazy about Bilic. Why?

- He's honest. He tells you everything to your face, and does it in such a way that it is impossible to be offended by him. Sometimes he yells at you, but at that moment you yourself understand that you are to blame. I'll tell you one thing: every football player knows when he did something wrong. And if he doesn’t understand that he made a mistake, he’s not a football player, he should have some other profession.

— Slaven had his own rock band. Have you been to his concerts?

- Not even once! I won’t say that this is not my music, there just weren’t enough concerts, ha! He has many talents, he can be a coach, he can be a lawyer - he has a law degree, and he can be a musician. I remember very well the song he recorded before Euro 2008. It played on our team bus every time we went to a game.

— You could have won medals at that European Championship. If not for the defeat from Turkey in the quarterfinals.

- I don’t want to remember. The biggest nightmare of my career. After the match, the whole team cried in the locker room, and the whole country felt just as lousy. This is a huge disappointment. We scored in the 118th minute, we had the ball four times, the goalkeeper several times. If we had waited a little, if Rakitic had kicked the ball into touch, if... There were so many moments to decide this match in our favor. And we missed it... So many years have passed, and I have never rewatched that game. It’s only by chance that I see replays when our TV plays them before the next match with Turkey, and how everything turns upside down again in just a couple of minutes. Yes, this is football. But when we say that we love football for moments like these, we usually imagine ourselves on the winning side.

Fan fine

— You lost to Portugal this summer at Euro 2016, also conceding in the 117th minute.

- This is different. There is no comparison with that disappointment. When you've already had one football tragedy in your career, other blows are easier to bear.

— For Russia, this European Championship has turned into a war of fans. You played in Zagreb, and this whole topic of fan hooliganism couldn’t help but affect you.

— Yes, Dynamo – Hajduk, perhaps the toughest derby in Europe. We flew to Split, and Hajduk fans were screaming under our windows all night, our windows on the bus were broken, all this happened. For us this is the norm, this is the Balkans, and everyone looks at it more calmly. We have even already played a match between Croatia and Serbia. True, UEFA forbade Croatian fans from traveling to Serbia, and Serbian fans from visiting us. They did the right thing.

— As a child, did you ever want to go to the fan stand, where there is fire and complete brutality?

— I watched every match of Dinamo Zagreb since I was 8 years old. And I shouted bad words, but did not fight. I only ran onto the field a couple of times after we won the championship. After one of these races, a fine came home - the police found me out.

- Big?

- Not. I think 200-300 euros.

Russia

— After the Euro, we are now discussing whether Russia is a football country or not. Have you heard this statement?

- I listened, yes. But I don’t understand how you determine whether football is football or not? By the way they go to the stadium? Where do they go well now, besides England and Germany? In Spain? But there are three clubs there, whose matches are always sold out, and at Getafe - Levante there are 7 thousand people. Italy is the same: it used to be, now it’s not. Roma - Atalanta - 30 thousand, and the stadium hosts 70. Everyone has problems. But you will now have excellent stadiums to solve them. CSKA, Krasnodar, Spartak, Lokomotiv - they all have very good arenas, now it’s up to the clubs - they must work.

— When you come to the Croatian national team, what do they ask you most about Russia?

- About girls.

— Not about Putin?

— In fact, all football players most often talk about football among themselves. Nowadays the questions I get most often are about the World Cup.

— In which city would you like Croatia to play?

— Moscow and St. Petersburg.

— Saransk?

- Ha! If it were possible to choose, Saransk would be the last option. In fact, I really respect the city and its inhabitants, but nothing can compare with Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. Then come Sochi, Kazan and Yekaterinburg. I generally love big cities. For example, Guilherme can live somewhere outside the city, in his own house. When I have a big family, maybe I will also move into my own house. And now I need the city center, I need a lot of people around me, so that there is a cafe nearby where I can go for coffee. I may not go there and cook at home, but it’s important for me to know that I have such an opportunity.

— Is that why you love London most of all cities?

— Fantastic city. There I had only one problem - driving on the left. And when I drove a car with a manual transmission, with my left hand I constantly stuck into reverse or third gear instead of first gear. Then he took the machine gun. So London, yes, is the first place. Moscow and New York share second or third place.

Oscar

— What is your dog’s name?

- Oscar. I tell everyone that this is my son! I didn't like dogs before. And then my friend tells me that I can get a puppy. Take it, I answer, if you want. But so, without much enthusiasm. And when they brought him to us, he played with him a little and we understood each other. Now he really is like a son to me.

— This is the first time I’ve seen a person who got a tattoo with a portrait of his dog.

“My girlfriend also said: you’re crazy!” What about me? If Oscar is in Croatia with her, then let him be with me too.

— You are generally creative when it comes to tattoos. There is also a matryoshka doll.

— I did it a year ago. I still love Russia, I wanted to do this as a reminder that I feel good here.

— What is the most unusual tattoo you have ever seen?

— I knew a guy in Croatia who knocked out a check from McDonald's. He was drunk.

- Ok, then what's the craziest thing you've ever done?

- Ha! This is a question to which I will remain silent. There was a lot, a lot...

— But here’s a bloody photo on your Instagram. Is this complete madness?

“They bandaged me four times.” On the last one, I already told the coach: “If you want, change me, because I don’t know how it will all end.” He replied: “I need you on the field.” I put this photo for our fans. So that they know that it is important for us to play for the Croatian national team.

— Here’s another photo from your Instagram.

— This picture was taken by a girl in Zagreb and given to me. I really wanted to wish Luka [Modrić] a happy birthday. Here we are young and beautiful. I wish I could go back to those times, but...

- And here you shine your nickname - Charlie. Where is it from?

“I was ten years old, we were playing some kind of match, and someone’s father shouted to me: “Charlie!” And everyone around started: Charlie, Charlie. And this has been the case for 20 years.

Career up to 36 years old

— You are already 30. And a new contract for four years. Is Lokomotiv your last club?

- I would like it to be so. But suddenly in a year or two the club will say: we are unhappy with you, goodbye. We live in such a crazy world where no one knows what will happen in a month. But I would like to play until I'm 36. Let's knock on the table, just in case, but I feel very good now and make sure my body and legs are fine. Three years ago I brought my physiotherapist from Croatia, and he still lives in Moscow. He knows my body completely, all the problems I may have, and I think that working with him will prolong my career.

“Wait, you brought a physical therapist with you, you’ve been paying him a fee all these years, and he’s only working for you?”

- Yes, that’s all true. He worked for the Croatian national team and was the chief physiotherapist for Dinamo Zagreb. But I suggested to him: do you want to work only with me in Moscow? I knew that there were a lot of artificial fields here and I would have problems. He agreed. Sometimes I can rent it out to Pejcinovic for one massage, but then I call it back.

— Are you and Pejcinovic friends?

“He and I speak the same language, we play on the same team, it would be strange if we weren’t friends.”

— In Croatia, are they calm about your friendship with the Serb?

— Many years have passed since that war, Serbs and Croats are much calmer towards each other. And here, in Moscow, I often communicate with Tosic - we were once one country, we have the same mentality, the same language, the same cuisine. This is fine.

— Which Russians are you friends with?

- With Samedov. In Croatia we say about some people: he has two faces. So Alexander is not like that. He has one face when he looks into your eyes, and it doesn’t change when you turn your back to him. I appreciate such people.

— Are you sick of football yet? Not long ago I spoke with Rio Olympic champions in synchronized swimming, and they admitted that they could no longer see these pool tiles.

“We footballers ourselves don’t understand how lucky we are. Those people who win the Olympics in other sports work much harder than us and do not receive the money they should receive. And we are lucky: everyone loves football, everyone watches it, all the sponsors come to us, there is more money in our sport, we earn more. Today we had a training session for two hours, and that’s it - go home and recover. You have all the time in the world to do what you love. How long do those girls train? I think seven to eight hours a day. Athletics, swimming pools, judo, boxing... They have a crazy job. And we, the footballers, are lucky.

Text: Andrey Vdovin

Photo: Sergey Dronyaev, Vedran Chorluka’s Instagram, Global Look Press

Vedran Corluka was born on February 5, 1986 in the Bosnian city of Doboj. When Vedran was eight years old, he entered the Dinamo Zagreb football academy. Ten years later, Corluka signed his first professional contract, after which Dynamo immediately loaned their 18-year-old pupil to the Inter team from Zapresic. After a year at Inter, Corluka returned to Dynamo, where in two years he grew into one of the team leaders and won two gold medals in the Croatian championship, and also won the Croatian Cup and Super Cup.

In the summer of 2007, Corluka moved to the English Manchester City. Vedran quickly adapted to the new team and immediately secured his place in the team. After a successful season with the Citizens, Tottenham in London set their sights on the Croatian and eventually bought the rights to the defender from Manchester City.

Corluka spent four years with Spurs, playing a total of more than a hundred matches for the London club. For the last six months, the Croatian has been playing on loan at the German Bayer Leverkusen.

Having made his debut for the Croatian national team at the age of 20, Corluka has since played more than fifty matches for the national team and played in its squad at Euro 2008 and Euro 2012.

One of the features of Corluka is his universalism. In different teams, Vedran played in three positions at once: central and right back, as well as defensive midfielder.

In June 2012, Vedran Corluka signed a contract with Lokomotiv. At the end of the 2014/2015 season, fans recognized Corluka as the best player on the team. At the summer training camp before the 2015/2016 season, Vedran was appointed captain of the team.

December Played 90 minutes in the match with Ural.

November Missed several matches due to injury, but returned to the starting lineup at the end of the month.

October Corluka played 90 minutes each in matches with Skenderbeu and Spartak. In the game with Besiktas he received a red card.

September Scored a goal against Krylia Sovetov. He celebrated his anniversary in the match with CSKA - this game became Vedran’s hundredth in Lokomotiv. Once again received a call to the Croatian national team.

August Played five matches, distinguished himself in the game against Dynamo. Received a call to the Croatian national team

July The best player of last season, according to fans, confirms his level in the new championship. The team captain was, as always, reliable, won almost all single combats, went on the attack and managed to protect his partners.

May Spent the month at the usual high level. He led the defense and helped the attack. It was Chorluka who, with his signature pass, threw Alexey Miranchuk into the breakthrough in the 110th minute of the Russian Cup final with Kuban, chalking up an assist. At the end of the season, Vedran received a call-up to the Croatian national team.

April Of the five matches of the Russian championship in April, I started all five. After Duritsa's injury, Vedran was given a double responsibility, which he handled brilliantly. Unfortunately, in the last minutes of the game against Krasnodar, Corluka was also injured, but the defender should return to action in the near future.

March Finished second in the voting for the best player of the month. As always, he played reliably and confidently in defense. Largely thanks to Vedran, Lokomotiv conceded only one goal in four March matches. At the end of the month, Corluka went to the Croatian national team for the Euro 2016 qualifying match with Norway. The Croats won 5:1, and Vedran was sent off in the 74th minute.

February Continued preparations for the season with Lokomotiv at the second and third training camps. He received a minor injury in the 34th minute of a friendly match with Atlético Paranaense (0:0). He played a half in the match with Amkar (0:2), and also spent 90 minutes in the matches with Dynamo Bucharest (1:0), Videoton (1:0) and Dacia (2:3) . On February 5, he celebrated his 29th birthday at a training camp in Spain.

January Went to a team training camp in Turkey, where he spent one half in friendly matches with Borussia U-23 (0:1) and Ulysses (4:0). At the training camp, he received a prize for the best player of December based on the results of voting by Lokomotiv fans.

December Became the best player of the last month of 2014. With matches against Ural and Terek, Vedran once again proved his highest level. The vast majority of opponents' attacks collapsed against the insurmountable Croatian wall in our defense. And the “dry” streak reached 5 matches. But Vedran was not only impeccable in tackles and tackles, but was also useful in attack, even scoring a goal against Ural, which was unfairly canceled out. At the end of the year he was recognized as the best player in the Premier League according to Sovsport.ru readers.

November In November it became finally clear that the Croatian king of Lokomotiv's defense had returned to his former form. Having not played against Dynamo due to disqualification, Vedran subsequently did not miss a single minute of playing time - and with him in the lineup, the red-greens did not concede any more goals. In the derby with Spartak, the Croatian became perhaps the best player of the match, not allowing his opponent to even hit the target.

October Played all three matches in October, including the cup match. He reliably closed the central defensive zone, which allowed the team to achieve a good result. He received a yellow card in the match with Spartak and was forced to miss the derby with Dynamo in early November.

September Was absolutely irreplaceable, leading all team meetings in September. The match with Amkar became a benefit for the Croatian player: the first double in his career and the long-awaited victory for Lokomotiv. The crowning achievement of recognition for an excellent game was another nomination for the title of best player of the month.

August Played four matches in the national championship, earning three yellow cards and a deletion, as well as two European Cup matches against Apollo.

July Having rested after the World Cup, he arrived at the club’s location for the second training camp, where he took part in the last two matches: against Fortuna and Bayer 04.

May He played the matches against Rostov and CSKA in full, and at the end of the season he was nominated for the title of best player of the team. In the final poll he received 32.3 percent of the votes and took second place. He was first included in the expanded and then in the final squad of the Croatian national team for the World Cup, becoming one of two representatives of Lokomotiv in Brazil. In the test matches before the World Cup, he appeared on the field in the match with Mali.

April For the second time while playing for Lokomotiv, he received a prize for the best player of the month. At the same time, at the end of April he was among the nominees for the next statuette. To the calm and confident defensive play against Volga and Anzhi in April, he added a stunning diagonal to Tkachev’s assist in the match against Terek and several blocked dangerous shots from Krasnodar.

March In March, he confirmed his high class. Largely thanks to his ability to close absolutely all the “cracks” in his penalty area, Lokomotiv conceded only once in four games – and even then from a long distance. In addition to his confident play in defense, he made several impressive attacks. Received a nomination for the best player of the month award.

February Played six matches at the February training camp. Received a call to the Croatian national team for the match with Switzerland.

December As usual, he reigned in his own penalty area in both December matches and joined the attack quite successfully. The Croatian defender managed several interesting passes through the center, and in the match with Kuban it was he who scored the winning goal, responding to Samedov’s serve from a set-piece. Received a nomination for the title of best player of the month.

November Played three matches, receiving one yellow card. As part of the Croatian national team, he won a ticket to the World Cup in Brazil, defeating Iceland in a two-game match.

Vedran Corluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Lokomotiv Moscow. National player. Capable of playing both as a central and right-back. Born in the city of Derventa, located in the northern part of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

At the age of eight, Vedran was enrolled in the football academy of Dinamo Zagreb, where he received the status of a professional football player in 2003. Soon the defender joined Dynamo's main team, but already in 2004 he was loaned to Inter Zapresic to gain playing experience. By the way, Corluka’s future teammate at Tottenham and the Croatian national team, Luka Modric, also played for Inter at that time. For his temporary team, the player played 27 matches and scored 4 goals. Inter itself won silver medals in the Croatian Championship at the end of the season. After such a successful internship, Vedran was able to gain a foothold in his main club without any problems.

In the 2005/06 season, Corluka not only consolidated his successes, but also achieved new heights - he became the champion of Croatia as part of Dinamo Zagreb. Over the entire season, the footballer played 31 matches and scored three goals. In addition, the defender received a call to his national team, where he made his debut in the summer of 2006.

The next season was marked by even greater achievements for Vedran. He defended the Croatian champion title with his teammates, and also won the Cup and Super Cup of his country with them. In total, that season the player took part in 30 matches, scoring 4 goals.

After such serious victories, a number of top European clubs paid attention to the player. Already in 2007, Corluka moved to the English camp of Manchester City, which paid 11.5 million pounds sterling for the transfer. Vedran himself signed a five-year contract with the Citizens. In Manchester, the Croatian defender immediately won a place in the team, playing in 38 matches in the 2007/08 season.

At the beginning of the 2008/09 season, the player managed to take part in 6 matches for the Citizens, after which, at the very end of the summer transfer window, he was bought by London Tottenham for 12.5 million pounds. In London, the footballer was reunited with his compatriot and ex-Inter teammate Luka Modric. Immediately after the transfer, the defender began to appear in the Spurs first team, and by the end of the football year he became a finalist in the English League Cup (in the final, Tottenham lost to Manchester United in a penalty shootout) and winner of the Barclays Asia Trophy. In the Premier League, the defender played in 37 matches that season (34 for Spurs, 3 for Manchester City).

In the 2009/10 season, the Croatian remained one of Tottenham's main players and helped his team take fourth place in the Premier League, which allowed Spurs to compete in the Champions League the following season.

The next season was not so successful for Corluka: he played in 15 Premier League matches and 4 Champions League matches, often losing his place in the starting lineup to Alan Hutton. Spurs were unable to repeat last year's success and took 5th place in the English Championship. But the Londoners sensationally reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, where, however, they were defeated by Real Madrid with a total score of 5:0.

In the summer of 2011, Hutton left Tottenham to join Aston Villa. The departure of a competitor could have returned Vedran’s place in the starting lineup, but by that time the young English defender Kyle Walker had blossomed at Spurs. Thus, the Croatian was again on the bench. On January 31, 2012, he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen for six months. In the summer of 2012, the player returned to London.

Corluka is tall, thanks to which he plays well on the second floor. He is physically strong and has good coordination. In addition, the Croatian skillfully acts when choosing a position. But its main advantage is versatility. Vedran mainly plays as a right full-back, but can also play on the left flank and in the center of defense, as a defensive midfielder, and, if necessary, retrain as a lateral.

On August 16, 2006, Vedran made his debut for the Croatian national team, taking part in a friendly match against the Italian national team. The meeting took place in the Italian city of Livorno and ended with the victory of the Checkers with a score of 2:0. After that match, Corluka firmly secured his place in the national team, where he began to play under the fifth playing number. At Euro 2008, the defender reached the quarterfinals with his team, playing in all four matches of the tournament. On October 11, 2011, he played his 50th match for the national team.

He played with the Croats at Euro 2012, where he played all three group stage matches. The Croatian national team left a good impression, but failed to advance from its group, losing to the teams of Spain and Italy. The checkers themselves scored 4 points and remained in third place in the group. Corluka, like his teammates on the national team, received high marks and reviews at the tournament.

In July 2012, Chorluka transferred to the camp of Lokomotiv Moscow.

Vedran Corluka is a football player who plays as a defender in Lokomotiv Moscow. He is a key player in the Croatian national team. Considered one of the best football players in the country. During his career he managed to play in many top European championships. In Russia he became a famous legionnaire and was loved by the public. Little is known about Corluka's personal life. In every match he shows his high level and gives his all.

Biography

Vedran Corluka was born in 1986 in the town of Dervent, Yugoslavia. The parents of the future football player are from Modran, a village nearby. The boy was six years old when the family moved to Croatia, namely Zagreb. The reason for the move was the hostilities in Bosnia. The player's dad got a job as an engineer. In the future, he became an agent of Vedran.

Career in Croatia

In 1994, Vedran Corluka began training at Dinamo Zagreb. He spent eight years playing in the youth team, and then received the status of a professional player and joined the Dynamo team. The player failed to gain a foothold in the starting lineup due to competition in the position. A year later he goes on loan to Inter from Zapresic. Here he was able to play with Modric and da Silva. He played 27 games at the club and scored 4 goals. Inter managed to shine that season and took second place in the Croatian Championship.

Having shown high-quality football, Vedran Corluka, for whom Spartak offered good money, returned from his loan and immediately established himself in the Dynamo team. The young defender became indispensable for the team and helped win the national championship in his debut season. He managed to enter the field 31 times and score three times. In 2006 he received an invitation to the Croatian national team.

The next season becomes productive for both the team and the defender. Dynamo managed to win three trophies: the National Cup and Super Cup, as well as the championship. Vedran Corluka, whose photo was in many newspapers that season, appeared on the field in 30 matches and scored 4 goals. Famous European clubs began to show attention to the football player, including Borussia Dortmund and the Italian Milan.

England

In 2007, Vedran Corluka signed a contract with Manchester City. Dinamo Zagreb received £11.5 million for the defender. By the way, Corluka has been a fan of Manchester United since childhood, and later wanted to play for this English team. At City, he instantly became a first-team player. He appeared in 38 matches during the season and helped the team win important games.

The following season, he played only the first 6 matches for the “citizens” and went to Tottenham. Manchester City received £12.5 million from the transfer. In the new team, he again began to play with his teammate and Inter teammate Modric. The transfer took place in a tense atmosphere. Vedran was at Euro 2008 when Spurs management got in touch. The defender was not against the transfer, but it dragged on. Before the transfer window closed, Corluka himself submitted a request for him and went to Tottenham. In his first season for his new club, he made 36 appearances and reached the Football League Cup final.

Germany

At the end of January 2012, the management of the English club sent the defender on loan to the German Bayer. Until the end of the season, he appeared in only seven matches and was not particularly effective.

Russia

In the summer of 2012, Russian media spread good news for fans of Lokomotiv Moscow - Chorluka moved to the camp of the capital club. The defender cost seven million euros, but the management managed to knock down two million. Vedran Corluka, whose personal life is hidden from prying eyes, distinguished himself in his debut match and made it clear that he was not bought in vain.

He became a starter in the first season and played 27 matches. Twice he became the best player of the month according to Lokomotiv fans. In 2013/14 he does not slow down and takes the field in every match. This season, thanks to the confident actions of the defense, the Moscow club finished in third place in the Russian Championship. The 2014/15 season brought the team the National Cup. Vedran Corluka was recognized as the best player of the year at Lokomotiv, and the management appoints him captain. The defender started the next national championship as a leader. In winter, he refused a transfer to Bayern Munich. In August 2016, he extended his contract with Lokomotiv for four years.

In the national team

He played his first game in 2006 against Italy. Together with the national team he took part in all major tournaments. At Euro 2016 in France he became one of the key players for Croatia and helped them qualify from the group.

Vedran Corluka is a Croatian footballer of Bosnian origin, born on February 5, 1986. Currently, he defends the colors of the English Premier League club Tottenham, where he plays in the defensive line. With a height of 193 cm and a weight of 84 kg, Vedran has good coordination. His main feature is his versatility; he can play in the center of defense, on the right flank or cover the entire right side.

Corluka started playing football when he was 8 years old in the youth team of Dinamo Zagreb. In 2003, he received the status of a professional football player. The following year, 2004, the Dynamo management decided to send Vedran and his future national team partner, Luka Modric, to Inter from Zapresice for a year. It was assumed that during the 2004-2005 season, young football players would gain experience and be able to prove themselves. And Chorluka lived up to the hopes placed on him. He played 27 matches for Inter and scored 4 goals, which is a pretty good result for a defender. That same year, Inter unexpectedly took second place in the Croatian Championship.

In 2005, Corluka was returned to Dynamo, giving him a place in the main team. The following season he played 31 matches and scored 3 goals. The defender's high level of play was confirmed in 2006, when he became the champion of Croatia. Together with Dynamo, he maintained this status for three years.

The confident play of the young defender attracted the attention of the national team coaches. And the call to the national team was not long in coming. On August 16, 2006, Vedran Corluka made his debut in a friendly match against the Italian national team, which took place in Livorno. The debut was successful - the “checkered” won 2:0, and Corluka played the second half. He entered the field after the break, replacing Ante Seric. Since then, Vedran has been a key player in the Croatian national team. At Euro 2008, the team with his participation reached the quarterfinals, and Corluka played in all matches. Vedran has currently played 34 matches for the Croatian national team.

In 2007, Corluka won the national championship with Dynamo and also won the Croatian Cup and Super Cup, playing 30 matches and scoring 4 goals. After that, leading European clubs drew attention to the impressive defender, and in August 2007 he signed a contract with Manchester City for a period of 5 years. The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but, according to some sources, it amounted to 8 million pounds. His debut came in a match held at Stamford Bridge, in which London's Chelsea left no stone unturned against Vedran's new team. After the referee's whistle, the scoreboard recorded a score of 6:0 in favor of the "aristocrats", some of the goals were on the conscience of the Croatian newcomer.

But such a terrible start did not break Corluka, who played 38 matches during his first season in England and helped the Citizens to ninth place in the Premier League and the opportunity to participate in the fight for the UEFA Cup, through victory in the Intertoto Cup. On August 31, 2008, Vedran Corluka played his last match in a Manchester City jersey. It was a game against Sunderland, which Manchester won 3:0. And the next day he was introduced to the fans as a player of the London Tottenham, who paid 8.5 million pounds for him. At this time, his friend and partner in the Croatian national team, Luka Modric, also played in Tottenham.

In his first season with Tottenham, Corluka played 36 matches, becoming a League Cup finalist and winner of the Barclays Asia Trophy, in the final of which they defeated another English club, Hull City, with a score of 3:0.

Vedran Corluka scored his first goal in the English Championship against Aston Villa while still playing for Manchester City. He scored his second, and so far his last, goal as part of the Spurs against Bolton on October 3, 2009.