Dino Drpić

Dino Drpić (born 26 May 1981) is a Croatian former footballer who played as a defender. A product of Dinamo Zagreb Academy, Drpić turned professional in 2000 and went on to spend nine years with the club.

Club career Drpić rose through the youth ranks of Dinamo and became a consistent performer in the first squad. He debuted for the first team in a UEFA Champions League qualifiers return match at A.C. Milan on 9 August 2000, and was one of the key figures in Dinamo's squad in the upcoming seasons. Dinamo loaned Dino to Karlsruher SC in 2008–09 winter transfer window following a scandal in which it was revealed that he and his Playboy model wife Nives Celzijus had sex on the grass at Dinamo's ground. He was signed permanently during the season and was released on 22 April 2010. After Karlsruhe, Drpić had brief spells with AEK Athens in Greece and Volyn Lutsk in Ukraine before returning to Croatia in March 2012, signing for HNK Rijeka.

In January 2013, Drpić signed with Brunei DPMM FC as one of their foreign players for the 2013 S.League season. However, his stay was brief as he was released by the club the following May.

International career After winning almost 30 caps as a Croatian youth international and having participated in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, Drpić received his first call-up to represent the country as a full international in 2007. He made his debut for Croatia on 16 October 2007 in a friendly match against Slovakia, but did not feature in any of the team's qualifying matches for the UEFA Euro 2008. In the end, it remains his only full international appearance.

Personal life Drpić was married to Playboy model and singer Nives Celzijus, with whom he has children Taiša and Leone. They divorced in 2014.

While on holiday in Krk in the summer of 2008, a British couple tried to kidnap their son Leone after mistaking him for Madeleine McCann.

Career statistics Season Club League Games Goal(s) 2000–01 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 16 0 2001–02 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 21 0 2002–03 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 14 1 2003–04 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 32 3 2004–05 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 9 0 2005–06 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 31 1 2006–07 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 27 5 2007–08 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 22 1 2008–09 Dinamo Zagreb Prva HNL 13 0 2008–09 Karlsruher SC Bundesliga 16 0 2009–10 Karlsruher SC 2. Bundesliga 17 0 2010–11 AEK Athens Super League Greece 2 0 2011–12 Volyn Lutsk Ukraine Premier League 3 0 2011–12 HNK Rijeka Prva HNL 7 0 2013 DPMM FC S.League 11 0

Honours Croatian First League: 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08 Croatian Cup: 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08