Zvonimir Soldo
Zvonimir Soldo as manager of 1. FC Köln
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 November 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position |
Centre back Defensive midfielder |
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| Club information | |||
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Current team
|
Shandong Luneng (coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1990 | Dinamo Zagreb | 36 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | NK Zadar | 26 | (2) |
| 1991–1994 | Inter Zaprešić | 55 | (2) |
| 1994–1996 | Dinamo Zagreb | 51 | (3) |
| 1996–2006 | VfB Stuttgart | 301 | (15) |
| Total | 469 | (22) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1994–2002 | Croatia | 61 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2008 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||
| 2009–2010 | 1. FC Köln | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 2006. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of June 2006 |
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Zvonimir Soldo (born 2 November 1967) is a former Croatian football player who a manager, having recently (October 2010) parted with German Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln. During his playing career, he mostly played in defensive roles, as sweeper or centre back, but occasionally also in defensive midfielder.
After studying law for six semesters at the University of Zagreb, Soldo's parents convinced him to pursue a career as professional football player.
Soldo's professional career began with NK Dinamo Zagreb which he left for NK Zadar after two years. 1991 through 1994, he played for NK Inter Zaprešić before returning to his former club NK Dinamo Zagreb.
Runner-up in both Croatian league and cup in his first season back at Zagreb, the next campaign saw Soldo's side complete a domestic double in 1995/96. After achieving all he could in domestic football, Soldo headed for German side VfB Stuttgart.
Soldo made his Bundesliga debut on 17 August 1996 against FC Schalke 04. This was the beginning of his time in Stuttgart which would last for ten years and during which he would lead the VfB Stuttgart on the pitch as captain nearly 200 times.
During this period, Zvonimir Soldo played another 300 times in the Bundesliga and 47 times in European competitions, won the German cup in 1997 and reached the European Cup Winners Cup final in 1998, as well as finishing as runner-up in the 2002/03 campaign.
After being an exemplary sportsman and role model for younger players all these years, Soldo played his last Bundesliga match for Stuttgart on 6 May 2006.
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