Hrvoje Babec

Hrvoje Babec (born 28 July 1999) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Riga in the Latvian Higher League.

Hrvoje Babec
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-07-28) 28 July 1999
Place of birth Virovitica, Croatia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Riga
Number 14
Youth career
2008-2011 Virovitica
2011 Osijek
2012-2015 Hypo-Limač
2016-2018 Metz
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Metz II 8 (0)
2018–2019 Vihor Jelisavac 24 (7)
2019–2022 Gorica 65 (4)
2022– Riga 36 (6)
International career‡
2015–2016 Croatia U17 10 (0)
2017 Croatia U18 2 (0)
2022 Croatia U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 July 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 January 2023

Career

Early career

Born in Virovitica, Babec grew up in the nearby village of Brezik, traveling to train with Virovitica. He was noted early by scouts from bigger clubs and moved to NK Osijek. At the start of 2012 Babec then moved to the Hypo-Limač football academy,[1] run by former Croatia internationals Petar Krpan and Matko Babić.[2] After winning the national amateur club U-17 championship with the team, still 15 years old, he was scouted by foreign scouts and went to train with the Belgian RFC Seraing, and, since he couldn't be signed by them,[3] moved forward after half a year later to France, to join the academy of RFC Seraing's partner club, FC Metz.[4]

In Metz, Babec would go on to become the captain of the FC Metz U-19 team,[5][6] getting his first taste of senior football, playing for Metz II. In 2018, following managerial advice, Babec left France, and went on trial with Dinamo Zagreb B, but the transfer fell through.[7] In September 2018, then, looking for minutes, Babec moved to the Croatian third-tier club Vihor Jelisavac for one season.

HNK Gorica

On 14 July 2019, he signed with Gorica.[8] Babec made his professional debut with Gorica in a 1–1 Croatian First Football League win over NK Inter Zaprešić on 20 July 2019.[9]

International career

Babec was born in Croatia, and was called up to represent the Croatia U21 at the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[10]

References
  1. 'Brat je odustao zbog teške bolesti. A ja sam sobu dijelio s pet dječaka, nismo imali ni TV' at Večernji List website
  2. Akademija at Akademija Krpan-Babić official site
  3. 'Brat je odustao zbog teške bolesti. A ja sam sobu dijelio s pet dječaka, nismo imali ni TV' at Večernji List website
  4. Mladi hrvatski nogometaš Hrvoje Babec kapetan je U-19 momčadi francuskog prvoligaša Metza at ICV.hr
  5. Mladi hrvatski nogometaš Hrvoje Babec kapetan je U-19 momčadi francuskog prvoligaša Metza at ICV.hr
  6. 'Brat je odustao zbog teške bolesti. A ja sam sobu dijelio s pet dječaka, nismo imali ni TV' at Večernji List website
  7. S 18 je bio kapetan u ligi petice, trebao je biti novi Modrić, bio na korak od Dinama, a onda je donio odluku zbog koje žali svaki dan! at 100posto.hr
  8. "Hrvoje Babec potpisao trogodišnji ugovor s hrvatskim prvoligašem Goricom". www.icv.hr (in Croatian). 14 July 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  9. "HNK Gorica vs. Inter Zaprešić - 20 July 2019". Soccerway. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  10. "Bišćan ostao bez još jednog jakog aduta za Euro zbog ozljede". Index.hr (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 March 2021.


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