Mateo Barać

Mateo Barać
Barać with Krylia Sovetov in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-07-20) 20 July 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Sinj, Croatia
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Aktobe
Number 44
Youth career
2004–2011 Junak Sinj
2012–2013 Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Junak Sinj
2014 Wohlen 0 (0)
2014–2015 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 3 (0)
2015–2016 Šibenik 24 (3)
2016–2018 Osijek 50 (1)
2018–2021 Rapid Wien 57 (3)
2021–2022 Sochi 10 (0)
2022 → Krylia Sovetov Samara (loan) 6 (1)
2022–2024 Krylia Sovetov Samara 14 (0)
2023 → Oostende (loan) 6 (0)
2024– Aktobe 10 (1)
International career‡
2017– Croatia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 July 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 August 2017

Mateo Barać (Croatian pronunciation: [matěo bǎra:tɕ];[2][3] born 20 July 1994) is a Croatian football defender who plays for Kazakhstani club Aktobe.

Club career

Early career

Born and raised in Sinj, Barać started his youth career at the local Junak Sinj. At the age of 17 he joined the Hajduk Split youth academy, winning the national U-19 championship with the club, but did not receive a professional contract at the end of his academy period, so he returned to third-tier Junak.[4]

Following his first senior-level season playing in his hometown, he signed a three-year contract with the Swiss second-tier team FC Wohlen in July 2014,[5] but his contract was rescinded the following month as Barać couldn't get a Swiss work permit.[6]

Barać then moved back to Croatia, signing with second-tier Hrvatski Dragovoljac for the remainder of the season, but missed most of it due to injury.[7]

NK Šibenik

Barać joined second-tier Šibenik in the summer of 2015, which was at the time coached by Mirko Labrović, his fellow native from Sinj, playing regularly and almost qualifying for the first tier.[8][9]

Osijek

On 1 July 2016, Barać joined Osijek for an undisclosed fee. Impressive display in the first half of the Prva Liga earned him a call-up for Croatian A team for 2017 China Cup. On 3 August 2017, Osijek defeated the Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in the third qualifying round of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League with a 2-0 aggregate win. Many labeled Barać as the key member of the historic victory and Ajax eventually made a 2.5 million euros transfer bid. Osijek and Barać accepted, however the transfer was stopped due to Barać's heart issues revealed on the medical tests.[10]

Rapid Wien

On 12 July 2018, he joined Rapid Wien for a fee of €1,300,000.

Sochi

On 19 June 2021, he moved to Russian club Sochi as a free agent.[11]

Krylia Sovetov Samara

On 19 February 2022, he was loaned to Krylia Sovetov Samara until the end of the season with an option to buy.[12]

On 31 May 2022, Barać moved to Krylia Sovetov on a permanent basis and signed a two-year contract.[13]

Loan to Oostende

On 31 January 2023, Barać joined Oostende in Belgium on loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy.[14]

Aktobe

On 9 February 2024, Krylia Sovetov announced Barać's transfer to Aktobe in Kazakhstan.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of 31 October 2023
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hrvatski Dragovoljac 2014–15 Druga HNL 3 0 — — — 3 0
Šibenik 2015–16 Druga HNL 26 3 2 0 — — 28 3
Osijek 2016–17 Prva HNL 24 1 4 0 — — 28 1
2017–18 Prva HNL 26 0 1 0 7[a] 0 — 34 0
Total 50 1 5 0 7 0 — 62 1
Rapid Wien 2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga 12 0 4 0 9[a] 0 — 25 0
2019–20 Austrian Bundesliga 18 3 2 1 — — 20 4
2020–21 Austrian Bundesliga 27 0 2 0 6[a] 0 — 35 0
Total 57 3 8 1 15 0 0 0 80 4
Rapid Wien II 2020–21 2. Liga 1 0 — — — 1 0
Sochi 2021–22 Russian Premier League 10 0 0 0 4[b] 0 — 14 0
Krylia Sovetov Samara (loan) 2021–22 Russian Premier League 6 1 — — — 6 1
Krylia Sovetov Samara 2022–23 Russian Premier League 8 0 4 0 — — 12 0
2023–24 Russian Premier League 6 0 6 0 — — 12 0
Total 14 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 24 0
Oostende (loan) 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 6 0 0 0 — — 6 0
Career total 173 8 25 1 26 0 0 0 224 9
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

References

  1. ^ "Mateo Barać" (in Russian). PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Màtej". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018. Matèo
  3. ^ "Bartolòmēj". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018. Bàrać
  4. ^ Mateo Barać otkrio kako mu je propao transfer u Ajax te priznao: Drago mi je kad Hajduk pobjeđuje - osim protiv Osijeka at Slobodna Dalmacija
  5. ^ FC Wohlen rüstet auf: Geissmann bleibt definitiv, Barac und Xhema kommen at Aargauer Zeitung
  6. ^ Schönenberger und Barac verlassen Leader Wohlen at Aargauer Zeitung
  7. ^ SAMO JE JEDNOM NASTUPIO ZA VATRENE, A SAD JE PONOVNO NA NASLOVNICAMA! Velika nada briljira u susjedstvu, a za SN otkriva kako mu je propao transfer... at Sportske Novosti
  8. ^ "FOTO: Na Šubićevcu počelo 'pumpanje' za drugu ligu". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  9. ^ Mateo Barać otkrio kako mu je propao transfer u Ajax te priznao: Drago mi je kad Hajduk pobjeđuje - osim protiv Osijeka at Slobodna Dalmacija
  10. ^ "Barać ne ide u Ajax, vraća se u Osijek". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  11. ^ "Хорватский защитник Матео Барач пополнил состав "Сочи"" (in Russian). PFC Sochi. 19 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Матео Барач переходит в "Крылья Советов"" (Press release) (in Russian). PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Матео Барач переходит из "Сочи" в "Крылья Советов"" (in Russian). PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  14. ^ "NIEUWE VERDEDIGER TEKENT OP DEADLINE DAY" (in Dutch). K.V. Oostende. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Матео Барач покидает «Крылья Советов»" (in Russian). FC Krylia Sovetov Samara. 9 February 2024.