FUTURE STARS SERIES | Vito Matijević: The Next Mandžukić

Written by CroatianSports.com Staff

At a young age, Vito Matijević was told to “never stop believing in himself, to always be persistent, and to keep pushing further and further.”

The 16 year-old striker has done nothing short of that, denying offers from Chelsea and Everton to improve as a player under a professional contract at GNK Dinamo Zagreb. Similar to Croatia’s heroic target man, Mario Mandžukić, Matijević stands at 187 cm (6’1″) and has the eyes of an eagle on the pitch. Mandzo is 6’3″. In the HNL U-17 Championship, Matijević leads the league in assists, providing 17 in only 13 matches. Vito won the golden boot at the U-17 Prague Tournament after facing European powerhouses such as Juventus and Tottenham, and earned a U-15 HNL title to his name during his years with NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. In his title-winning season with Lokomotiva, the young forward had been labeled the best player in the league.

After speaking with his agent Matej Škegro from MSports PRO, we learned that Vito was born less than a mile away from Stadion Maksimir, and has dreamt of succeeding in the Dinamo Zagreb shirt since the beginning of his childhood. Vito hopes to play for Real Madrid following his years of maturation in Zagreb, filling the shoes of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. The consistency and work ethic shown by Matijević says a lot about his attitude towards the game and his hunger to succeed. Although he is only 16 years-old, Vito is among the top young talents in Croatian football and is projected to become a key player for the Vatreni in years to come.

The future of Croatian football has never been brighter, especially in the attack. Joining the likes of Ivan Šaranić and Luka Sučić, Vito Matijević has the potential to be among the best attacking force that Croatia has ever seen. Accompanied by a defense of Joško Gvardiol and Boško Šutalo, the Vatreni are destined for many more successful tournament runs in the next two decades.