Filip Benković (born 13 July 1997) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a centre back.

Filip Benković
Benković playing with Dinamo Zagreb in 2016
Personal information
Full name Filip Benković[1]
Date of birth (1997-07-13) 13 July 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Zagreb, Croatia
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
2008–2015 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 Dinamo Zagreb 56 (6)
2018–2022 Leicester City 0 (0)
2018–2019Celtic (loan) 20 (2)
2020Bristol City (loan) 10 (2)
2020–2021Cardiff City (loan) 1 (0)
2021OH Leuven (loan) 0 (0)
2022–2024 Udinese 2 (0)
2022–2023Eintracht Braunschweig (loan) 19 (0)
2023–2024Trabzonspor (loan) 14 (2)
International career
2013 Croatia U17 2 (0)
2014 Croatia U19 2 (1)
2015–2019 Croatia U21 7 (2)
2019– Croatia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2019

Early life

edit

Benković was born in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, and joined the Dinamo Zagreb academy in 2008.

Club career

edit

Dinamo Zagreb

edit

2015–16 season

edit

On 19 July 2015, Benković made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw with Osijek.[2] On 22 July, Benković made his European debut in a 3–0 win over Fola Esch in the second leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League; playing twelve minutes after coming off the bench as a substitute in the 78th minute.[3] He went on to make a total of 18 competitive appearances for the club in the 2015–16 season.[4]

2016–17 season

edit

On 29 July 2016, in the league match against Slaven Belupo, after Dinamo went 0–1 in the 92nd minute, Benković scored a last-minute equalizing goal in the 94th minute, to make it 1–1.[5] On 10 August, Benković played the full 90 minutes in a 4–0 away win over Hajduk Split.[6][7] On 23 September, Benković scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win over Lokomotiva.[8] In the mid-phase of the 2016–17 season, Benković was reportedly suffering from injury which would force him to miss the majority of the season.[9][10]

2017–18 season

edit

On 15 July 2017, Benković scored in a 2–0 win over Istra 1961.[11] On 9 September, Benković scored in a 3–2 win over Rudeš.[12] On 21 October, Benković scored in a 2–2 draw with Hajduk Split.[13] On 4 May 2018, Benković scored a last-minute equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw with Slaven Belupo.[14] On 23 May, Benković came on as a 90th minute substitute in the Croatian Cup Final, as Dinamo won 1–0.[15]

Leicester City

edit

On 9 August 2018, Leicester City confirmed via their official website that Benković signed for the club on a five-year contract, for a fee in the region of £13m.[16][17][18][19] He left the club after mutually agreeing to cancel the remaining term of his contract on 12 January 2022.[20]

Loan to Celtic

edit

On 31 August 2018, Benković joined Celtic on a season-long loan deal.[21] On 14 September 2018, Benković made his debut in a 0–0 draw with St Mirren, playing 60 minutes.[22] Benković scored his first goal for Celtic in a 5–0 victory over Heart of Midlothian on 3 November 2018.[23]

Loan to Bristol City

edit

Benković signed for Bristol City until the end of the season on 31 January 2020.[24] He scored his first goal for Bristol City in a 3–2 win over Derby County on 12 February 2020.[25]

Loan to Cardiff City

edit

In October 2020, Benković joined Cardiff City on a one-year loan.[26] On 6 January 2021, Benković was recalled by his parent club Leicester City, having only played one game for Cardiff City.[27][28]

Loan to OH Leuven

edit

Just a few days after being recalled from Cardiff City, Benković was announced by Oud-Heverlee Leuven, arriving on loan from Leicester City until the end of the season.[29]

Udinese

edit

Following his release from Leicester City the previous day, Benković was confirmed as a new signing for Udinese on 13 January 2022.[30]

Loan to Eintracht Braunschweig

edit

On 1 September 2022, Benković moved on loan to Eintracht Braunschweig in Germany.[31]

Loan to Trabzonspor

edit

On 10 July 2023, Benković was loaned to Turkish side Trabzonspor.[32]

Release by Udinese

edit

On 30 August 2024, his contract with Udinese was terminated by mutual consent.[33]

International career

edit

Benković made his Croatia debut on 11 June 2019 in a friendly 2–1 loss to Tunisia, as a starter.[34][35]

Honours

edit

Dinamo Zagreb

Celtic

Leicester City

References

edit
  1. ^ "2019/20 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Osijek – Dinamo 1:1". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 19 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  3. ^ "UEFA Champions League – Fola-Dinamo Zagreb". UEFA.com. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Croatia – F. Benković – Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Remi Dinama i Slaven Belupa". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 29 July 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Slavlje Dinama nad Hajdukom". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 10 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Katastrofa Hajduka: Dinamo nanio 'bijelima' najteži poraz na Poljudu". Gol.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Dinamo svladao Lokomotivu". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 23 September 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Filip Benković misteriozna ozljeda" (in Croatian). Goal.com. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  10. ^ "DOGODILA SE STRAŠNA POGREŠKA U DINAMU Alarm na Maksimiru zbog misteriozne ozljede: Mladoj zvijezdi prijeti naprasni kraj sezone!?". Sportske Novosti. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Dinamo – Istra 1961 2:0". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 15 July 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Dinamo – Rudeš 3:2". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 10 September 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Hajduk – Dinamo 2:2". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Slaven Belupo – Dinamo 2:2". Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga (in Croatian). 4 May 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Dinamo – Hajduk 1:0 – Hrvatski nogometni savez" (in Croatian). Hrvatski Nogonetmi Savez (Croatian Football Association). 23 May 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Filip Benković Signs For Leicester City On A Five-Year Deal". Leicester City FC. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Leicester City agree Caglar Soyuncu deal and sign Filip Benkovic for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Leicester finalise £13m Filip Benkovic signing from Dinamo Zagreb". Sky Sports. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Benković za 15 milijuna eura u Leicesteru: Dat ću svoje srce klubu". Večernji (in Croatian). Publitzer. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Filip Benković Leaves Leicester City". Leicester City FC. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Filip Benkovic joins Celtic on a season-long loan". Celtic FC. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  22. ^ "St Mirren 0–0 Celtic". BBC Sport. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  23. ^ "Celtic 5–0 Hearts: Reigning champions outclass leaders Hearts with thumping win". BBC Sport. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Bristol City sign Hull's Markus Henriksen and Leicester's Filip Benkovic". BBC Sport. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  25. ^ "Bristol City 3-2 Derby". BBC. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Loan | Filip Benković links up with the Bluebirds | Cardiff".
  27. ^ "Filip Benković returns to Leicester City | Cardiff". Cardiff City. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Leicester recall Benkovic from Cardiff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  29. ^ "OH Leuven heeft centrale verdediger beet" [OH Leuven snatches central defender]. OH Leuven (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Filip Benkovic è un nuovo giocatore dell'Udinese". Udinese Calcio. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Filip Benkovic wechselt auf Leihbasis an die Oker" (in German). Eintracht Braunschweig. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  32. ^ "Benkovic moves to Trabzonspor". Udinese. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  33. ^ "Risolto il contratto con Benkovic" [Contract with Benkovic terminated] (in Italian). Udinese. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  34. ^ "Croatia v Tunisia game report". ESPN. 11 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Player Database". EU-football. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  36. ^ "Celtic secured an eighth consecutive title in style with a convincing win away to wasteful Aberdeen". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  37. ^ "Hearts 1-2 Celtic". BBC. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  38. ^ "Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen". BBC. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  39. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (7 August 2021). "Leicester City 1–0 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
edit