Nikola Kalinic is a Croatian professional footballer. He has been playing for the Croatian national team since 2008 and has represented the team at least three UEFA European Championships. Nikola was also part of the 23-member squad that traveled to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but unfortunately, he was sent home after the first matchday. In doing so, he missed out on a golden opportunity to make history with his team, who were playing in the finals for the first time ever.
The unhappy farewell to Kalinic triggered criticism from football fans around the world. It is said that he was asked by coach Zlatko Dalicto to replace him in the 85th minute of the first group match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria. After a warm-up period, Kalinic declined his coach’s request, citing a back injury.
Later, Croatian media reported that Kalinic had refused to replace him because he was unhappy not to play in the inaugural XI match. It was also revealed that his injury excuse was one of many excuses for the recent events leading up to the World Cup. Apparently, the coach had had enough and took the bold step of sending the 6-foot athlete home.
Croatia’s historic success at the World Cup drew more attention to the dismissal of Nikola Kalinic, which is why he was named Russia’s biggest loser in 2018. On the positive side, Kalinic has returned home to a beautiful family… Here is what we found out about his family.
ALSO READ: Mateo Kovacic Height, Weight, Body Measurements, Wife, Bio
Nikola Kalinic: Parents
Nikola Kalinic was born on 5 January 1988 as a son of Neda Kalinic (mother) and Jozo Kalinic (father). His birthplace was Solin, in the former SFR Yugoslavia. The parents of Kalinic were his greatest support. Since he was interested in football as a child, his father devoted his time and energy to making sure his son would be the best he could ever be.
In an interview with Sky Sports, featured on an Italian online sports website, Kalinic’s father Jozo Kalinic revealed that he took Nikola to train every day as a child. Sometimes he said that he would wake up at 5 am in the morning. Since the modest family Kalinics had no car, Jozo took the bus from their small home to the stadium twice. He would wait for his son near the stadium and take him home after practice.
In the first years of his playing career, when he played for Hajduk Split, Nikola lived with his parents. He first left home in 2009 when he traveled to the UK to play for Blackburn Rovers.
However, Nikola did not grow up alone, he has a brother named Zdravko, who is 5 years older than him, as documented on Firenze Viola, a credible Croatian website. Zdravko had also tried football but was not quite as good as Nikola.
The inhabitants of Solin, a small town in Dalmatia where Nikola’s family comes from, are traditionally fans of the Italian club AC Milan. So a dream came true when Nikola joined the team on loan in 2017 and signed in 2018. The biggest Milan fan in the Kalinic family is Nikola’s mother Neda. When Nikola was a child, she bought him a backpack from AC Milan. Nikola’s parents hope that he can do as well as Andriy Shevchenko, the star of the club, who, like Nikola, wore the number 7 jersey.
His Wife
Nikola Kalinic is married to a certain woman named Vanja Kalinic. She was born on 19 September 1988 in Trpanj, Pelješac, Croatia. Nikola and Vanja have been friends since they were children and have been married for a decade, and the trend is growing.
Their wedding is said to have taken place sometime in 2007, at a time when they were both just 20 years old. They have remained together over the years. Vanja, who holds a degree in Maritime Management, has lived with Nikola in every city where he has played, including the UK, Ukraine, and Italy.
They have a son named Mateo who was born on January 13, 2014. Nikola often publishes cute snapshots of his family on his Instagram page.
ALSO READ: Marcelo Brozovic Height, Weight, Body Measurements, Spouse, Bio
Body Stats – Height, Weight
With a height of 1.88 m (6 feet 2 inches) and a bodyweight of about 83 kg, Nikola Kalinic has the right body measurements to match his playing position as a striker.
