Mario Šitum

Mario Šitum

Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-04-04) 4 April 1992
Place of birth	Zagreb, Croatia
Height
Position(s)	Winger / Forward
Team information
Current team	Spezia
Number	18
Youth career
1999-2002	NK Vrapče
2002–2007	NK Kustošija
2007–2008	NK Špansko
2008–2011	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–	Dinamo Zagreb	16	(5)
2012–2014	→ Lokomotiva (loan)	72	(8)
2014–	→ Spezia (loan)	70	(8)
International career‡
2009	Croatia U17	3	(1)
2010	Croatia U18	5	(0)
2010–2011	Croatia U19	5	(0)
2012–2013	Croatia U20	3	(0)
2011–2014	Croatia U21	15	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 March 2014

Mario Šitum, (Croatian pronunciation: [marˈio ʃːtum]; born 4 April 1992 in Zagreb, Croatia) is a Croatian footballer who plays for Italian Serie B side Spezia Calcio, on loan from Dinamo Zagreb.

Club career

Šitum's senior career began when he was promoted from the Dinamo Academy to the first team in 2011, making his first-team debut in the same year in a 3-0 win over Czech side Sigma Olomouc. On the 19 February 2011 he started and played 75 minutes in a friendly against NK Istra 1961, which Dinamo won 4-3 at the newly renovated Stadion Aldo Drosina in Pula. His first league appearance came on the 26 February 2011 in Dinamo's game against Karlovac. Šitum started the match and scored in the 12th minute, a goal which turned out to be the game winner. Šitum started on a high note in the 2011-12 season, scoring the fourth goal in a 5-0 win against NK Karlovac, and then scoring twice in a 4-0 win against NK Osijek. He scored again in the next round, netting the only goal in a win against NK Lučko.

On 17 July 2014, Šitum joined Italian Serie B club Spezia on loan after a two-and-a-half year loan spell with NK Lokomotiva.

International career

Internationally, Šitum scored his first goals for the Croatia under 21 side, during qualification for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in the match against Liechtenstein where Šitum scored the first two goals in a 4-0 win.

In May 2015 he received a call-up to the senior Croatia squad for the friendly against Gibraltar and for a Euro 2016 qualifier game against Italy.

References

• Mario Šitum at the Croatian Football Federation website (Croatian)