Luka Menalo

Luka Menalo (Bosnian pronunciation: [lûːka měnalo]; born 22 July 1996) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Croatian club Rijeka on loan from Dinamo Zagreb.

Luka Menalo
Personal information
Full name Luka Menalo
Date of birth (1996-07-22) 22 July 1996
Place of birth Split, Croatia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Rijeka (on loan from Dinamo Zagreb)
Number 17
Youth career
Čapljina
2013–2014 HNK Višići
2014–2015 Široki Brijeg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Čapljina 12 (2)
2015–2018 Široki Brijeg 71 (28)
2018– Dinamo Zagreb 11 (0)
2019 → Slaven Belupo (loan) 12 (0)
2019–2020 → Olimpija Ljubljana (loan) 33 (10)
2020 → Dinamo Zagreb II 2 (0)
2020– → Rijeka (loan) 11 (2)
National team‡
2014–2015 Bosnia and Herzegovina U19
2017–2018 Bosnia and Herzegovina U21[lower-alpha 1] 7 (2)
2018 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 September 2018

Menalo started his career at Čapljina, before joining Široki Brijeg in 2015. Three years later, he moved to Dinamo Zagreb, who loaned him to Slaven Belupo in 2019 and to Olimpija Ljubljana later that year.

A former youth international for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Menalo made his senior international debut in 2018.

Club career

Early career

Menalo was born in Split, but grew up in Čapljina where he started playing football at a local club.[2] He made his senior debut against Mladost on 2 March 2014 at the age of 17.[3] On 14 May, he scored his first senior goal against Igman Konjic.[4]

In January 2015, when Menalo was a member of Široki Brijeg's under-19 side, he signed a professional contract with the senior team until 2020.[5] On 21 September 2016, in a game against his former club Čapljina, Menalo scored his first career hat-trick.[6] Menalo was voted the best young player of the league in his last two seasons with Široki Brijeg.[7]

Dinamo Zagreb

On 13 February 2018, Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb announced that Menalo would join them the following season on a five-year contract.[8] He made his competitive debut for the club against Rudeš on 27 July 2018.[9]

In January 2019, Menalo was loaned to Slaven Belupo until the end of the season.[10]

In July 2019, he was sent on a season-long loan to Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana.[11]

International career

Menalo played for various Bosnian national youth teams, such as the under-19 and under-21 teams.[12][13]

In January 2018, he received his first senior call-up, for friendly games against the United States and Mexico.[14] Menalo debuted in a goalless draw against the former on 28 January.[15]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 6 February 2021[1]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Čapljina 2013–14 First League of FBiH 122——122
Široki Brijeg 2014–15 Bosnian Premier League 4220—62
2015–16 Bosnian Premier League 16444—208
2016–17 Bosnian Premier League 281074203714
2017–18 Bosnian Premier League 231210402812
Total 7128148609136
Dinamo Zagreb 2018–19 1. HNL 1002000120
2020–21 1. HNL 10130023
Total 1103300143
Slaven Belupo (loan) 2018–19 1. HNL 120——120
Olimpija Ljubljana (loan) 2019–20 Slovenian PrvaLiga 331010413811
Dinamo Zagreb II 2020–21 2. HNL 20——20
Rijeka (loan) 2020–21 1. HNL 1122341176
Career total 15242201414218658

International
As of match played 31 January 2018[16]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
201820
Total20

Honours

Široki Brijeg[1]

Notes
  1. Official UEFA matches only.

References
  1. "L. Menalo". soccerway.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. "Otkriće Roberta Prosinečkog uzburkalo duhove u Hrvatskoj: Žele ga hrvatski velikani, a on kaže: Nisam rekao da je Hajduk najveći, u mom je gradu..." jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 1 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. "Sloboda pregazila Troglav, Jedinstvu tri boda u Srebreniku". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 2 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  4. "Golijade u Sanskom Mostu, Orašju, Bugojnu, Konjicu..." sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 14 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. "Široki Brijeg: Profesionalni ugovori za trojicu igrača". faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 28 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. "Kup BiH: Rutinske pobjede Željezničara i Širokog Brijega, čak pet premijerligaša ispalo". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 21 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  7. "Održan izbor "Kristalnih 11", Zakarić proglašen najboljim igračem Premijer lige". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 14 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  8. "Zvanično: Luka Menalo potpisao za Dinamo!". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  9. "Rudeš umalo zaledio Maksimir na početku prvenstva, Fiolić spasio Dinamo". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 27 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  10. "Zvanično: Luka Menalo pronašao novi angažman". oslobodjenje.ba (in Bosnian). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  11. "Luka Menalo karijeru nastavlja u Sloveniji". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  12. "Luka Menalo, nova zvijezda Zmajeva: Hrvatska? Igram za BiH, moj odgovor je jasan". faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 1 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  13. "Luka Menalo". uefa.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  14. "Prosinečki objavio širi spisak nogometaša za utakmice sa SAD-om i Meksikom". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 9 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  15. "Prosinečki debitovao remijem: Zmajevi bez golova protiv SAD". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 29 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  16. "Luka Menalo". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
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