Gabriel Vidović

Born in Germany but declared to play for Croatia. He made 3 appearances for the Croatian U17 national team in 2020. He’s an attacking midfielder but can also play as a left-winger.

He has only played 266 minutes this season in the U19 Bundesliga Süd/Südwest because the league has been cancelled due to Covid. Big shame because young players need game time at that age to develop the most they can.

Bayern München have given a lot of chances this season to their youngsters and this is good news for him, hopefully he can get his first team debut sometime in the future.

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From Croatia U18 friendly games...

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Munich is about 60km from the city where you live. Did you move to their camp or? “No, I stayed, & to this day at the family home in Augsburg. But every day a driver comes to pick me up, and I go to trainings, come back in the evening. So, I do 120 kilometers every day.”

So how do you manage to do your schoolwork? “Haha, I catch up with it, with the meticulousness that the Germans taught us. I'm at school in the morning, until about 3 pm, so I go to training at around 3.30 pm and in the evening I'm at home again at around 9 pm.”

School doesn't suffer? “No, for now everything is going according to plan. I'm in the 11th grade, it's like the 3rd grade of high school in Croatia. I have another year left. Next year I would like to dedicate myself even more to football, which I plan to play professionally.”

And when did they start calling you from Croatia? Who is responsible for the fact that you wear the Croatian kit? “They started following me when I was much younger, but then I couldn't answer the calls because they wouldn't let me out of school, considering that my grades weren't very bright. It was also a signal to me that I needed to improve my learning. Interestingly, at the same time they called me from the German Football Association, that is, to play for the German national team. I was in their camp twice, in training, but I didn't play. And then Petar Krpan arrived in Munich, with a Croatian kit, we talked, and all that really touched and cheered me up, so I accepted the invitation from Croatia.”

You play in the position of an AM and wear no. 10 on the kit. Just like Luka Modrić? 'Well yes. I am very happy about that, because Modrić is my idol, and I absorb his every move. Of course, he is my idol among Croatian players, and Nikola Vlašić is right behind him. However he is still younger, so I still follow Modrić.”

It would be great to follow him, because in 5/6 years, Croatia will need one such player. And then make a career like Luka? “That would be top of course, it is still a long way off, but I go day by day, I try, I practice, I study, so we will see where it will take me one day.”

You said that Modric is your idol from Croatian players? What about the world? “Messi, then Neymar. However, although they are world stars, they are still behind Modrić.”

In the U18 NT you could also learn from Niko Kranjčar, who was excellent in that position. Did he show you any moves? “No, but he told me a lot, what’s important for that position, how to pose, where to move. It was very interesting to listen to him.”

You praise him, and him and Joe Šimunić spoke in nice words about you, as a very polite boy, but also a great football player. “Oh, I'm so glad to hear that.”

You are a player of Bayern’s second team, which you joined even though you are not even 18yo. Does that mean the Bavarian giants trust you? “Haha I guess. Because, well, according to my age, I should still play for the U19s, but they pushed me into this older generation. And now I will play with them in the 4th league, because unfortunately, they were relegated last year. I have to admit, I'm doing well, a couple of days ago I scored a goal in a friendly, so with the conditions we have here, I can certainly make a lot of progress.”

And would it be a challenge for you to come and play senior football in Croatia? “Who knows. But for the time being, two more years, because I signed a contract for that period, I stay at Bayern. I know that Dinamo has a very good school, that is, the young footballers are developing in it, so never say never. In addition, the Croatian league is getting better, so then it would be a challenge for me.”

And we hope that the development path will lead you to the Senior NT kit? “Oh, that would be wonderful. Of course, I still have a lot to train, but that's why I play football. And, of course, I hope that one day I will be part of that national team.”