June 16, 2021 - The 2021 Golden Boy award boasts three young Croatian football talents this time around - Stipe Biuk, Joško Gvardiol, and Antonio Marin. 

There is no need to worry about the future of Croatian football, as the passionate football country always finds a way to produce new talent. 

For years, we have read that young players from England, France, Italy, and Brazil are worth ten million euros each, even though they were teenagers at the time, while Croats would often be placed in the rank of players of several hundred thousand euros. But times are changing.

Namely, Stipe Biuk, Josko Gvardiol, and Antonio Marin are Croatia's representatives for this year's Golden Boy award!

Joško Gvardiol, a member of the Croatia national team for EURO 2020, was sold to RB Leipzig for 16.5 million euros, while Antonio Marin, a well-known Dinamo talent who was in Monza and returned to Lokomotiva, is the 'ten' of the U-20 national team and a player that should bloom next season. Hajduk wonderkid Stipe Biuk is a new miracle who delighted the Split club in spring last season, and immediately drew attention to himself thanks to a penalty he earned for Croatia against Spain in the U21 EURO.

Turin's Tuttosport traditionally conducts the poll, led by the editor of the column Massimo Franchi who compiled a list of the greatest young footballers worldwide. 

This prestigious award was first given in 2003 when it went to Rafael van der Wart. After him, the same award went to Rooney, Messi, Aguero, Isco, Pogba, Sterling, Mbappe, de Ligt, Felix, and the latest winner is now worth more than €100 million - Erling Braut Haaland. This year's favorites are Pedri, Bellingham, and Musiala. 

This is Tuttosport's nineteenth consecutive selection for the best young football players in the world. On June 15, 100 of them are announced, then in mid-July, the list is cut to 80, in August to 60, in September to 40, and on October 15, 20 of them enter the final race for the "Golden Boy."

So far, 100 footballers have been nominated for this award, including three Croats. For comparison, Serbia has only one (Ivan Ilić), while Slovenia and BiH have no players nominated for this prestigious award.

You can vote for Golden Boy HERE.

Source: Germanijak

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June 16, 2020 -  Two footballers from the Croatian First League, Hajduk's David Colina and Dinamo's Antonio Marin, are among the 100 promising young football players nominated for the Golden Boy award.

Namely, Nogomet Plus reports that the Golden Boy award, which was founded in 2003 by Tuttosport, chooses the best footballers under the age of 21 that play in European leagues.

Alongside Colina and Marin, among the nominees this year are stars such as Erling Halland and Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, Vinicius and Rodrygo from Real Madrid, Ansua Fati from Barcelona, Phil Foden from Man City, and Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea. Twenty of the best young players will advance to the finals, after which journalists will vote for the best.

Born in Zagreb,David Colina played in Dinamo’s youth system before joining Monaco in 2018. In July 2019, Colina signed a four-year contract with Hajduk Split. 

Also born in Zagreb, Marin began his career with NK ZET and signed for the Dinamo Academy in 2009. While there was speculation he’d be going to giants like Milan, Manchester City, PSG or Juventus, he signed a three-year-long professional contract with Dinamo in October 2019. 

In addition to Tuttosport, journalists from Bild (Germany), Blick (Switzerland), A Bole (Portugal), l'Équipe (France), France Football (France), Marca (Spain), Mundo Deportiv (Spain), Ta Nea (Greece), Sport Express (Russia), De Telegraaf (Netherlands) and The Times (United Kingdom) also took part in the voting. 

The previous winners are Joao Felix, Matthijs de Ligt, Kylian Mbappe, Renato Sanches, Anthony Martial, Raheem Sterling, Paul Pogba, Isco, Mario Gotze, Mario Balotelli, Alexandre Pato, Anderson, Sergio Aguero, Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi and Wayne Ro Rafael van der Vaart.

The list of nominees can be seen on the Tuttosport website, where you can also vote for your favorite young footballer online. 

Best of luck to David and Antonio!

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Two Croatian footballers, Antonio Marin and Ante Palaversa, have been selected as the world's greatest young talents.

Like last year, two players from Dinamo and Hajduk have been included in the world's greatest young talents.