Gabriel Rukavina
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 January 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, Croatia[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rijeka | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Dinamo Zagreb II | 27 | (4) |
| 2022–2024 | Dinamo Zagreb | 8 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Gorica (loan) | 15 | (2) |
| 2024– | Rijeka | 44 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020 | Croatia U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Croatia U17 | 6 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Croatia U18 | 7 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | Croatia U19 | 18 | (4) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 August 2023 | |||
Gabriel Rukavina is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Prva HNL club Rijeka.[2]
Early and personal life
[edit]Rukavina was born in the Croatian capital Zagreb in January 2004. He is the son of former professional footballer and current manager Tomislav Rukavina.
Club career
[edit]Rukavina played for Dinamo Zagreb from a young age, and made his professional debut for the club's B team, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute, in a 1–1 draw against Osijek II,[3] in the Prva NL. Rukavina scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw away to Craoatia Zmijavci, after coming on at half-time for Ante Crnac.[4] Rukavina would go on to make 27 appearances in the league, registering 4 goals, including a brace against Dugopolje in a 3–1 win,[5]
Rukavina would be promoted to the first team the next season, and would make his first team debut in a 3–1 away win against NK Varaždin, coming on as a 89th minute sub for Luka Ivanušec.[6] He would go on to make 5 more substitute appearances that season, helping the side to the 2022–23 Prva HNL title.
On 9 February 2024, Rukavina joined Gorica on loan until the end of the season.[7]
Rukavina joined fellow Prva HNL club HNK Rijeka in July 2024, signing a four year contract with the club.[8] Rijeka won the league title in Rukavina's first season at the club, with Rukavina scoring 3 league goals in 31 appearances as Rijeka beat out his old side Dinamo Zagreb on the final day, eventually winning the league due to their superior head-to-head record against Dinamo.[9]
International career
[edit]Rukavina has competed for Croatia's U16, U17, U18 and U19 teams, amassing over 20 appearances.
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 23 May 2026[1]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb II | 2021–22 | Druga HNL | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 4 | ||
| Total | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2022–23 | Prva HNL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Gorica (loan) | 2023–24 | Prva HNL | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| Rijeka | 2024–25 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 3 | |
| 2025–26 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| Total | 44 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 94 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 10 | ||
- Notes
- ↑ 2 appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ↑ 2 appearances in UEFA Europa League; 1 appearance in UEFA Conference League
- ↑ 2 appearances in UEFA Champions League; 1 appearance in UEFA Conference League
Honours
[edit]- Club
Dinamo Zagreb
Rijeka
References
[edit]- 1 2 Gabriel Rukavina at Soccerway
- ↑ "Gabriel Rukavina novi igrač HNK Rijeka". HNK Rijeka.
- ↑ "Osijek II 1-1 Dinamo Zagreb II". int.soccerway.com.
- ↑ "Croatia Zmijavci 2-2 Dinamo Zagreb II". int.soccerway.com.
- ↑ "Rukavina scores 2 in 3-1 win". oddspedia.com.
- ↑ "Varazdin 1-3 Dinamo Zagreb". int.soccerway.com.
- ↑ "Dogovoreno je: Gabriel Rukavina na posudbi u Gorici" [It has been agreed: Gabriel Rukavina on loan in Gorica] (in Croatian). HNK Gorica. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ↑ "Rukavina signs for Rijeka" (in Croatian). nk-rijeka.hr. 16 July 2024.
- ↑ "Rijeka crowned new Croatian champions in dramatic final day decider". croatiaweek.com.
External links
[edit]
  | This biographical article related to a football forward from Croatia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 2004 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Zagreb
- Men's association football wingers
- Croatian men's footballers
- Croatia men's youth international footballers
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb II players
- GNK Dinamo Zagreb players
- HNK Gorica players
- HNK Rijeka players
- First Football League (Croatia) players
- Croatian Football League players
- 21st-century Croatian sportsmen
- Croatian football forward stubs
