"I finished elementary and high school in Mostar before heading to Zagreb. Zoran Gobac and Bartol Kaleb, then the club's top officials, met with my parents, and everything was quickly arranged," says Marino Marić for Večernji.ba.
Croatian handball star Marino Marić has signed with Sesvete. He will make his debut as a line player on Sunday when Sesvete hosts Nexe in their home arena, Jelkovec, in the first round of the Croatian championship playoffs.
Marić returns to Croatian handball after 11 years. From 2009 to 2014, he played for Zagreb before moving to Germany, where he played for Melsungen, Leipzig, and Stuttgart. His contract with Stuttgart expired last year, leaving him without a club. Now, at 35, he has decided to return to Croatia. He represented the Croatian national team from 2013 to 2022, winning one silver and two bronze medals at the European Championships, as well as a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championship in Spain.
"I didn’t go to the London 2012 Olympics because coach Goluža didn’t call me up, and I was also left out of the next three major tournaments. Željko Babić brought me back to the national team when we won bronze at the European Championship in Poland. Then injuries set me back, causing me to miss the Rio Olympics and the World Championships in France and Germany in 2017 and 2019. As a kid, I wanted to play football, but my parents had different ideas. They told me I could train for any sport, as long as it was indoors. They didn’t want me playing outside in the cold and rain. So, at the age of nine, I joined Handball Club Zrinjski," recalls Marić.
However, even the indoor conditions in Mostar were not much better. The city has only one sports hall, which is in poor condition, yet all athletes train there. Despite these conditions, the hall has produced stars like Bojan Bogdanović, the Karačić brothers, and even Marić's brother, Marijan. Marić loves his hometown Mostar—he enjoys visiting, walking around, hanging out with friends, and fishing. He initially played as a left back for Zrinjski.
"Yes, but I was always drawn to the line player position. After three years, our pivot got injured, and that was my opportunity. Of course, I grabbed it right away," says Marić.
How was your childhood in Mostar?
"I was born and raised during the war, but my childhood was wonderful. I don’t remember much because I was young, but I do remember playing in front of our building. My parents always told me never to go to the end of the building because snipers were lurking there. When I got a little older, a ceasefire was declared. I come from a family where the most important thing was whether you were a good person, and on the other hand, it didn’t matter what nationality someone was," Marić recalls.
He made his debut for Zrinjski’s first team at the age of 16. After winning the U-19 World Championship with Croatia in Tunisia in 2009, he received a call from PPD Zagreb.
"I finished elementary and high school in Mostar and then went to Zagreb. Zoran Gobac and Bartol Kaleb, then the club’s top officials, met with my parents, and everything was quickly arranged. It was a great honor to play alongside Lazarov, Džomba, Balić, Štrlek, the Valčić brothers... At the time, my fellow pivots in Zagreb were Norwegian Loke and Slovenian Lubej. My coaches, Maglajlija and Bašić, gave me many opportunities to play, and I’m grateful for that."
What do you like to do in your free time?
"I love spending time on the Neretva River. Fishing is my passion. I have a complete trout fishing kit, which belongs to my father. There are various techniques for fishing, but we can talk about that another time," Marić said.
Besides playing and following handball, do you watch other sports?
"I often watch football, mainly the top five European leagues. My favorite club is Barcelona. I also follow the NBA because of Bogdanović."
Since you're from Mostar, have you ever jumped from the famous bridge?
"You know the story that when you ask a true Mostar native if they’ve jumped from the bridge, they always have to say yes, even if they’re lying. Joking aside, I haven’t jumped, although I’ve been to the jumping spot many times. I’d probably jump (laughs) if I had to run away from something or someone."
Photo: Vjeran Zganec Rogulja/Pixsell
