_(cropped).png) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1994-01-14)14 January 1994 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Malsch,[1] Germany | ||
| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lokomotiva | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2007 | NK Jaska | ||
| 2007–2012 | NK Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | NK Zagreb | 102 | (2) |
| 2016–2021 | Lokomotiva | 128 | (5) |
| 2021–2024 | Vejle | 68 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | →CFR Cluj (loan) | 22 | (2) |
| 2024– | Lokomotiva | 28 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | Croatia U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 2011 | Croatia U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2011 | Croatia U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2012 | Croatia U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2015 | Croatia U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2017 | Croatia | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 March 2018 | |||
Denis Kolinger (born 14 January 1994) is a professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forLokomotiva. Born in Germany, he has represented theCroatia national team.
Kolinger was born inMalsch,Germany where his parents were working before they returned toStankovo inCroatia when he was three months old.[2] He started out atNK Jaska in nearbyJastrebarsko, moving on to theNK Zagreb academy at the age of 13.[3] He went through all the ranks of the club, debuting for the senior side in the 2011/12 season, becoming a first-team regular in the following season. AfterNK Zagreb was relegated after the 2015/16 season, Kolinger moved toNK Lokomotiva, signing a four-year contract.[4]
On 15 January 2021, Kolinger moved toDanish Superliga clubVejle Boldklub on a three-year deal.[5] In August 2024, Kolinger's contract was terminated by mutual agreement.[6]
ACroatian youth international in U16, U17, U18 and U19 categories, Kolinger refused a call-up to theCroatia U21 national football team underNenad Gračan in August 2014 claiming that he wanted to play forGermany, that he feels he is aGerman rather than aCroat and is therefore willing to take the chance and seek out German nationality, which he could since it is the country of his birth.[7] However, in early 2015 he changed his mind, claiming that he realized it would be too hard for him to join theGermany U21 national football team and since March 2015 rejoined theCroatia U21 team.[8]
He made his senior debut forCroatia in a May 2017friendly match againstMexico, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute forFran Tudor.[9]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| NK Zagreb | 2011-12 | 1. HNL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | 1. HNL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2013-14 | 2. HNL | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2014-15 | 1. HNL | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2015-16 | 1. HNL | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| Total | 102 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 106 | 2 | ||||
| Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2016-17 | 1. HNL | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| 2017-18 | 1. HNL | 30 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| 2018-19 | 1. HNL | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2019-20 | 1. HNL | 32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| 2020-21 | 1 HNL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| Total | 128 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 147 | 6 | |||
| Vejle | 2020-21 | Danish Superliga | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2021-22 | Danish Superliga | 29 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2023-24 | Danish Superliga | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2024-25 | Danish Superliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 68 | 2 | 11 | 1 | — | — | 79 | 3 | ||||
| CFR Cluj (loan) | 2022-23 | Liga I | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 1 | 32 | 2 |
| Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2024-25 | HNL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 332 | 10 | 36 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 379 | 13 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
NK Zagreb
Lokomotiva Zagreb
CFR Cluj