View source for Domagoj Duvnjak

{{short description|Croatian handball player (born 1988)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox handball biography
| name                = Domagoj Duvnjak
| image               = 2023-11-26 Handball Bundesliga TVB Stuttgart - THW Kiel by mroptimax-32 (cropped) (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Duvnjak with [[THW Kiel]] in 2023
| nationality         = Croatian
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1988|6|1|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Đakovo]], [[Croatia]]
| height              = 1.97 m
| position            = Centre back
| currentclub         = [[THW Kiel]]
| clubnumber          = 4
| years1              = 2004–2006
| clubs1              = [[RK Đakovo]]
| years2              = 2006–2009
| clubs2              = [[RK Zagreb]]
| years3              = 2009–2014
| clubs3              = [[HSV Hamburg]]
| years4              = 2014–
| clubs4              = [[THW Kiel]]
| nationalyears1      = 2006–2025
| nationalteam1       = [[Croatia men's national handball team|Croatia]]
| nationalcaps1       = 257
| nationalgoals1      = 771
| ntupdate            = 12 July 2024
| show-medals         = no
| medaltemplates      = 
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IHF World Men's Handball Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2009 World Men's Handball Championship|2009 Croatia]]|}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2025 World Men's Handball Championship|2025 Croatia/Denmark/Norway]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2013 World Men's Handball Championship|2013 Spain]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Men's Handball Championship|European Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2008 European Men's Handball Championship|2008 Norway]]|}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 European Men's Handball Championship|2010 Austria]]|}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2020 European Men's Handball Championship|2020 Sweden/Austria/Norway]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2012 European Men's Handball Championship|2012 Serbia]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2016 European Men's Handball Championship|2016 Poland]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IHF Men's Youth World Championship|U-19 World Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2007 Men's Youth World Handball Championship|2007 Bahrain]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 Men's Youth World Handball Championship|2005 Qatar]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Men's Youth Handball Championship|U-18 European Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[European Men's Youth Handball Championship|2006 Estonia]]|}}
}}

'''Domagoj Duvnjak''' (born 1 June 1988) is a Croatian professional [[handball]] player for [[THW Kiel]].<ref name="EHF1" /> Regarded as one of the best handball players of all time, he was named the [[IHF World Player of the Year]] in 2013 and has won over twenty titles playing for clubs in Croatia and Germany.<ref name="HKR" /><ref name="EHF1">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurohandball.com/player/527539 |title=Domagoj Duvnjak |publisher=European Handball Federation |access-date=29 January 2012 |archive-date=3 July 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140703075045/http://www.eurohandball.com/player/527539 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/153/pdf/CRO.pdf |title=2015 World Championship Roster |publisher=[[International Handball Federation|IHF]] |access-date=15 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218194554/http://www.ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/153/pdf/CRO.pdf |archive-date=18 December 2014}}</ref> Duvnjak began his senior club career at local team [[RK Đakovo]] in 2004, before moving to fellow Croatian club [[RK Zagreb]] two years later. In August 2009, Duvnjak signed a three-year contract with German team [[HSV Hamburg]] worth €2.25 million, including a transfer fee of €1.1 million, making him the most expensive handball player in history at the time.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Sports/2009-08-25/5632/Handball_player_Domagoj_Duvnjak_to_transfer_to_HSV |title=Handball player Domagoj Duvnjak to transfer to HSV |date=25 August 2009 |work=croatiantimes.com |access-date=26 August 2009 |archive-date=14 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114175928/http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/Sports/2009-08-25/5632/Handball_player_Domagoj_Duvnjak_to_transfer_to_HSV |url-status=dead}}</ref> He has played for German club [[THW Kiel]] since 2014 and is the team's captain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pazen |first=Björn |date=17 June 2013 |title=Duvnjak set for Kiel in 2014 |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/duvnjak-set-for-kiel-in-2014/ |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=European Handball Federation |language=en}}</ref> 

Duvnjak made his debut for the [[Croatia men's national handball team|Croatia national team]] in 2006 and competed at the [[Handball at the Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]] in [[Handball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]], [[Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012]], [[Handball at the 2016 Summer Olympics|2016]] and [[Handball at the 2024 Summer Olympics|2024]], winning a bronze medal in 2012, in addition to earning three [[IHF World Men's Handball Championship|World Championship]] medals and five [[European Men's Handball Championship|European Championship]] medals with the national team.<ref name="HE">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://enciklopedija.hr/clanak/duvnjak-domagoj|title=Duvnjak, Domagoj|language=hr|encyclopedia=[[Croatian Encyclopedia]]|publisher=[[Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography]]|location=Zagreb|year=2013–2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Sports-Reference |title=Domagoj Duvnjak |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/du/domagoj-duvnjak-1.html |access-date=9 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418101316/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/du/domagoj-duvnjak-1.html |archive-date=18 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Olympedia}}</ref><ref>{{Olympics.com|domagoj-duvnjak}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://ekipa.svet24.si/clanek/rokomet/reprezentancni-rokomet/579777d43d1ec/hrvaska-rokometna-ekipa-za-oi-znana |title=Hrvaška rokometna ekipa za OI znana |trans-title=The Croatian handball team for the OI is known |work=Ekipa24.si |access-date=9 August 2017 |language=sl}}</ref><ref>[https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/domagoj-duvnjak_1903019 Domagoj Duvnjak] at the [[Paris 2024 Summer Olympics]]</ref> He captained the national team from 2017 until his international retirement in 2025 and holds the record for most appearances and goals for Croatia with 257 caps and 771 goals. 
==Club career==
Duvnjak became a part of local club [[RK Đakovo]]'s senior team in 2004. Two years later, he moved to fellow Croatian team [[RK Zagreb]], where he won three consecutive league and national cup titles each. In August 2009, Duvnjak joined German club [[HSV Hamburg]] on a three-year contract worth €2.25 million and a transfer fee of €1.1 million, making him, at age 21, the most expensive handball player in history at the time.<ref name=":0" /> He won the [[DHB-Supercup]] and [[DHB-Pokal]] in his first season with the club, before winning the [[Handball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]] the following year.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pazen |first=Björn |date=17 June 2013 |title=Duvnjak set for Kiel in 2014 |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/duvnjak-set-for-kiel-in-2014/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=European Handball Federation |language=en}}</ref> In 2013, Duvnjak helped Hamburg win the [[EHF Champions League]], and received the Bundesliga Player of the Season and the [[IHF World Player of the Year]] award.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2014 |title=Duvnjak and Lekic awarded Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year 2013 |url=https://www.ihf.info/node/7333 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=International Handball Federation |language=en}}</ref> He joined fellow German team [[THW Kiel]] in 2014, where he won the Bundesliga in his debut season with the team.<ref name=":1" /> He became the captain of the team in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=THW Kiel: Domagoj Duvnjak |url=https://archiv.thw-handball.de/thw/se_duvnj.htm |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=archiv.thw-handball.de}}</ref> Duvnjak won the [[EHF European League|EHF Cup]] in 2019 and the EHF Champions League the following season with Kiel. 

== International career ==
Duvnjak was part of the [[Croatia men's national youth handball team|Croatia men's U-19 team]] that placed third at the [[2005 Men's Youth World Handball Championship|2005 World Championship]] and won the gold medal with the U-18 team at the [[European Men's U-18 Handball Championship|European Championship]] in 2006. That same year, he made his debut for the senior [[Croatia men's national handball team|Croatia men's national team]]. Duvnjak earned the silver medal with the U-19 national team at the [[2007 Men's Youth World Handball Championship|2007 World Championship]] and earned his first championship medal with the senior national team at the [[2008 European Men's Handball Championship|2008 European Championship]], where they placed second. Duvnjak and the national team placed second at the [[2009 World Men's Handball Championship|2009 World Championship]] and the [[2010 European Men's Handball Championship|2010 European Championship]].  

After finishing fifth at the [[2011 World Men's Handball Championship|2011 World Championship]], the Croatian national team earned three consecutive bronze medals by placing third at the [[2012 European Men's Handball Championship|2012 European Championship]], the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2013 World Men's Handball Championship|2013 World Championship]], while Duvnjak was included on the latter tournament's All-Star Team as best centre back. He was again voted best centre back at an international championship after Croatia finished fourth at the [[2014 European Men's Handball Championship|2014 European Championship]]. Duvnjak and the national team earned a bronze medal at the [[2016 European Men's Handball Championship|2016 European Championship]] and placed fourth at the [[2017 World Men's Handball Championship|2017 World Championship]], where Duvnjak was included on the All-Star Team as best centre back for a third time. At the [[2020 European Men's Handball Championship|2020 European Championship]], Croatia earned a silver medal and Duvnjak was voted the most valuable player of the tournament.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Gahan |first=Courtney |date=3 February 2025 |title=Duvnjak bids farewell to beloved Croatia jersey |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/duvnjak-bids-farewell-to-beloved-croatia-jersey/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=European Handball Federation |language=en}}</ref> After placing second at the [[2025 World Men's Handball Championship|2025 World Championship]], Duvnjak retired from the national team.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2025 |title=Croatia’s Domagoj Duvnjak: Captain. Leader. Legend. |url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/croatias-domagoj-duvnjak-captain-leader-legend |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=International Handball Federation}}</ref><ref name=":3" />  

==Personal life==
Duvnjak's father Ivan is a former handballer and was a handball coach in [[Đakovo]].<ref name=HKR>{{cite web|language=hr|url=https://hkm.hr/zanimljivosti/domagoj-duvnjak-kapetan-hrvatske-reprezentacije-i-svojevremeno-najbolji-rukometas-svijeta/|title=DOMAGOJ DUVNJAK Kapetan hrvatske reprezentacije i svojevremeno najbolji rukometaš svijeta|trans-title=DOMAGOJ DUVNJAK Captain of the Croatia national handball team and world's best handball player of his time|website=hkm.hr|publisher=Croatian Catholic Network (HKM)|date=14 January 2025|last=Bišćan|first= Hrvoje Josip}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=26 April 2022 |title=This is me: Domagoj Duvnjak |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/this-is-me-domagoj-duvnjak/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=European Handball Federation |language=en}}</ref> His mother Ivanka (nee Sabljić), sister Iva, uncle Dragan and cousins were also handball players.<ref name=HKR/><ref name=":2" /> During his childhood, Duvnjak was a fan of [[RK Zagreb]] and followed the [[Handball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]].<ref name="HKR" /><ref name=":2" /> He attended [[Education_in_Croatia#Secondary education|gymnasium]] in his hometown Đakovo.<ref name=HKR/>

Duvnjak is married to his high school sweetheart Lucija and they have three children.<ref name=HKR/> He is [[Roman Catholic]].<ref name=HKR/>

==Honours==
===Club===
;RK Zagreb
*[[Croatian Premier Handball League|Croatian League]]: [[2006–07 Croatian First League|2006–07]], [[2007–08 Croatian First League|2007–08]], [[2008–09 Croatian Premier League (handball)|2008–09]]
*[[Croatian Handball Cup|Croatian Cup]]: 2007, 2008, 2009

;HSV Hamburg
*[[EHF Champions League]]: [[2012–13 EHF Champions League|2013]]
*[[Handball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]]: [[2010–11 Handball-Bundesliga|2010–11]]
*[[DHB-Pokal]]: 2010
*[[DHB-Supercup]]: 2009, 2010

;THW Kiel
*EHF Champions League: [[2019–20 EHF Champions League|2020]]
*[[EHF European League|EHF Cup]]: [[2018–19 EHF Cup|2019]]
*Bundesliga: [[2014–15 Handball-Bundesliga|2014–15]], [[2019–20 Handball-Bundesliga|2019–20]], [[2020–21 Handball-Bundesliga|2020–21]], [[2022–23 Handball-Bundesliga|2022–23]]
*DHB-Pokal: [[2016–17 DHB-Pokal|2017]], [[2018–19 DHB-Pokal|2019]], [[2021–22 DHB-Pokal|2022]], [[2024–25 DHB-Pokal|2025]]
*DHB-Supercup: 2014, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

===Individual===
'''General'''
*[[Dražen Petrović Award]]: 2007
*[[Handball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]] Ideal Team: [[2010–11 Handball-Bundesliga|2011]]
*Best [[Croats|Croatian]] [[handball]] player by [[Sportske novosti|SN]] & [[Croatian Handball Federation|CHF]]: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
*[[Handball-Bundesliga|Bundesliga]] Player of the Season: [[2012–13 Handball-Bundesliga|2013]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Pazen |first=Björn |date=4 June 2013 |title=Duvnjak awarded best Bundesliga player |url=http://www.eurohandball.com/article/17204 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222031/http://www.eurohandball.com/article/17204 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=4 June 2013 |publisher=European Handball Federation}}</ref>
*Handball Planet World's Best Handball Player: 2013<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.handball-planet.com/worlds-best-handball-player-2013-domagoj-duvnjak/ |title=World's best handball player 2013: Domagoj Duvnjak! |date=2 December 2013 |publisher=handball-planet.com |access-date=2 December 2013}}</ref>
*[[IHF World Player of the Year]]: 2013
*[[Sportske novosti awards|Croatian Sportsman of the Year]]: 2020
'''All-Star Team'''

* Best centre back of the [[2013 World Men's Handball Championship|2013 World Championship]]
* Best centre back of the [[2014 European Men's Handball Championship|2014 European Championship]]
* Best centre back of the [[2017 World Men's Handball Championship|2017 World Championship]]
* Most Valuable Player ([[Most valuable player|MVP]]) of the [[2020 European Men's Handball Championship|2020 European Championship]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{International Handball Federation|23851}}
* {{European Handball Federation|new_id=Adm00MKxybH4MAv1vpSU8g|id=527539}}
* [http://hrs.hr/natjecanja-2/povijest_natjecanja/ HRS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922020911/https://hrs.hr/natjecanja-2/povijest_natjecanja/ |date=22 September 2020 }}
* {{Olympics.com}}
* [https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/domagoj-duvnjak_1903019 Domagoj Duvnjak] at the [[Paris 2024 Summer Olympics]]
* {{Olympedia}}
* [http://www.domagojduvnjak.com/en/ Official website]{{dead link|date=January 2025}}

{{THW Kiel squad}}
{{Navboxes colour
|title= Croatia squads
|bg = white
|fg = red
|bordercolor = red
|list1=
{{Croatia squad 2007 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2008 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2008 Summer Olympics (men's handball)}}
{{Croatia squad 2009 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2010 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2011 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2012 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia handball squad 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Croatia squad 2013 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2014 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2015 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2016 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia handball squad 2016 Summer Olympics}}
{{Croatia squad 2017 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2018 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2019 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{Croatia squad 2020 European Men's Handball Championship}}
}}
{{IHF World Player of the Year}}
{{Croatian Athlete of the Year (men)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duvnjak, Domagoj}}
[[Category:1988 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Đakovo]]
[[Category:Croatian male handball players]]
[[Category:21st-century Croatian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Olympic handball players for Croatia]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Croatia in handball]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in handball]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball-Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:RK Zagreb players]]
[[Category:THW Kiel players]]
[[Category:Handball SV Hamburg players]]
[[Category:Croatian expatriate handball players in Germany]]
[[Category:Croatian Roman Catholics]]