Branimir Hrgota

Branimir Hrgota (Croatian pronunciation: [branimir xr̩gota]; born 12 January 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains 2. Bundesliga club Greuther Fürth. Born in Bosnia, he has played for the Sweden men's national football team.

Branimir Hrgota

Hrgota with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Branimir Hrgota
Date of birth	(1993-01-12) 12 January 1993
Place of birth	Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Greuther Fürth
Number	10
Youth career
0000–2008	IK Tord
2008–2011	Jönköpings Södra IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2012	Jönköpings Södra IF	39	(28)
2012–2013	Borussia Mönchengladbach II	8	(2)
2012–2016	Borussia Mönchengladbach	69	(7)
2016–2019	Eintracht Frankfurt	35	(5)
2019–	Greuther Fürth	163	(57)
International career‡
2011–2012	Sweden U19	9	(3)
2012–2015	Sweden U21	14	(3)
2014	Sweden	3	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing Sweden UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2015 Czech Republic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:09, 16 March 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Jönköpings Södra IF

Hrgota started his career as a youth player in lower league side IK Tord which he combined with competing in karate. In 2008, he made the decision to give up martial arts and transferred to second division team Jönköpings Södra IF. He made his debut with the first team in 2011 and became the league top scorer that season, netting 18 goals in 25 games. After the season Hrgota received the Player of the Year award from the club supporters. Several clubs were interested in buying him after his successful debut year but Hrgota decided to stay with Jönköpings Södra so that he could finish school in the spring. He went on to score 10 goals in 14 games the following season before moving to Germany in the summer.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

On 4 July 2012, he completed his move to the German club Borussia Mönchengladbach. He made his Bundesliga debut against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim as 74th-minute substitute, replacing Mike Hanke. On 11 May 2013, he made the first eleven for the first time against 1. FSV Mainz 05. He made a big impact on the game scoring a hat-trick. His first ever Bundesliga goal was a converted penalty five minutes before half-time. In the second half he scored two more goals, both with his left foot. After 85 minutes he was substituted for Lukas Rupp. On 15 June 2016, it was announced that Hrgota would join fellow Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt on a three-year contract.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Hrgota scored in his first goal in the game in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out victory against 1. FC Magdeburg in the DFB-Pokal on 21 August 2016. On 20 December 2016, before the winter break, he scored a brace in a 3–0 win over 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga. Despite failing to score in the semi-final cup tie away from home against his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach on 25 April 2017, Hrgota slotted home the winning penalty in the shoot-out which Eintracht Frankfurt won 7–6, having drawn the game 1–1 in normal time.

Greuther Fürth

On 7 August 2019, Hrgota joined Greuther Fürth on a two-year deal. On 12 February 2022, Hrgota's opener against Hertha Berlin, after 27 seconds, was the fastest goal in that season.

International career

Hrgota was eligible to play national team football for Sweden, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Croatia U21 coach Ivo Šušak contacted him during the fall of 2012 in an attempt to bring Hrgota over to his team. However, in the summer of 2014, prior to Sweden's game against Austria in the UEFA European Championship qualifiers, Hrgota was called up to, and accepted to join, the Sweden national team. On 16 March 2022 Hrgota was selected for the World Cup Qualifier playoff 2022 against the Czech Republic and Poland, but did not get playing time.

Personal life

Hrgota was born in Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War. His parents are ethnic Croats. The family moved to Sweden when Branimir was a child, settling in Jönköping.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 14 May 2022

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Jönköpings Södra IF	2011	Superettan	25	18	2	0	—		27	18
	2012	Superettan	14	10	0	0	—		14	10
	Total		39	28	2	0	0	0	41	28
Borussia Mönchengladbach II	2012–13	Regionalliga West	8	2	—		—		8	2
Borussia Mönchengladbach	2012–13	Bundesliga	13	3	0	0	4	0	17	3
	2013–14	Bundesliga	30	2	1	0	—		31	2
	2014–15	Bundesliga	17	2	3	2	10	8	30	12
	2015–16	Bundesliga	9	0	1	2	0	0	10	2
	Total		69	7	5	4	14	8	88	19
Eintracht Frankfurt	2016–17	Bundesliga	28	5	2	1	—		30	6
	2017–18	Bundesliga	6	0	2	0	—		8	0
	2018–19	Bundesliga	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		35	5	4	1	0	0	39	6
Greuther Fürth	2019–20	2. Bundesliga	32	10	0	0	—		32	10
	2020–21	2. Bundesliga	31	16	3	0	—		34	16
	2021–22	Bundesliga	34	9	1	1	—		35	10
	2022–23	2. Bundesliga	33	11	1	0	—		34	11
	Total		130	46	5	1	—		135	47
Career total			273	86	16	6	14	8	303	100

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Sweden	2014	3	0
Total		3	0

Honours

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal: 2017–18

Sweden U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2015

Individual

• Superettan top scorer: 2011

External links

• Branimir Hrgota at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)