Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic needed two kidney transplants to save his life last year and on Monday he savored a perfect comeback to top level soccer after scoring the winner in the 1-0 Euro 2008 defeat of Poland.
“This is the beginning of my second footballing life and I was proud to be on the pitch today,” an emotional Klasnic said.
“I am happy to be just playing soccer again and I thank God we won today and finished top of our group,” he said.
In January last year, the German-born Klasnic suffered kidney failure. Shortly afterward, he received a transplant but his body rejected the kidney donated by his mother. A couple of months later, he again underwent surgery to replace the rejected kidney with one from his father.
The second operation proved a success and the 28-year-old Werder Bremen striker returned to action last November and was recalled to the Croatian national team in March. He said Croatia’s performance and victory against Poland showed the depth of coach Slaven Bilic’s squad.
“It proves there are no second string players in this unit and that our coach can count on any of us to step in and live up to expectations,” he said.
Klasnic, playing his first match at Euro 2008, received a thunderous reception from Croatian fans as he took the field and again when he was substituted in the 74th minute.
Bilic, who started with nine reserves to rest the bulk of his first-choice players for Friday’s quarter-final clash with Turkey in Vienna, praised Klasnic’s fairytale return.
“We all prayed for him after learning of his illness and he showed such remarkable courage because he was comforting us whereas it should have been the other way round,” he said.
“To return to a major tournament like he did today is a fairytale and he deserved it,” Bilic said.
“I’m proud to be a part of this team,” Klasnic said. “Hopefully, my coach will think of me when we play the quarter-finals.”
Klasnic, who wears a fiberglass shield to protect him on the field, is one of a small number of professional athletes to return after an organ transplant. Without the protection, a kick could prove life-threatening.
Bilic said it is no surprise that Klasnic is nicknamed “The Killer” by his teammates because of his scoring instincts.
“We are really glad that we have him in our team after that harrowing experience of his,” Bilic said. “It is amazing that he came back to such a high professional level so quickly.”
“It’s a dream ending to a horror story,” he said.
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