Davor Suker
| Date of birth | 01 January 1968 |
| Place of birth | Osijek |
| Weight | 79 kg |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Position | Forward |
A national hero in Croatia, Davor scored twice on his Arsenal debut against Aston Villa but spent much of his season at Highbury on the subs bench.
Davor was one of the stars of France '98 when his six goals won him the Golden Boot and third place for Croatia. A national hero, he was then at the height of his wonderful career as his club season had culminated in his Real Madrid team winning the Champions' League Final, having won Spain's La Liga in 1997. After 110 goals in 220 games for Real, he moved on to London in 1999 for spells with Arsenal then West Ham United. However, an English audience will most memorably remember him for his wonder goal in Euro 96 when he brilliantly chipped Denmark's Peter Schmeichel. Following his November 2001 move to TSV 1860 Munich, Davor gave his magnificent international career a grand finale in Japan and South Korea. For an all-time great striker with a truly sublime left foot, the World Cup finals were his perfect stage. He announced his retirement from club football at the end of the 2002-03 season.
Davor began his rise to football's heights with his home town club, NK Osijek. He moved on to Dinamo Zagreb but, with the threat of civil war, decided to leave for Spain and joined Sevilla. He goals took them into Europe in 1995.
In addition to over 60 apperances for Croatia, Davor won two full international caps with the former Yugoslavia and was part of their squad that won the World Youth Cup in Chile in 1987.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| NK Osijek | 01 Jul 1985 | 01 Jul 1989 | |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 01 Jul 1989 | 01 Aug 1991 | |
| Sevilla | 01 Aug 1991 | 01 Aug 1996 | |
| Real Madrid | 01 Aug 1996 | 20 Aug 1999 | |
| Arsenal | 20 Aug 1999 | 05 Jul 2000 | |
| West Ham United | 05 Jul 2000 | 30 Jun 2001 | |
| TSV 1860 Munchen | 15 Nov 2001 | 30 Jun 2003 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | World XI | FIGC Centenary | 1 |
||||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 3 |
1
|
|||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | Premier League | 8 | 14 |
8 |
4
|
|
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 3 |
2 |
2
|
|
| 1999-00 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 7 |
||||
| 2000-01 | West Ham United | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | West Ham United | Premier League | 7 | 4 |
2 |
5
|
|
| 2001-02 | TSV 1860 Munchen | Bundesliga | 8 | 6 |
4 |
||
| 2001-02 | World XI | Maradona Farewell Match | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | TSV 1860 Munchen | Bundesliga | 5 | 6 |
1 |
1
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1999 | Arsenal v Manchester United | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 25 Aug 1999 | Arsenal v Bradford City | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 1999 | Liverpool v Arsenal | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 11 Sep 1999 | Arsenal v Aston Villa | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Fiorentina v Arsenal | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 22 Sep 1999 | Arsenal v AIK Solna | W | 3-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 25 Sep 1999 | Arsenal v Watford | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 29 Sep 1999 | Barcelona v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 03 Oct 1999 | West Ham United v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Barcelona | L | 2-4 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 23 Oct 1999 | Chelsea v Arsenal | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Fiorentina | L | 0-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 30 Oct 1999 | Arsenal v Newcastle United | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 02 Nov 1999 | AIK Solna v Arsenal | W | 2-3 | UEFA Champions League | Group B |
| 07 Nov 1999 | Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Nov 1999 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | W | 5-1 | Premier League | |
| 25 Nov 1999 | Arsenal v Nantes | W | 3-0 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 28 Nov 1999 | Arsenal v Derby County | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Nov 1999 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | L | 2-2 (1-3) | League Cup | 4th round |
| 09 Dec 1999 | Nantes v Arsenal | D |
3-3 Agg: 3-6 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 13 Dec 1999 | Arsenal v Blackpool | W | 3-1 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 18 Dec 1999 | Arsenal v Wimbledon | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 1999 | Coventry City v Arsenal | L | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 1999 | Arsenal v Leeds United | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 03 Jan 2000 | Sheffield Wednesday v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 09 Jan 2000 | Arsenal v Leicester City | D | 0-0 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 15 Jan 2000 | Arsenal v Sunderland | W | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Jan 2000 | Leicester City v Arsenal | L | 0-0 (5-6) | FA Cup | 4th round replay |
| 05 Feb 2000 | Bradford City v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Feb 2000 | Arsenal v Liverpool | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 02 Mar 2000 | Arsenal v Deportivo La Coruna | W | 5-1 | UEFA Cup | 4th round 1st leg |
| 09 Mar 2000 | Deportivo La Coruna v Arsenal | L |
2-1 Agg: 3-6 |
UEFA Cup | 4th round 2nd leg |
| 12 Mar 2000 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Mar 2000 | Arsenal v Werder Bremen | W | 2-0 | UEFA Cup | Quarter-final 1st leg |
| 26 Mar 2000 | Arsenal v Coventry City | W | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 06 Apr 2000 | Arsenal v RC Lens | W | 1-0 | UEFA Cup | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 14 May 2000 | Newcastle United v Arsenal | L | 4-2 | Premier League | |
| 17 May 2000 | Arsenal v Galatasaray | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | Final |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-86 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-18 | 3 | 7 |
|||
| 1986-87 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-18 | 2 | 4 |
|||
| 1987-88 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Yugoslavia | World Youth Cup | 4 | 1 |
6 |
1
|
|
| 1988-89 | Yugoslavia | Olympics | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-21 | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Yugoslavia | B International | 1 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-21 | 5 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 1990-91 | Croatia | Unofficial | 1 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Yugoslavia | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 1990-91 | Yugoslavia | UEFA European Championship | 1 |
1 |
|||
| 1990-91 | Yugoslavia | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | 3 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 7 | 7 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 | 2 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 6 | 1 |
8 |
||
| 1996-97 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 3 |
1
|
||
| 1997-98 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 12 | 8 |
2
|
||
| 1997-98 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 | 4 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Croatia | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 1998-99 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 3 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Croatia | International Friendly | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 1999-00 | Croatia | UEFA European Championship | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2000-01 | Croatia | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Croatia | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Oct 1985 | Luxembourg v Yugoslavia | W | 1-6 | UEFA U18 | Group 3 |
| 16 Nov 1985 | France v Yugoslavia | D | 0-0 | UEFA U18 | Group 3 |
| 27 Mar 1986 | Spain v Yugoslavia | W | 1-3 | UEFA Under-18 | Group 3 |
| 12 Oct 1986 | Yugoslavia v Romania | W | 5-0 | UEFA U18 | 5 6 |
| 12 Oct 1986 | Yugoslavia v Romania | W | 5-0 | UEFA U18 | 5 6 |
| 10 Oct 1987 | Chile v Yugoslavia | W | 2-4 | World Youth Cup | Group 1 |
| 13 Oct 1987 | Yugoslavia v Australia | W | 4-0 | World Youth Cup | Group 1 |
| 18 Oct 1987 | Yugoslavia v Togo | W | 4-1 | World Youth Cup | Group 1 |
| 23 Oct 1987 | Yugoslavia v East Germany | W | 2-1 | World Youth Cup | Semi-final |
| 25 Oct 1987 | Yugoslavia v West Germany | W | 1-1 (5-4) | World Youth Cup | Final |
| 10 Nov 1987 | Yugoslavia v England | L | 1-5 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 4 |
| 20 Sep 1988 | Yugoslavia v Nigeria | W | 3-1 | Olympics | Group D |
| 22 Sep 1988 | Brazil v Yugoslavia | L | 2-1 | Olympics | Group D |
| 18 Oct 1988 | Scotland v Yugoslavia | W | 0-2 | UEFA U21 | Group 5 |
| 18 Nov 1988 | Yugoslavia v France | D | 2-2 | UEFA U21 | Group 5 |
| 28 Apr 1989 | France v Yugoslavia | W | 0-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 13 Jun 1989 | Norway v Yugoslavia | W | 0-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 05 Sep 1989 | Yugoslavia v Scotland | W | 4-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 5 |
| 12 Dec 1989 | England v Yugoslavia | L | 2-1 | B International | |
| 14 Mar 1990 | Yugoslavia v Bulgaria | W | 2-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Quarter-final |
| 28 Mar 1990 | Bulgaria v Yugoslavia | W | 0-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Quarter-final |
| 11 Apr 1990 | Yugoslavia v Italy | D | 0-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Semi-final |
| 09 May 1990 | Italy v Yugoslavia | D | 2-2 | UEFA Under-21 | Semi-final |
| 05 Sep 1990 | Yugoslavia v CIS | L | 2-4 | UEFA Under-21 | Final |
| 22 Dec 1990 | Croatia v Romania | W | 2-0 | UNOFFICIAL | |
| 27 Feb 1991 | Turkey v Yugoslavia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 16 May 1991 | Yugoslavia v Faroe Islands | W | 7-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 22 Oct 1992 | Croatia v Mexico | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Jun 1993 | Croatia v Ukraine | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Mar 1994 | Spain v Croatia | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 1994 | Croatia v Argentina | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Sep 1994 | Estonia v Croatia | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 09 Oct 1994 | Croatia v Lithuania | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 16 Nov 1994 | Italy v Croatia | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 25 Mar 1995 | Croatia v Ukraine | W | 4-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 29 Mar 1995 | Lithuania v Croatia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 26 Apr 1995 | Croatia v Slovenia | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 11 Jun 1995 | Ukraine v Croatia | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 03 Sep 1995 | Croatia v Estonia | W | 7-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 08 Oct 1995 | Croatia v Italy | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 15 Nov 1995 | Slovenia v Croatia | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 13 Mar 1996 | Croatia v Korea Republic | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Apr 1996 | Croatia v Hungary | W | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Apr 1996 | England v Croatia | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1996 | Republic of Ireland v Croatia | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jun 1996 | Turkey v Croatia | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group D |
| 16 Jun 1996 | Croatia v Denmark | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group D |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Croatia v Portugal | L | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group D |
| 23 Jun 1996 | Germany v Croatia | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals quarter-final |
| 08 Oct 1996 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Croatia | W | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 10 Nov 1996 | Croatia v Greece | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Croatia v Denmark | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Greece v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 06 Sep 1997 | Croatia v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 10 Sep 1997 | Denmark v Croatia | L | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Slovenia v Croatia | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 1 |
| 29 Oct 1997 | Croatia v Ukraine | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | 1st leg play-off |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Ukraine v Croatia | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | 2nd leg play-off |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Croatia v Poland | W | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 1998 | Croatia v Slovakia | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 1998 | Croatia v Iran | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 1998 | Croatia v Australia | W | 7-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Jun 1998 | Croatia v Jamaica | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 20 Jun 1998 | Japan v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 26 Jun 1998 | Argentina v Croatia | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 30 Jun 1998 | Romania v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 04 Jul 1998 | Germany v Croatia | W | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals quarter-final |
| 08 Jul 1998 | France v Croatia | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals semi-final |
| 11 Jul 1998 | Croatia v Netherlands | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 3rd place |
| 10 Oct 1998 | Malta v Croatia | W | 1-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Croatia v North Macedonia | W | 3-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 10 Feb 1999 | Croatia v Denmark | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Mar 1999 | Greece v Croatia | L | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 05 May 1999 | Spain v Croatia | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1999 | North Macedonia v Croatia | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 18 Aug 1999 | Yugoslavia v Croatia | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 21 Aug 1999 | Croatia v Malta | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Croatia v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 09 Oct 1999 | Croatia v Yugoslavia | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 13 Nov 1999 | France v Croatia | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Feb 2000 | Croatia v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Croatia v Germany | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2000 | Croatia v France | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Belgium v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 28 Feb 2001 | Croatia v Austria | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | Croatia v Latvia | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Croatia v Greece | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Croatia v San Marino | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 06 Jun 2001 | Latvia v Croatia | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Republic of Ireland v Croatia | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Scotland v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Croatia v Slovenia | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Croatia v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2002 | Croatia v Mexico | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.