Biography
Who is Anto Drobnjak?
Early career and Buducnost
Anto Drobnjak joined Buducnost ahead of the 1987-88 season and made his professional debut under coach Stanko Poklepovic. During his time at the club, he played alongside well-known teammates including Dragoje Lekovic, Branko Brnovic, Zeljko Petrovic, Predrag Mijatovic, and Dejan Savicevic. He later credited Poklepovic for helping shape his early development as a young player in professional football.
Red Star Belgrade and domestic success
Anto Drobnjak joined Red Star Belgrade ahead of the 1992-93 season. He finished that season as one of the top scorers of the First League of Yugoslavia, sharing the honor with Vesko Mihajlovic. On May 15, 1993, he scored the winning goal in the final of the 1993 Yugoslav Cup to help Red Star defeat Partizan 1-0. He was again Red Star's top scorer in the 1993-94 season alongside teammate Ilija Ivic, while also finishing as the fifth highest goal scorer in the league that year.
Playing in France with Bastia and Lens
Amidst international sanctions against Yugoslavia, Anto Drobnjak moved to France and signed a three-year contract with Bastia in 1994. Under coach Frederic Antonetti, he spent three seasons at the club and scored 50 goals in 100 league games. He signed a new three-year contract with Bastia in 1996 and finished the 1996-97 season as the sixth highest goal scorer in the league.
In 1997, Anto Drobnjak transferred to fellow French club Lens, choosing them over Olympique de Marseille due to a club rivalry. Under coach Daniel Leclercq, he helped Lens win the league title in his debut season. On August 22, 1997, he scored a hat-trick in an away win against Marseille despite playing with a lingering back injury. He scored another hat-trick on November 15, 1997, in a win against AS Cannes, finishing that season as the fourth highest goal scorer in the league.
Later career and international matches
After his time in France, Anto Drobnjak moved to Japan to play for Gamba Osaka. He later returned to France and played for Sochaux, followed by a season at Martigues before retiring from professional play in 2002. Internationally, he represented the FR Yugoslavia national team between 1996 and 1998, earning seven caps and scoring three goals. He made his international debut under coach Slobodan Santrac during qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, though he was ultimately not selected for the final tournament squad.
Birthday and age
Anto Drobnjak was born on September 21, 1968, which makes Anto 58 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Anto shares the date with 73 other famous people.
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