Name: Milan Badelj

• Nationality: Croatia
• Position: Central midfielder / Defensive midfielder
• Date of Birth: February 25, 1989
• Place of Birth: Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia

Club career (high-level):

• Early career: Came through the youth system at Dinamo Zagreb and made his professional breakthrough there.
• Loan / Move to Inter & Hamburger SV: Had an early spell on loan at Inter’s youth setup and later moved to Hamburger SV on loan before returning to Croatia.
• Return to Dinamo Zagreb: Re-established himself at Dinamo Zagreb, winning domestic titles.
• Serie A — Genoa: Joined Genoa in January 2013, where he made an impact as a composed central midfielder known for passing, positioning and game management.
• Later clubs: After Genoa he moved to Hamburger SV permanently, then to Dinamo again, moved to HNK Rijeka briefly, and most notably spent several seasons at Fiorentina before joining Lazio. (Note: exact sequence and dates can vary depending on season updates.)

International career:

• Regular member of Croatia youth teams and progressed to the senior national team.
• Capped multiple times for Croatia and part of squads for major tournaments including UEFA European Championships and FIFA World Cup campaigns.

Playing style and strengths:

• Calm, intelligent midfielder with good passing range and vision.
• Strong positional sense and ability to shield the defense.
• Effective at dictating tempo, recycling possession, and linking defense to attack.

Notable facts:

• Well-regarded for leadership qualities and consistency at club and international level.
• Contributed to Genoa’s midfield stability during his stint there and used that as a stepping stone to later spells in Serie A with other clubs.