Croatia all applauds Olmo: the curtain is lifted on the finest story of his career

A wonderful story

Spain's clash with Croatia in Split today, Tuesday, will be anything but routine for Dani Olmo. The Barcelona midfielder returns to the country that embraced him at sixteen, when he left Spain with his mother to begin his first adventure at Dinamo Zagreb. That move shaped a crucial part of his character and his career.

Andy Bara, Olmo's agent, revealed that the Spain international has donated 2% of his total annual salary to the Vukovar charitable foundation ever since he left Dinamo Zagreb in 2020. Olmo kept the habit at Leipzig, and then carried it with him to Barcelona.

Olmo never spoke about the contribution. He wanted it kept away from the spotlight, and his agent revealed the details first, saying: "Since leaving Dinamo Zagreb, Olmo donates 2% of his total annual salary to the Vukovar charitable foundation."

Asked about it during a press conference, the Barcelona player could not hide his surprise at how far his story had spread. He spoke about it plainly, recalling the emotions of leaving Croatia: "When I left, I felt grateful to Croatia and I wanted to repay the favour."

He wanted to give part of his salary "to the Vukovar family", Olmo added, feeling it his duty to give something back to the country that handed him such an important opportunity at the start of his path. His contribution, he stressed, is only a simple attempt to help support the city and its people.

The donations came through the "Common Goal" initiative, founded by former Spain international Juan Mata. Olmo has kept his connection with Vukovar alive, a city that still carries a painful memory from the Balkan war.

Years after leaving, Olmo comes back in a Spain shirt. Beyond the pitch and the national team lies another tale that never shows up in the results: a young man who did not forget the place that embraced him as a boy, and chose to repay the favour the moment he could.