Balaban goes back to the future
Friday, August 23, 2002
Article summary
Bosko Balaban aims to resurrect his career with a loan move to former club NK Dinamo Zagreb.
Article body
Aston Villa FC striker Bosko Balaban is hoping to resurrect his career with NK Dinamo Zagreb after signing a season-long loan deal with his former club.
Villa pay wages
The 23-year-old Croatian international rejoined the Croatian Cup winners on Wednesday, although Villa will continue to pay the bulk of his €31,000-a-week salary. "Physically, I'm in excellent shape and I don't believe I will have any trouble playing [regularly] again," Balaban said. "I'm glad to be at home, I want to play and I can't wait for my first match."
Hadjuk date
Balaban will be eligible to play for Dinamo from 1 September, when they face HNK Hadjuk Split. "That's excellent, I couldn't imagine a better start," he said. "I hope I will return to the national team as soon as possible."
Only two starts
The forward scored 14 times in 24 matches for Dinamo in the 2000/2001 season and hit five goals for Croatia in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. However, he made only two senior starts in 12 months for Villa.
