Damir Kreilach Bio
Damir Kreilach, born on 16 April 1989 in Vukovar, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia, is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Croatian Football League club Rijeka. Standing 186 centimeters tall, Kreilach is known for his goal-scoring ability from midfield, a trait he displayed throughout stints in Croatia, Germany, and North America. He first debuted as a professional at 18 and has built a career spanning more than fifteen years across multiple leagues, becoming a top scorer and captain at several clubs. He returned to Rijeka in 2025 after a season in Major League Soccer.
Early Life and Background
Damir Kreilach was born on 16 April 1989 in Vukovar, a city in the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia that was part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within Yugoslavia at the time. Growing up in Vukovar during the post-independence era of Croatia, he developed an early interest in football, joining local youth setups that prepared him for a professional pathway. The footballing culture of the region, paired with Croatia’s strong national tradition in the sport, helped shape his technical foundation and tactical awareness as a young midfielder.
Kreilach progressed through the youth ranks at HNK Rijeka, the club that would later become the defining starting point of his senior career. His performances in the academy earned him a promotion to the first team, where he was trusted to make his professional debut at 18 years old. That early transition into senior football in the Croatian top flight laid the groundwork for a career that would eventually take him to Germany and Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada.
Path to Soccer
Kreilach’s rise to professional soccer began in earnest when he broke into the Rijeka first team during the 2007–08 Croatian First Football League season. The step from academy prospect to senior starter came at a young age, and he responded with consistent appearances across his first season. Over the next several campaigns, he established himself as a regular contributor in the Croatian top flight, refining his game as an attacking midfielder capable of contributing goals and assists.
By the 2011–12 season, Kreilach had developed into one of Rijeka’s most reliable attacking outlets, finishing the campaign as the club’s top goalscorer with nine goals. That personal milestone confirmed his readiness for a move abroad and attracted attention from clubs in stronger European leagues. In 2013, he transferred to Union Berlin in the German 2. Bundesliga, marking his transition to a more demanding and physical style of football outside his home country.
Damir Kreilach Career
Early Career (2007–2013)
Damir Kreilach spent the first six seasons of his professional career at HNK Rijeka in the Croatian First Football League. He made his debut at 18 years old in the 2007–08 season and went on to play 128 matches for the club, scoring 19 goals in total. His most productive campaign came in 2011–12, when he finished as Rijeka’s top goalscorer with nine goals, a personal achievement that underlined his growth into a decisive attacking midfielder.
Across his time at Rijeka, Kreilach developed into a senior figure in a squad that was building toward consistent top-flight competitiveness. His ability to find the net from midfield, combined with his work rate and physical presence, made him a key part of the team’s structure. By the end of the 2012–13 season, his form in Croatia had earned him a transfer to Union Berlin, ending his formative years with a strong foundation behind him.
Union Berlin Breakthrough (2013–2018)
In 2013, Kreilach moved to Union Berlin, then playing in the German 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. The transition to a more physical and tactically demanding league marked a significant step in his career, and he adapted by becoming a regular goal threat from midfield. Over five seasons at the club, he made 147 appearances and scored 33 goals, establishing himself as one of the team’s most consistent contributors.
His standout season in Germany came in 2015–16, when he scored 12 goals in 32 matches, demonstrating his efficiency in front of goal. Kreilach’s time at Union Berlin helped him mature as a professional, both in terms of physical conditioning and tactical discipline. The experience of competing in a promotion-chasing environment in the 2. Bundesliga also prepared him for the next major step of his career, a move to Major League Soccer in North America.
Real Salt Lake Era (2018–2023)
In February 2018, Damir Kreilach signed with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, beginning the most prolific chapter of his career. He quickly became a central figure in the team’s attacking structure, contributing goals and leadership from the midfield. Over six seasons with the club, he scored 47 goals, which placed him third on Real Salt Lake’s all-time goalscoring list, a remarkable achievement for a midfielder in a league built around attacking forwards.
Kreilach’s influence extended beyond his goals, as he was named club captain for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, taking on a leadership role in the locker room and on the pitch. He helped guide the team through multiple Major League Soccer campaigns and was a consistent presence in the starting lineup. After six seasons in Utah, he departed the club in December 2023, having cemented his legacy as one of the most impactful midfielders in Real Salt Lake’s modern history.
Vancouver Whitecaps and Return to Rijeka (2024–Present)
In December 2023, Kreilach joined fellow Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps FC, continuing his career in North America. His time in Vancouver provided him with a fresh environment and a new competitive challenge, allowing him to bring his experience as a former captain to a different squad. After one season in British Columbia, his journey through Major League Soccer came to a close in 2025, when he made a return to Croatia.
In 2025, Damir Kreilach returned to HNK Rijeka, the club where his professional career began, rejoining the Croatian Football League side for a new chapter. The move marked an emotional homecoming for a player who had spent more than a decade abroad. His return to familiar surroundings also brought him back to a competitive environment in which he had previously thrived, and he resumed his role as an experienced midfield presence for the club.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining milestones of Kreilach’s career was finishing as Rijeka’s top goalscorer in 2011–12, a feat that announced his arrival as a senior attacking talent. He further cemented his reputation in Germany with a 12-goal season for Union Berlin in 2015–16, before producing his most consistent run of form at Real Salt Lake. Ending his Major League Soccer spell as the club’s third all-time leading goalscorer with 47 goals stands as the headline achievement of his time in North America.
Damir Kreilach Career Wins
Damir Kreilach’s professional record is built on goal-scoring consistency across multiple leagues, rather than on a heavily trophy-laden résumé. Across his stints at Rijeka, Union Berlin, Real Salt Lake, and Vancouver Whitecaps, he accumulated more than 200 senior appearances and a combined attacking return that ranks him among the most productive midfielders of his generation in the clubs he represented. His legacy is defined by sustained contribution, leadership, and milestone scoring tallies at each stop.
Croatian League Highlights
In the Croatian First Football League, Kreilach played 128 matches and scored 19 goals across six seasons with Rijeka. His most notable individual campaign came in 2011–12, when he finished as the club’s top goalscorer with nine goals. His return to Rijeka in 2025 added a new chapter to his record in the Croatian top flight, where he first rose to prominence as a teenager.
Other Wins and Performances
In the German 2. Bundesliga, Kreilach scored 33 goals in 147 matches for Union Berlin over five seasons, including a 12-goal campaign in 2015–16. At Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer, he scored 47 goals in six seasons, a return that placed him third on the club’s all-time goalscoring list and led to his appointment as captain in 2022 and 2023. His combined output across Europe and North America underscores a career built on dependable attacking contribution from midfield.
Damir Kreilach Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Detailed public information about Damir Kreilach’s family background is limited, with no widely documented accounts of his parents or siblings in verified sources. What is known is that he was raised in Vukovar, a city with a deep footballing tradition, and that his upbringing in eastern Croatia helped shape his early connection to the sport. His progression through the Rijeka academy reflects the strong youth development culture of Croatian football rather than any documented family lineage in the professional game.
2025 Season Performance
Damir Kreilach’s 2025 season centers on his return to HNK Rijeka in the Croatian Football League, the club where he began his professional career nearly two decades earlier. The homecoming brought him back to a familiar environment and a league in which he had previously established himself as a top scorer during the early 2010s. His experience across Europe and Major League Soccer positions him as a senior figure in the Rijeka squad, with expectations that he will provide both leadership and attacking output from midfield.
Coming off a single season with Vancouver Whitecaps, Kreilach’s move back to Croatia in 2025 represents both a sentimental and a competitive decision, allowing him to finish his career at the club that launched it. His prior record of 19 goals in 128 matches for Rijeka, combined with his later production in Germany and the United States, suggests he remains a capable contributor at the top level. The 2025 campaign will be viewed as a continuation of his long professional journey rather than a fresh start, and his presence is expected to add stability to the team’s midfield structure.