Mario Kelentrić


Mario Kelentrić is a Croatian former handball player who played as a goalkeeper, and is currently the goalkeeping coach of the Croatia national team.
He has played for clubs in Croatia, Slovenia, Germany and France.
He is noted as being one of the best goalkeepers of Croatia and he was also part of the golden generation witch won the 2003 World Championship in Portugal.
Since 2013 he is the goalkeeping coach of RK Zagreb.

Career

In 1993 Kelentrić signed with RK Medveščak Zagreb. In his first season with the club he reached the final of the Croatian Cup. During his seven-year stay he reached two more cup finals and was in the top flight for most of his time spent there.
In 1999 he moved to Badel 1862 Zagreb. In his first season with the club he reached the semi-final of the EHF Champions League and won both domestic titles. In 2001 he moved to Pivovara Laško Celje and unfortunately was part of a team that lost the domestic title for the first time since the inception of the Slovenian League.
In 2002 he moved to Metković Jambo but he stayed at the club for only half a season leaving in January 2003 to return to RK Zagreb. In 2004 he left for Germany signing with TUSEM Essen with whom he won the EHF Cup.
Later he had short stints with RK Agram Medveščak and :fr:Saint-Marcel Vernon|Saint-Marcel Vernon before moving to MT Melsungen where he played for six years. While there he took part in :de:HBL All-Star Game 2009|HBL All-Star Game 2009.
He finally retired in 2013 in RK Zagreb.

International career

He appeared for the national team from 1997 to 2004 making 86 appearances notably sporting the jersey number 1.
He played at 1997 Mediterranean Games, 1998 European Championship, 1999 World Championship, :hr:Rukometna superliga|1999 Super Cup, 2001 World Championship, 2001 Mediterranean Games, 2002 European Championship, 2003 World Championship and at the 2004 European Championship.
After the 2004 European Championship national team head coach Lino Červar never called up Kelentrić to play for the national team even though he was the best goalkeeper in Croatia at the time.
Kelentrić has stated numerous time since that he hates Červar for not calling him up for the 2004 Summer Olympics and that he will never forgive him for that.

Honours

;Medveščak
;Zagreb
;Celje
;Essen
;Individual