Fabian Benko
{{Short description|German footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Fabian Benko
| image = FC Admira Wacker Mödling vs. LASK Linz 2018-08-12 (049).jpg
| upright =
| caption = Benko in 2018
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|06|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Munich, Germany{{cite news|last=May|first=Sam (12 November 2015)|url=http://bundesligafanatic.com/one-for-the-future-bayern-munichs-fabian-benko/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205173247/http://bundesligafanatic.com/one-for-the-future-bayern-munichs-fabian-benko/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=5 February 2016|title=One for the Future: Bayern Munich's Fabian Benko|website=Bundesliga Fanatic|accessdate=19 August 2016}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = FC Pipinsried
| clubnumber = 20
| youthclubs1 = SV Waldeck Obermenzing
| youthyears1 =
| youthyears2 = 2005–2016
| youthclubs2 = Bayern Munich
| years1 = 2015–2018
| clubs1 = Bayern Munich II
| caps1 = 84
| goals1 = 6
| years2 = 2016–2018
| clubs2 = Bayern Munich
| caps2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2018–2021
| clubs3 = Juniors OÖ
| caps3 = 56
| goals3 = 8
| years4 = 2018
| clubs4 = LASK
| caps4 = 3
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2021–2022
| clubs5 = SSV Ulm 1846
| caps5 = 23
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2022–2023
| clubs6 = SG Sonnenhof Großaspach
| caps6 = 34
| goals6 = 6
| years7 = 2023–
| clubs7 = FC Pipinsried
| caps7 = 35
| goals7 = 8
| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015
| nationalteam1 = Germany U17
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam2 = Croatia U20
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = 20 July 2024
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Fabian Benko (born 5 June 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayernliga Süd club FC Pipinsried. Born in Germany, Benko has represented both Germany and Croatia internationally at the junior level.
Club career
=Bayern Munich=
Born in Munich to Croatian parents, Benko joined Bayern Munich in 2005 when he was seven years old. He progressed through the club's academy side and was awarded an apprentice contract on 3 September 2015. The terms of the contract came into effect in June the following year with the effect of tying him to the club until 2018.{{cite news|last=Quinn|first=Phillip (3 September 2015)|url=http://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2015/9/3/9252157/bayern-munich-contracts-fabian-benko-niklas-dorsch|title=Bayern Munich sign two academy products to professional contracts|website=Bavarian Football Works|accessdate=18 August 2016}} In January 2016, Benko was one of five academy players invited by manager Pep Guardiola to travel with the senior squad to Doha on their mid-season tour and later featured in a pre-season tour of China.{{cite news|last=Bogner|first=Florian (6 January 2016)|url=http://www.eurosport.de/fussball/bundesliga/2015-2016/fabian-benko-17-pep-guardiola-lobt-seine-klasse-teenager-des-fc-bayern-munchen-teil-2_sto5057918/story.shtml|title=Fabian Benko (17): Pep Guardiola lobt seine Klasse - Teenager des FC Bayern München, Teil 2|website=Eurosport|accessdate=19 August 2016|language=de}}
Benko then appeared on the bench for Bayern for the first time in their Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb on 12 December 2015 where he remained an unused substitute. Had he taken to the field he would have become the club's youngest ever player. He returned to and featured predominantly for Bayern's reserve side, Bayern Munich II, thereafter but his made his senior debut and only first team appearance on 19 August 2016, coming off the bench for Arturo Vidal in Bayern's 5–0 DFB-Pokal win over Carl Zeiss Jena.{{cite news|url=https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2018/6/6/17432778/bayern-munich-ii-amateurs-fabian-benko-transfer-linzer-ask-europa-league|title=Fabian Benko transfers to Linzer ASK in the Austrian Bundesliga|publisher=Bavarian Football Networks|last=Dillon|first=John|date=6 June 2018|accessdate=6 July 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.kicker.de/jena-gegen-bayern-2016-dfb-pokal-3309927/ticker|title=Carl Zeiss Jena - Bayern Munich|website=kicker|date=19 August 2016|access-date=20 August 2016|language=de}}
=LASK=
On 5 June 2018, Benko was transferred to Austrian Bundesliga side LASK on a free transfer where he signed a three-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://fcbayern.com/de/news/2018/06/benko-wechselt-zu-lask-linz?shortURL=Benko050618|title=Benko joins the Linz ASK|accessdate=6 June 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2018/6/6/17432778/bayern-munich-ii-amateurs-fabian-benko-transfer-linzer-ask-europa-league|title=Fabian Benko transfers to Linzer ASK in the Austrian Bundesliga|publisher=|accessdate=5 July 2018}} The following month he was one of 100 players nominated for the Golden Boy award.{{cite news|url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/golden-boy-2018-nominees-pulisic-mckennie-havertz-lovren-isak-509451.jsp|title=Pulisic, McKennie and Havertz: Meet the Bundesliga's 15 Golden Boy nominations for 2018|publisher=Bundesliga|date=5 July 2018|accessdate=6 July 2018}} Benko made his professional debut on 29 July 2018, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute for Peter Michorl in the 3–1 away loss to Red Bull Salzburg.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfootball.net/report/bundesliga-2018-2019-rb-salzburg-lask/ |title=RB Salzburg – LASK 3:1 (Bundesliga 2018/2019, 1. Round) |website=WorldFootball |date=29 July 2018 |access-date=29 July 2018}}
=SSV Ulm=
Out-of-contract, Benko signed with Regionalliga Südwest side SSV Ulm on 4 August 2021.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
International career
=Youth national teams=
Benko made his debut for the German U17 national team in 2014. He later elected to represent Croatia at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In September 2016, amid discussion surrounding his international future, the Croatian Football Association confirmed that Benko had decided to continue to represent Croatia.{{cite news|url=http://www.sport1.de/fussball/uefa-youth-league/2016/09/fabian-benko-vom-fc-bayern-muenchen-spielt-nicht-fuer-deutschland|title=Benko spielt nicht für Deutschland|website=Sport1|date=24 September 2016|accessdate=30 September 2016|language=de}}{{Cite web|url=http://hns-cff.hr/news/15103/fabian-benko-odabrao-hrvatsku-reprezentaciju/|title=Fabian Benko odabrao hrvatsku reprezentaciju - Hrvatski nogometni savez|website=hns-cff.hr|language=hr|access-date=5 June 2018}}
Career statistics
{{updated|8 November 2019|{{cite web|title=Fabian Benko » Club matches|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/fabian-benko/2/|publisher=World Football|accessdate=12 April 2017}} }}
| class="wikitable" Style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Bayern Munich II
|18 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17
|Regionalliga Bayern |32 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18
|Regionalliga Bayern |34 | 5 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 5 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!84 | 6 | colspan="2"|— | 84 | 6 | ||
| Bayern Munich
|0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| LASK
|3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| FC Juniors OÖ
|5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!92 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 95 | 6 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Worldfootball.net|fabian-benko}}
{{Portal bar|Association football}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benko, Fabian}}
Category:German people of Croatian descent
Category:Croatian men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Munich
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Croatia men's youth international footballers
Category:Germany men's youth international footballers
Category:Oberliga (football) players
Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players
Category:2. Liga (Austria) players
Category:FC Bayern Munich footballers
Category:FC Bayern Munich II players
Category:FC Juniors OÖ players
Category:SG Sonnenhof Großaspach players
Category:FC Pipinsried players
Category:Croatian expatriate men's footballers
Category:German expatriate men's footballers
Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Austria
Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Austria