Dado Pršo: An evening "four" all time
He is one of eight Croatian players to have worn the AS Monaco jerse *. Along with Danijel Subašić, he also has the honor of being one of those who won a French title with the club, in the year 2000. Dado Pršo spent seven years at the foot of the Rock, first arriving in the summer of 1997. Joining from Stade Raphaëlois in Var, not far from Fontvieille, he was spotted at the time by the father-son duo of Gérard and Laurent Banide.
A revelation under Claude Puel during the 2000 title run
Finding a starting role hard to come by in a Monegasque attack that included Victor Ikpeba, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet, among others, the young and athletic center-forward (1.90 m) from Zadar (like Danijel Subašić) was loaned to Ajaccio in Ligue 2 for two seasons. It was a good learning experience for him, and he proved himseld to be a great creative presence, in addition to being a finegoalscorer. Very skilful with his head because of his size, but also very precise in close quarters, with a fine touch for the ball, Dado Pršo finally showed his ability under Claude Puel.
In 1999-2000, the season of the team’s seventh league title, he became a regular, and also took part in five UEFA Cup matches. It was the same in the following season where he acted as a versatile attackign option with Didier Deschamps on the bench, notably participating in the team’s victory in the Coupe de la Ligue against Sochaux in 2003, with a goal in the 66th minute of the final (4-1). Then came what was an exceptional 2003-2004 season; having started well in the league, the team led by captain Ludovic Giuly made a remarkable run in the Champions League, which would lead them to the final against FC Porto.
Scorer of a legendary quadruple against Deportivo La Coruña
During this campaign, which is still remembered today by all supporters of the Principality club, young and old, Dado played a fundamental role in support of Fernando Morientes, the star on loan from Real Madrid. He particularly in a mind-boggling win against Deportivo La Coruña, during which he scored a legendary quadruple in a thrilling match that AS Monaco would win eight goals to three.
A starter on November 5, 2003, Dado Pršo not only celebrated the result and an unprecedented quadruple, but also his 29th birthday. It was an unforgettable moment for him, which would mark the start of an exceptional run in this grandest of all European competitions, including eliminating the “Galacticos” of Real Madrid. In total, the Croatian striker, who was mentioned upon his arrival to the Rock by his compatriot and AS Monaco coach Niko Kovac, would play 144 matches in Rouge et Blanc, scoring 45 goals.
On this special date for him, join us in celebrating his 47th birthday and the 18th anniversary of this legendary match — AS Monaco wishes Dado Pršo a very happy birthday!
Sretan rođendan Dado!
* The eight Croatian players who’ve played for AS Monaco’s first team
Stjepan Andrijašević (1992-1993)
Robert Špehar (1997-1999)
Dado Pršo (1997-2004)
Jerko Leko (2006-2010)
Nikola Pokrivač (2008-2009)
Dario Šimič (2008-2010)
Danijel Subašić (2012-2020)
Mario Pašalić (2015-2016)
