User:Bado25/Željko Balen

Željko Balen (born October 11, 1990 in Koprivnica, SFR Yugoslavia) is a former Croatian football player.

Career as a player
Balen began his career in the youth team of NK Graničar Đurđevac before moving to NK Slaven Belupo Koprivnica. In 2009 he was brought to the first team there before he went to the second highest Austrian division at TSV Hartberg. The Croatian made his debut in the First League on April 6, 2010 against SKN St. Pölten, when he was substituted on by coach Bruno Friesenbichler for Marco Schober in the 78th minute. Then he moved a step down and played an autumn season at SC Weiz.

In early 2011 he turned his back on Austria and played one season in the second-highest division of Bosnia and Herzegovina with NK Krajišnik Velika Kladuša. In January 2012, Balen came back to Austria and played a spring season in the Styrian regional league south (seventh highest division) at SV Kirchberg / Raab, where he promoted in the next league. Then he went to SV Gleinstätten, from where he moved on to the Austrian Bundesliga club SK Sturm Graz.

There he was initially active with the second team, before he made his Bundesliga debut on May 26, 2013, when he was brought in and played through by coach Markus Schopp on the last match day. The home game in the UPC Arena against SC Wiener Neustadt was lost 3-0.

He ended his playing career at the age of 26.

Career as a coach
After retiring as a football player, Balen obtained a UEFA B coach license in March 2016. In July 2018, he completed the course for the UEFA A coaching license in Sarajevo

He gained his first coaching experience at USV Grafendorf, and in 2018 he became a coach at Grazer AK. In summer 2020 he switched to SK Sturm Graz - U18.