Born and raised in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, Darko Churlinov demonstrated remarkable fighting spirit to carve out a career as a professional footballer.
Now 20 years old, Churlinov played his first league match when he was only five, turning out for his older brother’s side. His team-mates and opponents may have had the beating of him physically, but Darko more than made amends with his astonishing pace. In 2010, Churlinov caught the eye of an FK Rabotnicki youth coach, who facilitated a move to the Skopje-based outfit. A year later, he joined record Macedonian champions FK Vardar.
When Dimitar Mitrovski - a former team-mate of Churlinov’s - ended up signing for F. C. Hansa Rostock, he begged the Hansa board to consider signing the winger. After a prolonged period of scouting and a week-long trial, Hansa confirmed their interest in acquiring Churlinov’s services.
Unfortunately, however, he never settled in Rostock and soon joined the youth department of 1. FC Magdeburg, where his impressive performances in the U17 Bundesliga earned him a move to 1. FC Köln in August 2016. It was in Cologne that the North Macedonian began to establish himself properly, scoring 18 goals in 23 U19 Bundesliga West appearances to finish as the league’s top scorer in 2018/19.
Last August, he made his first and only Bundesliga appearance for Köln on the opening day of the 2019/20 season. However, Churlinov felt surplus to requirements in the first team and ended up signing for VfB in the winter of 2019.
The number 19 made six appearances for the Swabians during the second half of the campaign, scoring his first professional goal against Dresden on Matchday 29. “Of course you always want to play as much as possible, but I’m only 19 and playing my first season as a professional,” Churlinov said prior to his 20th birthday. “That’s why I’m patient.”