Aleksandar Kolarov facts for kids
Kolarov with Serbia in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 November 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Red Star Belgrade | |||
| Obilić | |||
| Čukarički | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2006 | Čukarički | 44 | (2) |
| 2006–2007 | OFK Beograd | 38 | (5) |
| 2007–2010 | Lazio | 82 | (6) |
| 2010–2017 | Manchester City | 165 | (11) |
| 2017–2020 | Roma | 100 | (17) |
| 2020–2022 | Inter Milan | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 439 | (41) | |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2007 | Serbia U21 | 11 | (1) |
| 2008–2020 | Serbia | 94 | (11) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2024– | Serbia U21 | ||
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Aleksandar Kolarov (born on 10 November 1985) is a Serbian former professional footballer. He was known for playing as a left back.
Kolarov started his football journey at Red Star Belgrade. He then moved to Čukarički in 2004. Two years later, he joined OFK Beograd.
His first move to a foreign club was in 2007. He signed with Lazio in Italy's top league, Serie A. There, he won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2009.
In 2010, he joined Manchester City in England. With them, he won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the League Cup. He returned to Serie A in 2017. He played for Roma and Inter Milan before ending his career.
Kolarov first played for the senior Serbian national team in 2008. He played 94 games for his country. He was part of Serbia's teams for the 2008 Olympics, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2011, he was named Serbian Player of the Year.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Aleksandar Kolarov started playing football in the youth teams of Red Star Belgrade. He also spent some time in the youth system of Obilić.
Starting at Čukarički
In 2004, when he was 18, Kolarov joined Čukarički. This club played in the top league of Serbia-Montenegro. He signed a three-year contract.
He played 27 league games in his first season. Even though he played well, his team was relegated to a lower league. In 2006, he moved to another top-tier club, OFK Beograd.
Time at OFK Beograd
Kolarov joined OFK Beograd in February 2006. He scored his first league goal with them. He played for OFK Beograd until the summer of 2007.
Moving to Lazio in Italy
In 2007, Kolarov moved to Italy to play for Lazio. Lazio was a strong team in Serie A. The transfer fee was about €925,000.
He scored his first goal for Lazio on 30 September 2007. It was a powerful shot from far away. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
In his second season, Kolarov became Lazio's main left-back. He scored an amazing goal against Lecce. He also scored in the "Derby della Capitale" against city rivals Roma. He ran almost the whole length of the field to score.
On 13 May 2009, Kolarov helped Lazio win the 2009 Coppa Italia Final. He scored a penalty in the shootout. This was a great season for him. In August 2009, Lazio beat Inter Milan to win the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana. Kolarov earned his second winner's medal.
Success at Manchester City
On 24 July 2010, Kolarov joined Manchester City in England. The transfer fee was reported to be £16 million. He made his Premier League debut on 14 August.
He scored his first goal for Manchester City in January 2011. It was in an FA Cup match. In February 2011, he scored his first Premier League goal from a free kick. He played the whole game when City won the 2011 FA Cup Final.
In the 2011–12 season, Manchester City won the Premier League title. Kolarov played 12 league games that season. He scored a free kick in a Champions League game against Real Madrid in 2012. He also scored in the League Cup.
On 10 December 2013, Kolarov scored a penalty against Bayern Munich. This helped City reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time. He won his second Premier League trophy with Manchester City in May 2014. He played 30 league games that season. In June 2014, Kolarov signed a new three-year contract with the club.
Playing for Roma
On 22 July 2017, Kolarov signed a three-year deal with Roma in Italy. The fee was €5 million. He scored on his debut for Roma on 20 August. It was the winning goal against Atalanta.
In October, he scored in a Champions League draw against Chelsea. A few days later, he scored the winning goal against Torino.
On 29 September 2018, he scored against his old club and city rivals, Lazio. This made him only the second player to score for both clubs in a Rome derby.
Finishing at Inter Milan
On 8 September 2020, Kolarov joined Inter Milan. He signed a one-year deal. He announced his retirement from professional football on 19 June 2022.
International Career with Serbia
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Kolarov was part of the Serbia under-21 team. They reached the final of the 2007 U-21 Championships. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament.
In June 2010, he was chosen for Serbia's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in group stage matches against Ghana and Germany.
Kolarov played a big part in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. In 2011, he received the Serbian Footballer of the Year award.
On 11 September 2012, Kolarov scored his first goal for Serbia. It was in a 6–1 win against Wales. He also scored from a free kick against Belgium in 2013.
He helped Serbia qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was their first major tournament in eight years. Kolarov scored the only goal in their first match against Costa Rica. He was the captain for all three group stage matches.
How He Played
Kolarov mostly played as a left-back. He could also play as a centre-back or anywhere on the left side of the field. He was known for running forward to help the attack. He had good passing skills and could cross the ball well. He was also famous for his powerful left-footed shots and accurate free kicks.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Čukarički | 2004–05 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 27 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | |||||
| 2005–06 | Serbian First League | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 44 | 2 | — | — | — | 44 | 2 | |||||||
| OFK Beograd | 2005–06 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2006–07 | Serbian SuperLiga | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 4 | |||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 44 | 5 | ||||
| Lazio | 2007–08 | Serie A | 24 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2008–09 | Serie A | 25 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 31 | 3 | ||||
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 5 | ||
| Total | 82 | 6 | 13 | 4 | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 104 | 11 | |||
| Manchester City | 2010–11 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 37 | 3 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 4 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 4 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 44 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| Total | 165 | 11 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 43 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 247 | 21 | ||
| Roma | 2017–18 | Serie A | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | — | 47 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 33 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 43 | 9 | |||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 42 | 7 | |||
| Total | 100 | 17 | 4 | 1 | — | 28 | 1 | — | 132 | 19 | ||||
| Inter Milan | 2020–21 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 439 | 41 | 44 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 77 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 580 | 58 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serbia | 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 94 | 11 | |
After Playing Football
On 3 June 2023, Kolarov became the new sporting director for Pisa. This is an Italian football club in Serie B. However, he left the club just one month later, on 10 July.
Honours and Awards
Kolarov won many trophies during his career:
With Lazio
- Coppa Italia: 2008–09
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2009
With Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14
- FA Cup: 2010–11
- Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16
- FA Community Shield: 2012
With Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2020–21
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2021
With Serbia U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2007
Individual Awards
- Serbian Player of the Year: 2011
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2018–19
- A.S. Roma Team of the Decade: 2010–2020
See Also
In Spanish: Aleksandar Kolarov para niños
