Danijel Ljuboja facts for kids
Ljuboja with Legia Warsaw in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Danijel Ljuboja | ||
| Date of birth | 4 September 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Vinkovci, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dinamo Vinkovci | |||
| Osijek | |||
| Red Star Belgrade | |||
| Sochaux | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–2000 | Sochaux | 62 | (20) |
| 2000–2004 | Strasbourg | 121 | (34) |
| 2004–2005 | Paris Saint-Germain | 42 | (7) |
| 2005–2009 | VfB Stuttgart | 29 | (8) |
| 2006–2007 | → Hamburger SV (loan) | 16 | (5) |
| 2008 | → VfL Wolfsburg (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Grenoble | 37 | (10) |
| 2010–2011 | Nice | 30 | (5) |
| 2011–2013 | Legia Warsaw | 56 | (23) |
| 2013–2014 | Lens | 30 | (8) |
| Total | 431 | (121) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003–2006 | Serbia | 19 | (1) |
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Danijel Ljuboja (born on September 4, 1978) is a Serbian former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was mainly focused on scoring goals.
Danijel was known for his great passing skills and how well he took set pieces (like free kicks and corners). He also proudly represented his country, Serbia and Montenegro, at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Danijel Ljuboja's Football Journey
Starting in Youth Teams
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Danijel Ljuboja was born in Vinkovci, which was then part of Yugoslavia. He started playing football at a young age. He joined the youth teams of local clubs like NK Dinamo Vinkovci, NK Osijek, and Red Star Belgrade.
First Steps in France
Danijel moved to France to begin his professional career. He joined Sochaux for the 1998–99 season. He made his first appearance in September 1998. A month later, he scored his first two goals in a big 4–0 win.
Even though Sochaux was moved down to a lower league, Danijel became a very important player. In the next season, he scored many goals, including three in one game! He was one of the top scorers for the club. In his two years at Sochaux, he played 62 games and scored 20 goals.
Moving to Strasbourg
After Sochaux, Danijel joined Strasbourg in 2000. In his first year, he scored three goals. His team won the Coupe de France, a big French cup, by winning a penalty shootout.
In his second season, Danijel played much better, scoring fifteen goals. This helped Strasbourg return to the top league. He also played in the UEFA Cup, scoring twice. Over his time at Strasbourg, he played 121 league games and scored 34 goals.
Time at Paris Saint-Germain
In January 2004, Danijel moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He had a strong start, scoring six goals in his first few months. PSG also won the Coupe de France that year.
During his time at PSG, he faced strong competition from other forwards. Sometimes, he had disagreements with the team's manager. Despite these challenges, he stayed with the club. In the 2004–05 season, he played five games in the UEFA Champions League. Overall, he scored seven goals in 42 league games for PSG.
Playing in Germany
In 2005, Danijel moved to Germany to play for VfB Stuttgart. He joined them first on a loan deal. He made his debut in September 2005 and scored his first goal a month later. He also scored in the UEFA Cup. He played well, scoring eight goals that season.
Later, he was loaned to Hamburger SV in 2006. He scored in his very first game for them. He also played in the Champions League with Hamburg. After his loan, he returned to Stuttgart. In January 2008, he was loaned again, this time to VfL Wolfsburg. He played for them until the end of the season. Danijel left Stuttgart in June 2009.
Back to France
After four years in Germany, Danijel returned to France in 2009. He signed with Grenoble Foot 38. He quickly scored his first goal for the club. He had a good season, scoring ten goals in 34 games, even though Grenoble was moved down to a lower league.
In 2010, he joined another French club, Nice. He scored his first goal for Nice a week after his debut. He played one season with Nice, scoring six goals in total, before moving on.
Success in Poland with Legia Warsaw
In 2011, Danijel moved to Poland and signed with Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw. He had a fantastic start, scoring two goals in his second game. He was even named "Player of the Month" after scoring three goals in four matches.
He also scored and assisted in a Europa League game. He became the club's top scorer that season with eleven goals. In his first year, he helped Legia Warsaw win the Polish Cup.
The next season was even better. He scored two goals in Europa League qualifying and a hat-trick (three goals in one game) in the first league match of the season! Legia Warsaw had a very successful year, winning both the league title and the Polish Cup.
Danijel left Legia Warsaw in July 2013 and returned to France to play for RC Lens. In December 2014, he retired from playing football. After retiring, he became a talent scout for Legia Warsaw, helping them find new players.
Playing for His Country
Danijel Ljuboja played for the Serbia and Montenegro national team. He played 19 games for his country and scored one goal. He was part of the team that played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. His only goal for his country came in a 3–2 win against Wales national football team in 2003 during a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.
Career Statistics
International
| Serbia and Montenegro | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2003 | 4 | 1 |
| 2004 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 | 6 | 0 |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 1 |
Honours
RC Strasbourg
- Coupe de France: 2001
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France: 2004
Legia Warsaw
- Ekstraklasa: 2012–13
- Polish Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13
Individual
- Ekstraklasa Player of the Month: August 2011
- Piłka Nożna Foreigner of the Year: 2012
Images for kids
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Ljuboja with a fan at Legia Warsaw.
See also
In Spanish: Danijel Ljuboja para niños
