Darko Kovačević facts for kids
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Kovačević with Olympiacos in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 November 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Kovin, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.87m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Radnički Kovin | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1994 | Proleter Zrenjanin | 63 | (25) |
| 1994–1995 | Red Star Belgrade | 47 | (37) |
| 1995–1996 | Sheffield Wednesday | 16 | (4) |
| 1996–1999 | Real Sociedad | 98 | (41) |
| 1999–2001 | Juventus | 47 | (11) |
| 2001 | Lazio | 7 | (0) |
| 2001–2007 | Real Sociedad | 163 | (51) |
| 2007–2009 | Olympiacos | 41 | (21) |
| Total | 482 | (190) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–2004 | Serbia and Montenegro | 59 | (10) |
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Darko Kovačević (born November 18, 1973) is a famous former football player from Serbia. He was known as a strong forward who scored many goals. Darko played for several big clubs in different countries, like Serbia, England, Spain, Italy, and Greece. He also proudly represented his country, Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro), in major international tournaments.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Serbia
Darko Kovačević began his football journey with his local team, FK Radnički Kovin. Soon, a bigger club called FK Proleter Zrenjanin noticed his talent. He played there for two seasons, scoring many goals.
His great performance led him to join one of Serbia's biggest clubs, Red Star Belgrade. With Red Star, Darko won a Yugoslav League title and two Yugoslav Cups. These wins helped him get called up to play for the national team.
Time in England with Sheffield Wednesday
In December 1995, Darko moved to England to play for Premier League club Sheffield Wednesday. He scored some important goals for the team, including two against Bolton Wanderers. He also scored against Liverpool.
Darko played for the rest of the 1995-96 season. However, he found it hard to get used to life in the UK. Because of this, he soon moved to a Spanish club.
Success in Spain with Real Sociedad
In 1996, Kovačević joined La Liga team Real Sociedad in Spain. He quickly became a key player there. His strong performances caught the eye of even bigger clubs. In the summer of 1999, he moved to Italian giant Juventus.
Playing for Juventus and Lazio
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At Juventus, Darko Kovačević continued to score goals. He scored in Italy's top league, Serie A, and in big European competitions like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. He even became the top scorer in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup with 10 goals.
In his first season, he played 44 games and scored 21 goals. This included winning the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, which helped Juventus qualify for the UEFA Cup.
The next season, a new striker, David Trezeguet, joined Juventus. This meant Darko played less often. In 2001, he had a short time with Lazio, playing only seven games. After this, he decided to return to Spain.
Coming Back to Real Sociedad
In 2001, Darko Kovačević returned to Real Sociedad. He spent six more seasons with the club. During this second time, he scored 51 more goals. He is one of Real Sociedad's all-time top goal scorers in European club games. He scored 107 goals in total for Real Sociedad over nine seasons. He is known as the most effective foreign player the club has ever had.
Final Years with Olympiacos
In 2007, Kovačević signed with Greek champions Olympiacos. He continued to play well and win trophies.
In early 2009, doctors found a problem with his heart. He had successful heart surgery to fix it. His doctors advised him to stop playing football. Darko officially retired in May 2009. He played one last friendly match for Olympiacos to celebrate their win of the Greek league and cup. With Olympiacos, Darko won two Greek SuperLeague titles, two Greek Cups, and a Greek Super Cup.
International Career
Darko Kovačević played for his country, Yugoslavia (later Serbia and Montenegro). He made his first appearance in December 1994 in a friendly game against Argentina.
He played a total of 59 games for his country and scored 10 goals. He represented his nation in two major tournaments: the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. His last international game was in March 2004 against Norway.
How He Played
Darko Kovačević was known as a quick and powerful striker. He had good movement and technique. His main strengths were his physical power and his ability to score goals with his head.
After Retirement
After he stopped playing football, Darko Kovačević wanted to stay involved with the sport. He first worked as a columnist. In June 2010, the new president of Olympiacos hired him as a chief scout for the club. Later, he became the sports director for Olympiacos, a role he held until 2018. Today, he is the sports director for the Serbian Football Association.
Personal Life
Darko Kovačević has three children: Mia, Darko Jr., and Stella.
Honours
Red Star Belgrade
- First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1994–95
- FR Yugoslavia Cup: 1994–95, 1995–96
Juventus
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Greek Cup: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Greek Super Cup: 2007
Individual
- UEFA Cup top scorer: 1998–99 (8 goals), 1999–2000 (10 goals)
- Super League Greece Best Foreign Player: 2007–08
See also
In Spanish: Darko Kovačević para niños
