Dejan Petković facts for kids
Petković in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 September 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Majdanpek, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987 | Majdanpek | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1992 | Radnički Niš | 53 | (34) |
| 1992–1995 | Red Star Belgrade | 132 | (38) |
| 1995–1997 | Real Madrid | 5 | (0) |
| 1996 | → Sevilla (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 1997 | → Racing de Santander (loan) | 8 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Vitória | 29 | (16) |
| 1999 | Venezia | 14 | (1) |
| 2000–2002 | Flamengo | 44 | (18) |
| 2002–2003 | Vasco da Gama | 19 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | Shanghai Shenhua | 22 | (7) |
| 2004 | Vasco da Gama | 36 | (18) |
| 2005 | Al-Ittihad | 0 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Fluminense | 39 | (11) |
| 2007 | Goiás | 2 | (0) |
| 2007 | Santos | 21 | (1) |
| 2008 | Atlético Mineiro | 27 | (4) |
| 2009–2011 | Flamengo | 53 | (14) |
| Total | 508 | (165) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1998 | FR Yugoslavia | 6 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014 | Atlético Paranaense U23 | ||
| 2015 | Criciúma | ||
| 2016 | Sampaio Corrêa | ||
| 2017 | Vitória | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Dejan Petković (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Петковић, pronounced [dějan pětkoʋitɕ]; born on September 10, 1972) is a Serbian football expert and former player. In his home country, he is known as Rambo. In Brazil, people call him Pet. He played six times for the FR Yugoslavia and scored one goal. Petković played for seven different Brazilian clubs during his career. He was also made an honorary consul for Serbia in Brazil.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Dejan Petković was born in Majdanpek. His parents, Dobrivoje and Milena, met there while looking for work. Young Dejan quickly fell in love with football.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Radnički Niš
Petković began his professional football journey in 1988 at Radnički Niš. He became the youngest player to ever play an official match in the old Yugoslav First League. This happened on September 25, 1988, when he was just 16 years and 15 days old. Radnički won that match 4–0. Even though his age record has since been broken, Petković still supports his first club.
Moving to Red Star Belgrade
In July 1992, Petković joined Red Star Belgrade. He was known as a very skilled player. Many experienced players left the club that summer. This gave Petković a chance to play in the first team right away. He stayed with Red Star for three and a half seasons, winning two Yugoslav First League titles.
Time with Real Madrid
In December 1995, 23-year-old Petković moved to the famous Spanish club Real Madrid. He made his league debut on December 17, coming on as a substitute. However, he had limited playing time at Real Madrid.
Loan to Sevilla
In January 1996, Petković was loaned to Sevilla. He played in 8 league matches for Sevilla and scored 1 goal.
Loan to Racing de Santander
After returning briefly to Real Madrid, Petković was loaned to Racing de Santander in January 1997.
Success in Brazil with Vitória
Petković was then discovered by Vitória in Brazil. This move marked the start of his very successful career in Brazil. He won two Bahia State Championships and a Copa do Nordeste with Vitória. He played for them until 1999.
Joining Flamengo for the First Time
After a short time in Italy, Petković returned to Brazil and joined Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro. He was very important in helping Flamengo win two more titles in their historic three-in-a-row series against their rivals Vasco.
A month later, Petković scored another free kick goal against São Paulo. This helped Flamengo win the Copa dos Campeões and qualify for the Copa Libertadores the next year. He became very popular and was known as "Pet" by the fans.
Playing for Vasco da Gama
In 2002, Petković moved to Vasco da Gama. During this time, he also played briefly for the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua. They won the 2003 league title. However, this title was later taken away because of a match-fixing scandal. During his second time at Vasco, he helped the team avoid being relegated from the league. He was the club's top scorer and helper.
Playing for Fluminense
After playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, Petković returned to Rio de Janeiro in August 2005 to play for Fluminense. Even though he was 33, he quickly won over the fans. In one amazing match, he scored twice in a 6–2 win. His first goal was the 1000th goal scored by Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship. He received an award for this achievement. He also won his second Silver Ball award.
Other Brazilian Clubs
In 2007, Petković played for Santos. In 2008, he joined Atlético Mineiro. His contract was not renewed at the end of that season.
Returning to Flamengo for a Final Stint
On May 20, 2009, Flamengo announced that Petković would return. There was some doubt because of his age (37) and the time he had not played. However, Petković played a key role for Flamengo. He scored 8 goals and helped the club win its sixth Brazilian Championship title. This was the first league title of his career.
He was praised by the Brazilian press for many great performances. On November 20, 2009, he was inducted into the Brazilian Hall of Fame in the Maracana stadium. He was only the fifth non-Brazilian and third European to receive this honor. On December 7, he won the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) award for best midfielder. This was his third time winning the award.
Petković retired as a professional player on June 5, 2011. He played the first half of a league match against Corinthians. To celebrate his retirement, all Flamengo players wore his name on their jerseys for that match.
International Career Overview
Petković started playing for SFR Yugoslavia youth teams when he was 15. He even scored one of the fastest goals in football history, just three seconds into a match against Cyprus. He was called up for the UEFA Euro 1992 squad. However, the Yugoslavia team was suspended from the tournament due to conflicts in the region.
He later played for the FR Yugoslavia senior team. He faced some challenges with coaches, which limited his appearances. In his second official match, he scored a goal against Russia. His last official match for the national team was in September 1998 against Brazil.
Petković later played two unofficial matches for Yugoslavia in December 1999. He was even captain in one game. Many people wondered why he didn't play more for his national team. Some believed it was because he played for Brazilian clubs, making it harder for coaches to see him. Others thought there were disagreements with the Football Association.
In 2006, there was a campaign in his home country for Petković to be selected for the World Cup in Germany. However, the coach decided not to call him up. Petković never played in a World Cup. He retired from professional football without playing for the White Eagles.
Playing Style and Legacy
Dejan Petković is considered one of the best foreign players to have played in Brazil. He was known for his excellent free kicks, corner kicks, and passing. He scored eight goals directly from corner kicks in his career. This makes him the record holder for the most goals scored directly from corners in football history.
His success inspired a pop song called "É o Pet." A documentary film about his life and career, called O Gringo, was also made. Petković continues to live in Brazil and has been involved in sports commentary.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | State league | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FK Radnički Niš | 1988–89 | Prva Savezna Liga | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1989–90 | 17 | 7 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 7 | ||||||
| 1990–91 | 17 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 0 | ||||||
| 1991–92 | 23 | 10 | – | – | – | – | 23 | 10 | ||||||
| Total | 59 | 17 | – | – | – | – | 59 | 17 | ||||||
| Red Star Belgrade | 1992–93 | Prva Liga | 26 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 5 | ||||
| 1993–94 | 29 | 10 | – | – | – | – | 29 | 10 | ||||||
| 1994–95 | 26 | 8 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 8 | ||||||
| 1995–96 | 12 | 6 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 6 | ||||||
| Total | 93 | 29 | – | – | – | – | 93 | 29 | ||||||
| Real Madrid | 1994–95 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 1995–96 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||||||
| Sevilla (loan) | 1995–96 | La Liga | 8 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 1 | ||||
| Racing de Santander (loan) | 1996–97 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Vitória | 1997 | Série A | 8 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 2 | ||||
| 1998 | 21 | 14 | – | 4 | 1 | – | 8 | 11 | 33 | 26 | ||||
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 11 | 20 | 16 | 27 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 16 | – | 9 | 8 | – | 19 | 31 | 57 | 55 | ||||
| Venezia | 1999–00 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | – | 4 | 1 | – | – | 17 | 2 | |||
| Flamengo | 2000 | Série A | 23 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 59 | 28 |
| 2001 | 21 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 53 | 12 | ||
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 44 | 18 | 25 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 21 | 6 | 19 | 7 | 120 | 42 | ||
| Vasco da Gama | 2002 | Série A | 19 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 2 | ||||
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 8 | ||||
| 2004 | 36 | 18 | – | – | – | – | 36 | 18 | ||||||
| Total | 55 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 66 | 28 | ||||
| Shanghai Shenhua (loan) | 2003 | Chinese Super League | 6 | 7 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Al-Ittihad | 2004 | Saudi Pro League | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Fluminense | 2005 | Série A | 20 | 6 | – | – | 5 | 2 | – | 25 | 8 | |||
| 2006 | 19 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 36 | 11 | |||
| Total | 39 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 2 | – | 61 | 19 | |||
| Goiás | 2006 | Série A | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Santos | 2007 | Série A | 21 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Atlético Mineiro | 2008 | Série A | 27 | 4 | – | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 32 | 5 | ||
| Flamengo | 2009 | Série A | 23 | 8 | – | – | 2 | 0 | – | 25 | 8 | |||
| 2010 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 1 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 51 | 6 | ||||
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 54 | 13 | 13 | 1 | – | 10 | 0 | – | 77 | 14 | ||||
| Career total | 466 | 139 | 56 | 20 | 38 | 16 | 39 | 8 | 43 | 39 | 642 | 222 | ||
Honors and Awards
Team Achievements
- Red Star Belgrade
- Yugoslav First League: 1991–92, 1994–95
- Yugoslav Cup: 1992–93, 1994–95
- Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1996–97
- Supercopa de España: 1997
- Vitória
- Bahia State Championship: 1997, 1999
- Copa do Nordeste: 1999
- Flamengo
- Campeonato Carioca: 2000, 2001
- Copa dos Campeões: 2001
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2009
- Shanghai Shenhua
- Chinese Jia-A League: 2003 (title later removed)
- Vasco da Gama
- Campeonato Carioca: 2003
- Al Ittihad
- Arab Champions League: 2005
Individual Awards
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2005, 2009
- Bola de Prata: 2004, 2005, 2009
- Troféu Mesa Redonda Best Player: 2009
- Niš Sportsperson of the Year: 2009
Special Recognitions
- EC Vitória's Player of the Twentieth Century (chosen by fans)
- Scored the 1000th goal for Fluminense FC in the Brazilian Championship (September 7, 2005)
- Holds the record for most goals scored directly from corner kicks: 8
- Honored at the Maracanã Walk of Fame
- Named Honorary Citizen of Rio de Janeiro
Diplomatic Career
On June 20, 2010, the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that Dejan Petković was appointed as the Honorary Consul of Serbia in Brazil.
See also
In Spanish: Dejan Petković para niños
