Dejan Stanković facts for kids
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Stanković with Red Star Belgrade in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 September 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Spartak Moscow (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985–1992 | Teleoptik | ||
| 1992–1995 | Red Star Belgrade | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1998 | Red Star Belgrade | 85 | (29) |
| 1998–2004 | Lazio | 137 | (22) |
| 2004–2013 | Inter Milan | 231 | (29) |
| Total | 453 | (80) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2013 | Serbia | 103 | (15) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2019–2022 | Red Star Belgrade | ||
| 2022–2023 | Sampdoria | ||
| 2023–2024 | Ferencváros | ||
| 2024– | Spartak Moscow | ||
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Dejan Stanković (born 11 September 1978) is a famous Serbian football manager and a former player. He was the captain of the Serbia national team from 2007 to 2011. He is currently the manager of the Russian team Spartak Moscow.
Stanković started his football journey at Red Star Belgrade in Serbia. Later, he moved to Italy to play for Lazio in 1998. After more than five years with Lazio, he joined Inter Milan, where he played until he retired in 2013. Dejan Stanković is special because he is the only player to have played for three different countries at the FIFA World Cups: Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia.
Contents
Dejan Stanković: Football Star
Early Days and Red Star Belgrade
Dejan Stanković grew up in Zemun, a part of Belgrade. Both his parents, Borislav and Dragica, loved football. Dejan started playing football for a local club called FK Teleoptik. When he was 14, a coach from Red Star Belgrade saw him play. Dejan then joined Red Star's youth academy. He played in every age group at his hometown club.
In the 1994–95 season, Stanković got his first chance to play for Red Star's main team. He was only 16 years old. He became the youngest player to ever play for Red Star at the senior level. He helped his team win the league title that season. He also scored his first goal against Budućnost Podgorica, becoming the youngest goal scorer in Red Star's history. He quickly became a regular player and a fan favorite.
In the early 1990s, Red Star could not play in European competitions. This was because of a ban by the United Nations. The ban was lifted before the 1995–96 season. A year later, Stanković played in his first European game. He helped his team win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Cup Winners' Cup. Before the 1997–98 season, he became the team captain at just 19 years old. This made him the youngest captain in the club's history.
Playing for Lazio in Italy
In the summer of 1998, Stanković moved to Lazio in Italy. He scored a goal in his very first game for Lazio on 13 September 1998. Lazio had many famous players at that time. But Stanković quickly became a key player in the team. He played well with other midfielders like Juan Sebastián Verón and Diego Simeone.
His hard work and great performances earned him the nickname "Il Dragone" (The Dragon). He played for Lazio for five and a half successful seasons. During this time, he won many important trophies. These included the Serie A league title, the Coppa Italia, and the Cup Winners' Cup. In February 2004, he made a big move to Inter Milan.
Inter Milan: A Champion's Journey
Winning Many Trophies
Stanković joined Inter Milan in January 2004. He played his first game for Inter in February 2004. On 21 February 2004, he scored an amazing goal against their rivals Milan. He scored directly from a corner kick! Inter finished fourth in the league that season. This meant they qualified for the Champions League.
Stanković played his 100th game for Inter on 7 May 2006. He was in great form after playing in the 2006 World Cup. He scored important goals, including one against Milan. He was a very important player for Inter. He signed a new contract in 2007 to stay with Inter until at least 2010.
In 2008, there were rumors that Stanković might leave Inter. But he decided to stay and fight for his place. He scored a superb goal against Roma in October 2008. He was happy to be back in form after injuries. By December 2008, he was a key part of Inter's midfield. He helped them win games with goals and assists.
On 7 February 2009, Stanković played his 200th game for Inter. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win against Lecce. He also scored the winning goal in the Milan Derby on 15 February. Inter went on to win their fourth league title in a row.
The Treble Season
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The 2009–10 season was a great one for Stanković. In the Milan derby on 29 August, he scored a spectacular goal from 30 yards out. He also scored against Rubin Kazan and Udinese. He even scored an incredible goal from 54 meters away against Genoa. He kicked the ball straight into the net after the opposing goalkeeper cleared it.
At the end of this amazing season, Stanković and Inter won a historic "treble." This means they won three major trophies in one season. They won the Serie A league, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.
Amazing Goals and Retirement
Under a new coach, Stanković continued to play well. On 28 November 2010, he scored three goals in a 5–2 win against Parma. At the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in December, he played a great semi-final game. He scored the first goal in that match.
In April 2011, Stanković scored another amazing goal. This was in a Champions League game against Schalke 04. The opposing goalkeeper ran far out of his goal, and Stanković volleyed the ball from the halfway line into the empty net. He won his last trophy with Inter, the Coppa Italia, in 2011.
Stanković played two more seasons for Inter. On 6 July 2013, he announced that he was leaving Inter. He played a total of 326 games for Inter and scored 42 goals. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the Inter Milan Hall of Fame.
Playing for His Country
Stanković first played for the FR Yugoslavia team on 22 April 1998. He scored two goals in that game! He played for FR Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He quickly became an important player for his country.
The team later changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro. Stanković played in almost all their games for the 2006 World Cup qualifying. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he wore the number 10 shirt. After the World Cup, the country split into Serbia and Montenegro. Stanković became the captain of the new Serbia national team.
He led Serbia in the 2010 World Cup qualifying. They qualified for their first World Cup as an independent nation. In June 2010, he played every minute of Serbia's games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a key player in their surprising 1–0 win over Germany.
After playing his last game for Serbia in October 2011, Stanković announced his retirement from international football. He played a special farewell match two years later. He became the player with the most appearances for Serbia, with 103 games.
How He Played Football
Dejan Stanković was a very talented football player. He usually played as an attacking midfielder. But he was also very versatile. This means he could play in many different positions. He could play on the sides of the field or even help defend in the middle. He was known for his accurate passes and creativity.
He was also great at scoring goals, especially from far away. He could kick the ball very hard with his right foot. He was also good at heading the ball. People called him "Deki." In his best years, many thought he was one of the best players in Europe.
Becoming a Football Manager
Leading Red Star Belgrade
On 21 December 2019, Stanković became the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade. This was his old club where he started as a player. In his first season, the club won the 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga title. This was Stanković's first trophy as a manager!
In the 2020–21 season, Red Star Belgrade had an amazing year. They did not lose a single league game! They won 35 out of 38 matches and scored a record 114 goals. On 25 May, they also won the Serbian Cup. They beat their city rivals Partizan in the final. They also did well in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League, reaching the knockout stage.
Stanković left Red Star on 26 August 2022. This was after his team was knocked out of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League qualification round.
Coaching Sampdoria and Ferencváros
On 6 October 2022, Stanković signed a contract to manage Sampdoria, a club in Italy. He tried to help the team, but they were struggling financially. He left Sampdoria at the end of the season.
On 4 September 2023, he became the coach of Ferencváros in Hungary. On 14 December 2023, Ferencváros drew with ACF Fiorentina in a European game. This helped them qualify for the knockout stage. He said that coaching Ferencváros taught him how to handle stress as a manager. On 15 May 2024, Ferencváros lost in the cup final. He resigned the next day.
New Challenge at Spartak Moscow
On 16 May 2024, the Russian club Spartak Moscow announced that they had signed Stanković. He started his new role as manager for the 2024–25 season.
His Family Life
Dejan Stanković was born in Belgrade, Serbia. His parents are Borislav and Dragica. He also has a brother named Siniša. He was married to Ana Ačimovič, who is the sister of his former teammate Milenko Ačimovič. They have three sons: Stefan (born 2000), Filip (born 2002), and Aleksandar (born 2005). All three of his sons were part of the Inter Milan football academy.
Stanković is also married to a Slovenian journalist named Anita Bojanić. They had a daughter named Anđela on 19 January 2025.
Awards and Trophies
Here are some of the main trophies Dejan Stanković won as a player and manager:
As a Player
- Red Star Belgrade
- Yugoslav First League: 1994–95
- Yugoslav Cup: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
- Lazio
- Serie A: 1999–2000
- Coppa Italia: 1999–2000
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1998, 2000
- Cup Winners' Cup: 1998–99
- UEFA Super Cup: 1999
- Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010
- UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Individual Awards
- ESM Team of the Season: 2006–07
- Serbian Player of the Year: 2006, 2010
- Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2019
As a Manager
- Red Star Belgrade
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Serbian Cup: 2020–21, 2021–22
- Ferencváros
- Nemzeti Bajnokság I: 2023–24
- Spartak Moscow
- Russian Premier League Manager of the Month: November/December 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Dejan Stanković para niños
