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Dejan Stanković
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg vs. Red Star Belgrade, 3 July 2022 09 (cropped).jpg
Stanković with Red Star Belgrade in 2022
Personal information
Full name Dejan Stanković
Date of birth (1978-09-11) 11 September 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
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)
International career
1998–2013 Serbia 103 (15)
Managerial career
2019–2022 Red Star Belgrade
2022–2023 Sampdoria
2023–2024 Ferencváros
2024– Spartak Moscow
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dejan Stanković (born 11 September 1978) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was the captain of the Serbia national team from 2007 until 2011. He is currently the manager of the Russian team Spartak Moscow.

Stanković started his playing career at Red Star Belgrade. In 1998, he moved to Lazio in Italy. After more than five years there, he joined Inter Milan, where he played until he retired in 2013. Stanković is special because he played for three different national teams at FIFA World Cups: Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbia.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at Red Star Belgrade

Dejan Stanković grew up in Zemun, a part of Belgrade. Both his parents loved football. He began playing for FK Teleoptik. When he was 14, a coach from Red Star Belgrade saw him play. Dejan then joined Red Star's youth teams. He played alongside future professional players like Nikola Lazetić.

In the 1994–95 season, Stanković made his first team debut for Red Star. This was on 11 February 1995, against OFK Beograd. He became the youngest player to play for Red Star's senior team. At 16, he played seven league games as his team won the league title. He scored his first goal against Budućnost Podgorica. This made him 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 on FR Yugoslavia. The ban was lifted before the 1995–96 season. A year later, Stanković played his first European game. This was 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. Even though they did not win the league, he led the team to win two national cups.

Time at Lazio

In the summer of 1998, Stanković moved to Lazio in Italy. He scored in his first Serie A game on 13 September 1998. Lazio had many famous players at that time. But Stanković quickly became a regular player. He played well with Juan Sebastián Verón and Diego Simeone in midfield. His hard work earned him the nickname "Il Dragone" ("The Dragon"). He played for Lazio for five and a half successful seasons. During this time, he won the Serie A title, the Italian Cup, and the Cup Winners' Cup. In February 2004, he moved to Inter Milan.

Years at Inter Milan

Joining Inter and Early Success

Stanković joined Inter Milan in January 2004. He played his first game for Inter in February 2004, a 4–0 win against Siena. On 21 February 2004, he scored a fantastic goal directly from a corner kick against Milan. Inter finished fourth in the league, which meant they qualified for the Champions League.

In the summer of 2004, Roberto Mancini, his former coach from Lazio, became Inter's new coach. Stanković also reunited with Siniša Mihajlović, another former Lazio player.

On 7 May 2006, Stanković played his 100th game for Inter. He was in great form after playing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored important goals, including two against Catania and a memorable one against city rivals Milan. He was a key player as Inter won the league title that season. He signed a new contract in February 2007, keeping him at Inter until at least 2010.

Under José Mourinho

When José Mourinho became Inter's coach in June 2008, there was talk that Stanković might leave. However, Stanković stayed and fought for his place. On 19 October 2008, he scored a superb goal in Inter's 4–0 win against Roma. He was happy to be back in form after injuries. Stanković became a very important part of Mourinho's midfield. He helped Inter win their fourth league title in a row.

In the Champions League, Inter lost to Manchester United in the Round of 16. Stanković played well in both games.

Winning the Treble (2009–10)

Dejan Stanković - Inter Mailand (4)
Stanković playing for Inter in 2009

The 2009–10 season was great for Stanković. In the Milan derby on 29 August, he played a deeper role. He scored Inter's fourth goal in a 4–0 win, a spectacular shot from 30 yards. He also scored against Rubin Kazan and Udinese.

He scored an amazing goal from 54 meters away against Genoa. He volleyed the ball straight into the net after the opposing goalkeeper cleared it. At the end of the season, Stanković and Inter won a historic treble. They won the Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

Later Seasons and Retirement

Under new coach Rafael Benítez, Stanković continued to play in midfield. On 28 November 2010, he scored three goals in a 5–2 win against Parma. At the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in December, Stanković played very well in the semi-final. He scored the first goal against Seongnam. Inter won the trophy.

Under coach Leonardo, Stanković kept his midfield role. He scored a spectacular volley from the halfway line against Schalke 04 in the Champions League quarter-final on 5 April 2011. He won his last trophy with Inter in the 2011 Coppa Italia Final.

Stanković played two more seasons at Inter. On 6 July 2013, he announced his retirement from the club. He played 326 games for Inter and scored 42 goals. In 2019, he was added to the Inter Milan Hall of Fame.

International Career

Stanković first played for the FR Yugoslavia team on 22 April 1998. He scored two goals in a 6–1 win against South Korea. He played for FR Yugoslavia at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He quickly became an important player.

The team was later renamed Serbia and Montenegro. Stanković played in almost all their games for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he wore the number 10 shirt. After Savo Milošević retired, Stanković became the captain of the new Serbia national team.

Serbia qualified for their first World Cup as an independent nation in 2010. Stanković was the captain and played every minute in the group stage. He was key in their surprising 1–0 win over Germany.

After a 1–0 loss to Slovenia in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Stanković announced he was retiring from international football. This was 13 years after his first game. Two years later, he played a special farewell match against Japan. He played for ten minutes, becoming the most capped player for Serbia with 103 games. He received a standing ovation as he said goodbye to football. Serbia won the match 2–0.

Playing Style

Dejan Stanković was a very talented and versatile player. He often played as an attacking midfielder. However, he could also play on the wings or in a defensive midfield role. He was known for his hard work, accurate passing, and creativity. He was also good at scoring goals, especially from long distances, using his strong right foot. He was also good at heading the ball. In his best years, he was considered one of the top players in European football.

Managerial Career

Red Star Belgrade Manager

On 21 December 2019, Stanković became the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. The club won the 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga in his first season, finishing 14 points ahead of their rivals Partizan.

In the 2020–21 season, Red Star Belgrade did not lose a single league game. They won 35 out of 38 matches and scored a record 114 goals. On 25 May, the club also won the Serbian Cup by beating Partizan in the final. They also reached the knockout stage of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League.

On 26 August 2022, Stanković resigned as Red Star manager. This happened after his team was knocked out of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League qualification round by Maccabi Haifa.

Sampdoria Manager

On 6 October 2022, Stanković signed a contract with Serie A club Sampdoria. The team was struggling at the time. He left Sampdoria at the end of the season. He could not save the team from being relegated, partly due to the club's financial problems.

Ferencváros Manager

On 4 September 2023, he was appointed as the coach of Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC. On 14 December 2023, Ferencváros drew with ACF Fiorentina in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage. Ferencváros finished second in their group and moved on to the knockout stage.

Stanković said that drawing twice with Fiorentina was a big achievement. He also mentioned that coaching Ferencváros taught him how to handle stress as a football manager.

On 15 May 2024, Ferencváros lost 2–0 to Paks in the 2024 Hungarian Cup Final. He resigned from his position the next day.

Spartak Moscow Manager

On 16 May 2024, Russian club Spartak Moscow announced they signed a two-year contract with Stanković. He started coaching the team in the 2024–25 season.

Personal Life

Dejan Stanković was born in Belgrade, Serbia. His parents are Borislav and Dragica, and he has a brother named Siniša. He was married to Ana Ačimovič, who is the sister of his former Red Star 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 now married to Slovenian journalist Anita Bojanić. Their daughter, Anđela, was born on 19 January 2025.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Red Star Belgrade 1994–95 First League of
FR Yugoslavia
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
1995–96 First League of
FR Yugoslavia
24 4 4 1 2 0 0 0 30 5
1996–97 First League of
FR Yugoslavia
26 10 6 1 5 2 0 0 37 13
1997–98 First League of
FR Yugoslavia
28 15 7 3 4 3 0 0 39 21
Total 85 29 17 5 11 5 0 0 113 39
Lazio 1998–99 Serie A 29 4 5 1 7 4 1 0 42 9
1999–2000 Serie A 16 3 4 0 11 2 1 0 32 5
2000–01 Serie A 21 0 2 1 9 0 1 0 33 1
2001–02 Serie A 27 7 4 0 5 1 0 0 36 8
2002–03 Serie A 29 6 2 0 7 0 0 0 38 6
2003–04 Serie A 15 2 4 2 8 0 0 0 27 4
Total 137 22 21 4 47 7 3 0 208 33
Inter Milan 2003–04 Serie A 14 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 16 4
2004–05 Serie A 31 3 6 0 10 3 0 0 47 6
2005–06 Serie A 23 2 7 2 8 2 0 0 38 6
2006–07 Serie A 34 6 3 0 7 0 1 0 45 6
2007–08 Serie A 21 1 3 0 6 0 1 0 31 1
2008–09 Serie A 31 5 1 0 5 0 1 0 38 5
2009–10 Serie A 29 3 1 0 12 2 1 0 43 5
2010–11 Serie A 26 5 3 1 7 2 4 1 40 9
2011–12 Serie A 19 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 25 0
2012–13 Serie A 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 231 29 26 3 60 9 9 1 326 42
Career total 453 80 64 12 118 21 12 1 647 114

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
FR Yugoslavia
/ Serbia
1998 10 3
1999 7 3
2000 8 0
2001 6 2
2002 8 0
2003 4 1
2004 6 2
2005 7 0
2006 11 2
2007 5 0
2008 6 0
2009 7 0
2010 10 2
2011 7 0
2012 0 0
2013 1 0
Total 103 15
Scores and results list FR Yugoslavia/Serbia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Stanković goal.
List of international goals scored by Dejan Stanković
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
 Yugoslavia goals
1 22 April 1998 Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia  South Korea 1–1 3–1 Friendly
2 2–1
3 2 September 1998 Čair Stadium, Niš, FR Yugoslavia  Switzerland 1–0 1–1
4 1 September 1999 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Republic of Ireland 1–1 1–2 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
5 8 September 1999 Philip II Arena, Skopje, FYR Macedonia  Macedonia 3–0 4–2
6 9 October 1999 Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia  Croatia 2–1 2–2
7 6 June 2001 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–0 6–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 3–0
 Serbia and Montenegro goals
9 16 November 2003 Kazimierz Górski Stadium, Płock, Poland  Poland 1–2 3–4 Friendly
10 13 October 2004 Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro  San Marino 2–0 5–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 3–0
12 27 May 2006 Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro  Uruguay 1–0 1–1 Friendly
 Serbia goals
13 11 October 2006 Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia  Armenia 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
14 5 June 2010 Stadion Partizana, Belgrade, Serbia  Cameroon 2–2 4–3 Friendly
15 3 September 2010 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

Managerial Statistics

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref.
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Red Star Belgrade Serbia 21 December 2019 26 August 2022 &&&&&&&&&&&&0134.&&&&&0134 &&&&&&&&&&&&0108.&&&&&0108 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&0334.&&&&&0334 &&&&&&&&&&&&&079.&&&&&079 +255 &&&&&&&&&&&&&080.60000080.60
Sampdoria Italy 6 October 2022 6 June 2023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&058.&&&&&058 −36 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.50000012.50
Ferencváros Hungary 5 September 2023 30 June 2024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050 &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&0108.&&&&&0108 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 +71 &&&&&&&&&&&&&066.&&&&&066.00
Spartak Moscow Russia 1 July 2024 present &&&&&&&&&&&&&042.&&&&&042 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&080.&&&&&080 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 +43 &&&&&&&&&&&&&059.52000059.52
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0258.&&&&&0258 &&&&&&&&&&&&0170.&&&&&0170 &&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047 &&&&&&&&&&&&0543.&&&&&0543 &&&&&&&&&&&&0211.&&&&&0211 +332 &&&&&&&&&&&&&065.89000065.89

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Red Star Belgrade

  • Yugoslav First League: 1994–95
  • Yugoslav Cup: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97

Lazio

Inter Milan

Individual Player Awards

  • ESM Team of the Season: 2006–07
  • Serbian Player of the Year: 2006, 2010
  • ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 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

Individual Manager Awards

  • Nemzeti Bajnokság I Manager of the Month: October 2023
  • Russian Premier League Manager of the Month: November/December 2024.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Dejan Stanković para niños

  • List of footballers with 100 or more caps
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