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Dragan Stojković

Dragan Stojkovic (2021)

President of the Football Association of FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro

In office
2001–2005

Preceded by

Miljan Miljanić

Succeeded by

Tomislav Karadžić

President of Red Star Belgrade

In office
2005–2007

Preceded by

Dragan Džajić

Succeeded by

Toplica Spasojević

Personal details

Born

3 March 1965 (age 60)
Niš, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia

Occupation

Footballer
football coach
football administrator

Nickname

Piksi

Dragan Stojković

Personal information

Height

1.74 m (5 ft 81⁄2 in)

Playing position

Midfielder

Club information

Current club

Serbia (manager)

Youth career

1979–1981

Radnički Niš

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1981–1986

Radnički Niš

(8)

1986–1990

Red Star Belgrade

120

(54)

1990–1994

Marseille

(5)

1991–1992

→ Verona (loan)

(1)

1994–2001

Nagoya Grampus Eight

184

(57)

Total

422

(125)

National team

1983–2001

FR Yugoslavia

(15)

Teams managed

2008–2013

Nagoya Grampus

2015–2020

Guangzhou R&F

2021–

Serbia

Honours

Men's football

Representing Yugoslavia
Olympic Games
Bronze	1984 Los Angeles	Team

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Dragan Stojković (born March 3, 1965), often called Piksi, is a famous Serbian football manager and former player. He played as a midfielder. Today, he is the head coach of the Serbia national team. Stojković was a long-time captain for the Yugoslavia national team and Red Star Belgrade. Many people think he is one of the best footballers ever from Yugoslavia and Serbia.

He was a star player for Yugoslavia in the 1990 and 1998 FIFA World Cup. He was even chosen for the World Cup All-Star Team in 1990. He is one of only five players to receive the "Star of the Red Star" award. Even with injuries, he showed amazing skill throughout his career. He is especially famous in Japanese football.

In 2021, he became the coach of the Serbia national team. He led them to qualify for both the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

Early Life and Nickname

Dragan Stojković was born in Niš, SR Serbia, in what was then SFR Yugoslavia. He loved football from a very young age. His nickname, Piksi, comes from Pixie, a cartoon character from Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks.

Besides his native Serbian, Stojković also speaks English, French, Italian, and some Japanese.

Starting in Youth Football

When he was 14, Stojković's talent was already clear. He played for the FK Radnički Niš youth team. He even joined the FK Partizan under-16 team for a tournament in France. This trip was his first time in Belgrade, his first time traveling abroad, and his first time on an airplane!

He also played with the FK Partizan youth squad for tournaments in Italy.

Playing Career

Radnički Niš Years

Stojković started his professional football career with his hometown club, Radnički Niš. He was 17 when he played his first senior game in April 1982. This was just before Radnički's big UEFA Cup semifinal match.

He played 70 matches for Radnički and scored eight goals.

Time at Red Star Belgrade

Stojković in a 1987 photo with Red Star Belgrade.

In 1986, Stojković joined Red Star Belgrade. He played there for four seasons. He scored 54 goals in 120 games.

By 1989, big European clubs wanted to sign him. He eventually agreed to join Olympique de Marseille in France. One of his most famous goals was scored against FK Partizan from a corner kick.

Moving to Marseille

In 1990, Stojković moved to Olympique de Marseille for a lot of money. He joined a team full of stars like Jean-Pierre Papin and Éric Cantona. The team had high hopes, especially with Franz Beckenbauer as their coach.

Early in his first season, Stojković got a knee injury. This meant he couldn't play for months. In the 1991 European Cup Final, Marseille played against his old team, Red Star. Stojković came into the game late. When it went to a penalty shootout, he told his coach he didn't want to take a penalty against Red Star. Red Star won the cup.

He then went to Hellas Verona in Italy for a year. He had more injuries there. He returned to Marseille and won a Champions League medal in 1993. Sadly, he missed the final game because of another injury.

Success at Nagoya Grampus Eight

In 1994, Stojković joined the Japanese team Nagoya Grampus Eight. He played with famous player Gary Lineker.

He played seven seasons with Grampus Eight and retired in 2001. He played 183 matches and scored 57 goals. In 1995, he was named the J-League MVP. He became very popular with Japanese fans. They would chant "Ale Piksi" when he scored!

International Matches

Youth Team

Stojković first played for the under-21 team in October 1983. He scored a goal in his first game against Norway.

Senior National Team

Stojković played 84 international games and scored 15 goals. He played for both the SFR Yugoslavia and FR Yugoslavia national teams. He played in UEFA Euro 1984, the 1984 Summer Olympics, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Later, he played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.

At the 1990 World Cup, Stojković scored two goals against Spain. Yugoslavia won that game 2-1. In the next game, against Argentina, he missed a penalty kick in the shootout, and Yugoslavia lost.

He was supposed to play in UEFA Euro 1992, but his country was not allowed to play because of the Yugoslav Wars. His last international game was in 2001 against Japan.

How He Played Football

Stojković was a very skilled midfield playmaker. This means he was great at creating chances for his team to score. Many people believe he was one of the best players from former Yugoslavia. He could play in different midfield roles and even as a forward.

He was quick, smart, and hard to predict. He was known for his vision, creativity, and amazing passing. His dribbling skills were also fantastic, allowing him to get past many opponents. Because of his amazing skills, some called him "the Maradona of the Balkans." Even though he had many injuries, he always showed incredible talent.

Working as a Football Leader

Football Association President

After he stopped playing in 2001, Stojković became the president of the Serbian Football Association. He also became a member of important committees for UEFA and FIFA.

Red Star Belgrade President

In July 2005, Stojković became the president of Red Star Belgrade. He brought in new coaches and sponsors for the club. He also helped bring in new players and sell others.

During his time, Red Star won the league and cup in the 2005-06 season. They also played well in the UEFA Cup.

He left his role as president of Red Star Belgrade in October 2007.

Coaching Career

Nagoya Grampus Coach

Stojković went back to Japan in 2008 to coach his old club, Nagoya Grampus. In his first season, his team finished 3rd and qualified for the AFC Champions League for the first time.

In a 2009 game, Stojković did something amazing. A player was injured, so the goalkeeper kicked the ball out of play. Stojković, from the sidelines, volleyed the ball. It flew high and went right into the goal! The referee sent him off for it.

On November 20, 2010, Stojković led Grampus to win the J. League title. This was the club's first-ever league title. Stojković said he learned a lot from his former manager, Arsène Wenger. Wenger even said he would like Stojković to take over Arsenal someday. Stojković was named J.League Manager of the Year in 2010.

Guangzhou R&F Coach

Stojković managing Guangzhou R&F in 2016

Stojković became the manager of Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F in August 2015. He helped the team avoid being relegated (moving down to a lower league). His teams were known for playing attacking football. He stayed at the club for over four seasons, making him their longest-serving manager. He left in January 2020.

Serbia National Team Coach

Stojković (in black) as manager of Serbia in 2023

On his birthday, March 3, 2021, Stojković became the new manager of the Serbia national football team. Under his leadership, Serbia qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They won against Portugal 2-1 in the last match, with Aleksandar Mitrović scoring in the 90th minute!

At the 2022 World Cup, Serbia was in Group G with Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland. They lost to Brazil 2-0. In a thrilling game against Cameroon, Serbia drew 3-3 after being ahead. In their final group game, Serbia lost to Switzerland 3-2. Serbia finished last in their group and was eliminated from the tournament.

Career Statistics

International Goals

List of international goals scored by Dragan Stojković
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 June 1984	Estádio Nacional, Oeiras, Portugal	Portugal	3-2	3-2	Friendly
2	19 June 1984	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France	France	2-3	2-3	UEFA Euro 1984
3	25 March 1987	Gradski stadion Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Yugoslavia	Austria	2-0	4-0	Friendly
4	29 April 1987	Windsor Park, Belfast, United Kingdom	Northern Ireland	1-1	2-1	UEFA Euro 1988 qualification
5	23 March 1988	Vetch Field, Swansea, Wales	Wales	1-1	2-1	Friendly
6	19 November 1988	JNA Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia	France	3-2	3-2	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	14 June 1989	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway	Norway	1-0	2-1	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	26 June 1990	Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy	Spain	1-0	2-1	1990 FIFA World Cup
9	26 June 1990	Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy	Spain	2-1	2-1	1990 FIFA World Cup
10	27 March 1996	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Romania	1-0	1-0	Friendly
11	2 June 1996	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Malta	3-0	6-0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	6 October 1996	Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	8-1	8-1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
13	21 June 1998	Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, France	Germany	2-0	2-2	1998 FIFA World Cup
14	5 September 1999	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Macedonia	1-0	3-1	UEFA Euro 2000 qualification
15	5 September 1999	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Macedonia	2-0	3-1	UEFA Euro 2000 qualification