Ilija Spasojević facts for kids
Spasojević playing for Persib Bandung in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ilija Spasojević | ||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Bar, SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Bhayangkara | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vojvodina | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2005 | Vojvodina | 0 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Sutjeska Nikšić | 17 | (7) |
| 2006 | ČSK Čelarevo | 12 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 57 | (23) |
| 2009 | Borac Čačak | 6 | (0) |
| 2010 | Liepājas Metalurgs | 9 | (4) |
| 2010 | Trikala | 12 | (0) |
| 2011 | Bali Devata | 14 | (8) |
| 2011–2013 | PSM Makassar | 27 | (15) |
| 2013 | Mitra Kukar | 16 | (10) |
| 2014 | Putra Samarinda | 23 | (12) |
| 2015 | Persib Bandung | 2 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Melaka United | 33 | (27) |
| 2017 | Bhayangkara | 16 | (13) |
| 2018–2024 | Bali United | 155 | (73) |
| 2024– | Bhayangkara | 21 | (7) |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2007 | Serbia & Montenegro U19 | ||
| 2007–2008 | Montenegro U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2017–2023 | Indonesia | 10 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 February 2025 | |||
Ilija Spasojević (born September 11, 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for the Liga 1 club Bhayangkara. Although he was born in Montenegro, he now proudly represents the Indonesia national team.
Spasojević is well-known for his amazing ability to score goals. He has won a Liga 1 Golden Boot and a Malaysia Premier League Golden Boot. He is also the player who has scored the most goals in the history of Bali United.
Contents
Ilija Spasojević: A Football Star
Early Steps in Football
Ilija Spasojević began his football journey in Bar, Montenegro, where he was born. He started playing for a Serbian club called Vojvodina. In the 2005–06 season, he played for Sutjeska Nikšić in Montenegro, scoring 7 goals in 17 matches. The next season, 2006–07, he played for ČSK Čelarevo in Serbia, where he scored 1 goal in 12 games.
Playing for Dinamo Tbilisi
In January 2007, Spasojević joined Dinamo Tbilisi, a famous club from Georgia. While playing for them, he scored 30 goals in 61 matches in the Georgian League and the Georgian Cup. He became the first foreign player to be the top scorer for Dinamo Tbilisi. During his time there, Spasojević helped his team win the Georgian League, the Georgian Cup, and the Georgian Super Cup. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2008.
Adventures in Other European Clubs
After leaving Dinamo Tbilisi, Spasojević almost joined a German club, Arminia Bielefeld, but the deal didn't happen. He then played for Borac Čačak in Serbia in 2009. In 2010, he moved to Latvia to play for Liepājas Metalurgs, where he scored 6 goals in 11 matches. Later that year, he joined Trikala in Greece. He didn't play much there before getting an exciting offer from Indonesia.
Making a Mark in Indonesia
Bali Devata and PSM Makassar
In January 2011, Spasojević moved to Indonesia and signed with Bali Devata. He quickly became an important player, scoring 8 goals in his first half-season. He even scored two goals in a friendly match against the Indonesia U-23 team.
In October 2011, Spasojević joined PSM Makassar. He became the club's top scorer in the 2011–12 season with 14 goals. He was even chosen by Goal.com as one of the best players in Indonesia for that season. Because of his great performance, he was invited to play in an exhibition game with Barcelona star Cesc Fàbregas in Jakarta. Spasojević scored the only goal for his team in that game, which ended in a 1-1 draw. He scored 19 goals in 29 matches for PSM Makassar.
Mitra Kukar and Putra Samarinda
In May 2013, Spasojević joined Mitra Kukar. He scored 10 goals in 16 matches, showing he was one of the best strikers in the Indonesia Super League. His goals helped Mitra Kukar achieve their best-ever finish, coming in third place in the league.
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In January 2014, Spasojević signed with Putra Samarinda. He was the club's top scorer in the 2014 season with 10 goals in 20 matches. He also scored 2 goals in the 2014 Inter Island Cup.
Success with Persib Bandung
After his strong performance in 2014, many clubs wanted Spasojević. He eventually joined Persib Bandung, one of Indonesia's biggest clubs, in March 2015. He was named "man of the match" in his first league game for Persib. Although the league was stopped early in 2015, Spasojević shone in the President Cup later that year. He scored 4 goals and had 1 assist, helping Persib Bandung win the trophy. He was named "man of the match" twice during the tournament and was recognized as the best striker in the President Cup.
Moving to Malaysia and Back to Indonesia
Melaka United
In December 2015, Spasojević signed a two-year contract with Melaka United in Malaysia. He was made team captain because of his experience. This was a great decision, as he led Melaka United to win the Malaysia Premier League 2016 by scoring 24 goals. This was the club's first league trophy in 33 years! Spasojević also won the Malaysia Golden Boot in 2016 and received an award from the Melaka Governor for his excellent play. He scored 30 goals in 35 matches in Malaysia before leaving the club in June 2017.
Bhayangkara and Bali United
In August 2017, Spasojević returned to Indonesia and joined Bhayangkara in Liga 1. He quickly showed his goal-scoring skills, scoring 13 goals in 16 league matches. In the final match for the league title, Spasojević scored three goals, helping Bhayangkara win the first-ever Liga 1 championship.
In December 2017, Spasojević signed with Bali United. He scored his first goal for them in the 2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs. In 2018, he scored 14 goals in 35 games. In 2019, he scored 19 goals in 36 games, helping Bali United win the 2019 Liga 1. He continued to score important goals in 2020 and 2021. In the 2021 season, Spasojević became the league's top scorer with 23 goals in 34 matches, leading Bali United to win their second straight Liga 1 title. On September 10, 2022, he scored three goals in a single game against Dewa United. In September 2023, he scored twice in an AFC Cup match.
Return to Bhayangkara
On July 13, 2024, after six years with Bali United, Spasojević rejoined Bhayangkara, which now plays in Liga 2. He scored a goal in his very first game back on September 8.
International Career
Spasojević played for the youth teams of Serbia and Montenegro (U17 and U19). After Montenegro became an independent country, he chose to play for the Montenegro U21 team.
In October 2017, Spasojević officially became an Indonesian citizen. He made his first official appearance for the Indonesia national team on November 25, 2017, against Guyana, where he scored two goals in a 2-1 win. In December 2022, he was part of the Indonesian squad for the 2022 AFF Championship and scored a goal against Brunei in a 7-0 victory.
Personal Life
Ilija Spasojević was born in Bar, Montenegro. His parents are Dragutin and Leposava, and he has two brothers, Krsto and Mirko. Ilija is married to Ljiljana from Serbia. They have a daughter named Lara, born in 2022. Ilija also has a son, Dragan (born in 2014), and another daughter, Irina (born in 2017).
Career Achievements
Dinamo Tbilisi
- Georgian League: 2007–08
- Georgian Cup: 2009
- Georgian Super Cup: 2008
Persib Bandung
- Indonesia President's Cup: 2015
Melaka United
- Malaysia Premier League: 2016
Bhayangkara
- Liga 1: 2017
- Liga 2 runner-up: 2024–25
Bali United
- Liga 1: 2019, 2021–22
Indonesia
- Aceh World Solidarity Cup runner-up: 2017
Individual Awards
- PFAM Player of the Month (Premier League): July 2016, August 2016
- Malaysia Premier League Golden Boot: 2016 (24 goals)
- Malaysia All Competitions Golden Boot: 2016 (27 goals)
- Liga 1 Team of the Season: 2019, 2021–22
- Indonesian Soccer Awards: Favorite Footballer 2019
- Liga 1 Player of the Month: September 2021, September 2022
- Liga 1 Top Goalscorer: 2021–22
- APPI Indonesian Football Award Best 11: 2021–22
Images for kids
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Spasojević playing for Putra Samarinda in 2014
