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 | 36 | (10) |
| 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 5 January 2026 | |||
Ilija Spasojević (born on September 11, 1987) is a talented professional footballer. He plays as a striker for the Super League club Bhayangkara. Although he was born in Montenegro, he proudly represents the Indonesia national team.
Ilija is well-known for his amazing ability to score goals. He has won important awards like the Liga 1 Golden Boot and the Malaysia Premier League Golden Boot. He is also the player who has scored the most goals ever for Bali United.
Contents
Ilija Spasojević's Football Journey
Starting His Career in Europe
Ilija Spasojević began his football journey in Bar, Montenegro. He first played for the Serbian club Vojvodina. In the 2005–2006 season, he moved to Sutjeska Nikšić in Montenegro, where he scored 7 goals in 17 matches. He then played for ČSK Čelarevo in Serbia.
Playing for Dinamo Tbilisi
In January 2007, Ilija joined Dinamo Tbilisi, a famous club from Georgia. While playing there, he scored 30 goals in 61 matches. He became the first foreign player to be the top scorer for Dinamo Tbilisi. During his time, he helped the team win the Georgian League, Georgian Cup, and Georgian Super Cup. He also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2008.
Short Stays in Serbia and Latvia
After leaving Dinamo Tbilisi, Ilija almost joined a German club, but it didn't work out. 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 games. Later that year, he played for Trikala in Greece.
Moving to Indonesian Football
In 2011, Ilija made a big move to Indonesia, joining Bali Devata. He quickly became a key player, scoring 8 goals in his first half-season. He even scored two goals in a friendly match against the Indonesia U-23 team.
Success with PSM Makassar
On October 1, 2011, Ilija signed with PSM Makassar. He finished his first season as the club's top scorer with 14 goals. He was even chosen by Goal.com as one of the best players in Indonesia for that season. The Football Association of Indonesia invited him to play in an exhibition game with famous Barcelona star Cesc Fàbregas. Ilija scored the only goal for his team in that match. Overall, he scored 19 goals in 29 matches for PSM Makassar.
Joining Mitra Kukar
In May 2013, Ilija joined Mitra Kukar. He scored 10 goals in 16 matches, showing he was one of the best strikers in the Indonesia Super League. His important goals helped Mitra Kukar achieve their best-ever finish, coming in third place in the league.
Playing for Putra Samarinda
In January 2014, Ilija signed with Putra Samarinda. He continued his strong performance, scoring 10 goals in 20 matches. This made him the club's top scorer and one of the top scorers in the Indonesia Super League that season.
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Time with Persib Bandung
After a great 2014 season, many clubs wanted Ilija. He eventually joined Persib Bandung in March 2015. He was named "man of the match" in his first league game. However, the 2015 league season was stopped early by the Football Association of Indonesia.
Later in 2015, Ilija played a big part in Persib Bandung winning the President Cup. He scored 4 goals and made 1 assist in 6 matches. He was named "man of the match" twice and was recognized as the best striker in the tournament.
Adventures in Malaysia and Back to Indonesia
Leading Melaka United to Victory
In December 2015, Ilija signed a two-year contract with Melaka United in Malaysia. He was made team captain because of his experience. He led Melaka United to win the Malaysia Premier League 2016, scoring 24 goals. This was the club's first league trophy in 33 years!
Ilija also won the Malaysia Golden Boot in 2016 for scoring the most goals. He received an award from the Melaka Governor for his excellent performance. He scored 30 goals in 35 matches in Malaysia before leaving Melaka United in June 2017.
Becoming a Champion with Bhayangkara
In August 2017, Ilija returned to Indonesia to play for Bhayangkara in Liga 1. He quickly showed his goal-scoring skills, netting 13 goals in 16 league matches. In the final match for the league title, Ilija scored three goals (a hat-trick) to help Bhayangkara win 3-1 and become the champions of Liga 1 for the first time.
Star Player for Bali United
In December 2017, Ilija joined Bali United on a three-year contract. He scored his first goal for Bali United in an AFC Champions League qualifying match. In 2018, he scored 14 goals in 35 games.
In 2019, Ilija continued to shine, scoring 19 goals in 36 matches. He helped Bali United win the Liga 1 title. He also scored in the 2020 AFC Cup group stage matches.
Ilija was the top scorer in the 2021 season, scoring 23 goals in 34 matches. His amazing performance helped Bali United win their second Liga 1 title in a row. On September 10, 2022, he scored another hat-trick in a 6-0 win against Dewa United. He also scored twice in an AFC Cup group stage match in September 2023.
Return to Bhayangkara
On July 13, 2024, after six successful years with Bali United, Ilija Spasojević rejoined Liga 2 club Bhayangkara. He scored a goal in his very first game back with the team on September 8.
Playing for His Country
Ilija Spasojević played for the youth teams of Serbia-Montenegro (U17 and U19). After Serbia and Montenegro became separate countries in 2006, he chose to play for the Montenegro U21 team.
In October 2017, Ilija officially became an Indonesian citizen. He made his first official appearance for the Indonesia national team on November 25, scoring two goals in a 2-1 win against Guyana. In December 2022, he was part of the Indonesian squad for the 2022 AFF Championship and scored a goal in a 7-0 victory against Brunei.
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 and has two children, a daughter and a son.
Career Statistics
International Matches
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 2017 | 4 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Indonesia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Spasojević goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 November 2017 | Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium, Bekasi, Indonesia | 1 |  Guyana |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 3 | 4 December 2017 | Harapan Bangsa Stadium, Banda Aceh, Indonesia | 3 |  Mongolia |
3–1 | 3–2 | 2017 Aceh World Solidarity Tsunami Cup |
| 4 | 25 March 2019 | Mandalarthiri Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar | 2 |  Myanmar |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 26 December 2022 | Kuala Lumpur Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 4 |  Brunei |
4–0 | 7–0 | 2022 AFF Championship |
Honours and Awards
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
- 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
