Neven Subotić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Neven Subotić

Subotić with Borussia Dortmund in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1988-12-10) 10 December 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Banja Luka, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Youth career
1994–1999	TSV Schwarzenberg
1999–2000	Sparta United SC
2000–2001	Impact United SC
2002–2003	Manatee Magic SC
2003–2004	Braden River SC
2004–2005	IMG Soccer Academy
2006–2007	Mainz 05
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006	South Florida Bulls	0	(0)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2007	Mainz 05 II	23	(3)
2007–2008	Mainz 05	34	(4)
2008–2018	Borussia Dortmund	196	(15)
2016	→ Borussia Dortmund II (loan)	2	(1)
2017	→ 1. FC Köln (loan)	12	(0)
2018–2019	Saint-Étienne	42	(3)
2019–2020	Union Berlin	23	(1)
2020–2021	Denizlispor	5	(1)
2021	Rheindorf Altach	10	(0)
Total		347	(29)
International career
2005	United States U17	10	(0)
2006	United States U20	2	(0)
2009–2013	Serbia	36	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neven Subotić (born 10 December 1988) is a former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender in the middle of the field.

Subotić started his professional career in 2007 with 1. FSV Mainz 05. The next year, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he played for most of his career. With Dortmund, he won two Bundesliga titles, which is the top German football league. After leaving Dortmund in 2017, he played for several clubs in Germany, France, and Turkey. He retired from football in 2022.

Neven was born to Bosnian Serb parents. He lived in Germany and the United States when he was young. He played for the United States national team at the under-17 and under-20 levels. As an adult, he chose to play for the Serbia national team. He made his first appearance for Serbia in 2009 and played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life and Moving Around

Neven Subotić was born in Banja Luka, which is now in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His parents were Bosnian Serbs. When he was two, his father went to Germany to find work. In 1994, when Neven was five, his family moved to Germany to join his father. They settled in Schömberg. Neven started playing football at age seven for a local team called TSV Schwarzenberg.

In the late 1990s, his family's permission to live in Germany ran out. To avoid being sent back to Bosnia, they moved to the United States in 1999. They settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, where his father had a cousin. Neven played football for youth clubs there.

Two years later, his family moved again to Bradenton, Florida. This move was so Neven's sister, Natalija, could train for tennis. Bradenton was also home to the U.S. under-17 national soccer team. Neven trained by himself in a park. There, he was noticed by Keith Fulk, an assistant coach for the U.S. team. After a tryout, Neven was offered a spot in the team's training camp. He later played for the University of South Florida's soccer team.

While playing with the under-17 team in the Netherlands, Neven met a player agent. This agent suggested he could play in Europe. Neven impressed coaches at 1. FSV Mainz 05 during a tryout. He then moved to Germany to play for Mainz 05's youth and reserve teams. Neven holds passports from Germany, America, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Mainz 05

Subotić made his first professional appearance for 1. FSV Mainz 05 in 2007. This was in the last match of the 2006–07 season. His team was relegated from the Bundesliga, which means they moved down to a lower league. In the 2. Bundesliga the next season, he became a key player in the team's strong defense. They had the best defense in the league, letting in only 37 goals. The team finished fourth, just missing promotion back to the Bundesliga.

In the summer of 2008, Mainz's coach, Jürgen Klopp, moved to Borussia Dortmund. Klopp was important in bringing Subotić with him to Dortmund.

Time at Borussia Dortmund

Subotić in action for Borussia Dortmund in 2013

On 4 June 2008, Neven Subotić signed a five-year contract with Borussia Dortmund. He played his first game for Dortmund in a friendly match against Bayern Munich. Dortmund won that game 2–1. Neven's strong defending quickly got attention. In December 2008, he was named one of the best defenders in the league. He was also good at scoring goals, getting six in his first season.

In June 2009, he signed a new contract that lasted until 2014. In the 2009–10 Bundesliga season, Subotić played every minute of every league match. This showed how important he was to the team.

On 15 December 2010, Subotić scored his first goal in a European competition. He scored with a header in a Europa League match against Sevilla. The game ended 2–2, and Borussia Dortmund was eliminated from the competition.

On 27 July 2013, Subotić helped Dortmund win the 2013 DFL-Supercup. They beat their rivals Bayern Munich 4–2. In May 2015, he signed another contract that lasted until 2018.

In April 2016, it was announced that Subotić would miss the rest of the season. He had a blood clot in his arm. In June 2016, he said he planned to leave the club. He went on loan to 1. FC Köln in January 2017 for the rest of that season. At the start of the 2017–18 season, he returned to Dortmund under a new coach.

Later Club Teams

On 25 January 2018, Subotić signed an 18-month contract with Ligue 1 club AS Saint-Étienne in France. He left the club in July 2019 when his contract ended.

On 4 July 2019, Subotić returned to the Bundesliga. He signed with the newly promoted team, Union Berlin. In August 2020, he left the club early.

On 18 September 2020, Subotić joined Süper Lig club Denizlispor in Turkey. He left the club in January 2021. He played five league games and scored one goal.

On 1 February 2021, Subotić joined Austrian Football Bundesliga club SC Rheindorf Altach on a six-month contract. He announced his retirement from football in 2022.

International Career

Playing for Youth Teams

Subotić played for the U.S. team in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Peru. He was 16 years old and played in all three group matches. In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, he received a red card.

He also played two games for the USA U-20 team. His last game for them was in November 2006. The coach, Thomas Rongen, criticized Subotić after this game. Rongen later did not pick him for the 2007 U-20 World Cup. This decision caused a lot of discussion. Subotić later said he was disappointed by the coach's public criticism.

Choosing a Senior National Team

Subotić with Serbia in 2010

Subotić could have played for the United States, Serbia, or Bosnia and Herzegovina. He publicly turned down offers from Bosnia and Herzegovina. By late 2008, it became clear he would choose Serbia. In December 2008, Subotić told Serbia's coach, Radomir Antić, he wanted to play for Serbia. He then officially told the US Soccer Federation about his decision.

Playing for Serbia

On 28 March 2009, Subotić played his first game for the Serbia national team. It was a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Romania, which Serbia won 3–2. He came on as a substitute to help defend their lead. Coach Antić praised him after the game. On 10 June 2009, Subotić scored his first goal for Serbia in a 2–0 win against the Faroe Islands.

2010 FIFA World Cup

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Subotić did not start the first game against Ghana. However, another player received a red card, so Subotić came into the game.

Because of the red card, Subotić started the next game against Germany. He played very well, helping Serbia win 1–0 against the strong German team. He made several important defensive plays. For the final group game against Australia, Subotić was back on the bench.

Later Qualifiers

Subotić playing for Serbia in November 2010

Subotić continued to play for Serbia in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. His performances were sometimes inconsistent. After a draw against Slovenia, coach Antić was replaced. Subotić was called up for the new coach's first game, but he did not play. He started the next qualifier against Italy, but the game was stopped early due to problems with Serbian fans. Serbia was given a 3–0 loss.

In March 2011, Subotić started against Northern Ireland. He had a shaky performance and got injured, missing the next game.

For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Subotić was often on the bench. The coach, Siniša Mihajlović, preferred other central defenders. Despite Subotić's strong performances for his club, he did not play much for the national team. Mihajlović said that Subotić needed to show more commitment in training.

Subotić did not play in the qualification matches for Euro 2016. In 2013, he played his last international game for Serbia. He played a total of 36 games for his country and scored 2 goals.

Other Activities

In 2012, Neven Subotić started the Neven Subotić Foundation. This foundation works to help people get access to clean water, especially in Ethiopia.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Subotić goal.

List of international goals scored by Neven Subotić

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 June 2009	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2	5 June 2012	Råsundastadion, Solna, Sweden	Sweden	1–1	1–2	Friendly

Honours and Achievements

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga:
  • 2010–11
  • 2011–12
• DFB-Pokal: 2011–12 (German Cup)
• DFL-Supercup:
  • 2013
  • 2014
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13 (finished second)

See also

In Spanish: Neven Subotić para niños