Nikola Žigić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nikola Žigić

With Birmingham City in 2012 pre-season
Personal information
Full name	Nikola Žigić
Date of birth	(1980-09-25) 25 September 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Bačka Topola, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Centre forward
Youth career
1991–1998	AIK Bačka Topola
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2001	AIK Bačka Topola	76	(68)
2001–2002	Mornar	23	(15)
2002	Kolubara	8	(3)
2003–2006	Red Star Belgrade	79	(47)
2003	→ Spartak Subotica (loan)	11	(14)
2006–2007	Racing Santander	32	(11)
2007–2010	Valencia	28	(5)
2009	→ Racing Santander (loan)	19	(13)
2010–2014	Birmingham City	128	(32)
2014–2015	Birmingham City	9	(0)
Total		413	(208)
International career
2004–2011	Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia	57	(20)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nikola Žigić (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Жигић; born 25 September 1980) is a Serbian former professional footballer. He played as a centre forward, a position for players who are the main goal-scorers.

Žigić was born in Bačka Topola, which was then part of Yugoslavia. He was famous for being very tall, standing at 2.02 meters (6 feet 7.5 inches). Some people thought his height was better for basketball, but he became a star football player. He started his career at his local club, AIK Bačka Topola, where he was an amazing goal-scorer.

He later played for top clubs like Red Star Belgrade in Serbia, and Racing de Santander and Valencia in Spain. He also played for Birmingham City in England, where he helped them win the 2011 League Cup.

Žigić also played for his country's national team. He first played for Serbia and Montenegro and later for the Serbia team after the country split. He played in two World Cups, in 2006 and 2010.

Personal life

Nikola Žigić was born in Bačka Topola, Yugoslavia. His father, Jovan, was also a footballer, and his mother, Milica, was a basketball player. He has a younger brother, Branko, who also became a footballer.

When Žigić was a teenager, his hometown was affected by the Yugoslav Wars. During this difficult time, his family often had no electricity or running water.

Žigić is married to his wife, Sanja. They have two daughters and a son. After retiring from football, his family settled near Valencia, Spain.

Club career

Early career

Žigić began playing for his hometown club, AIK Bačka Topola. At first, he was a defender, but he soon discovered he loved scoring goals more than stopping them. His parents wanted him to finish school before focusing on football. He stayed with the club until 2001, scoring an incredible 68 goals in 76 games.

After playing for a few smaller clubs, he signed his first professional contract with Red Star Belgrade in January 2003. This was one of the biggest clubs in his country.

Red Star Belgrade

Žigić pictured in 2008.

At Red Star, Žigić quickly became a star. Because of his great height, some people joked he should play basketball. But he proved them wrong by scoring many goals. In a big match against rivals Partizan, he scored twice and celebrated by pretending to shoot a basketball.

He was named the league's Player of the Year in 2003. He finished the season as the top scorer and helped Red Star win both the league title and the cup. Over three years, he scored 70 goals in 109 matches for the club and won another league and cup double in 2006.

Racing Santander

In August 2006, Žigić moved to Spain to play for Racing Santander in La Liga. He formed a famous partnership with a much shorter player, Pedro Munitis. Together, they were nicknamed Dúo Sacapuntos, which means "the two point-getters," because they were so good at winning games for their team. In his first season, Žigić scored 11 goals.

Valencia

In 2007, Žigić joined Valencia, a bigger Spanish club. The move was difficult for him because of an ankle injury, and he did not get to play very often.

He went back to Racing Santander on loan for the second half of the 2008–09 season. He felt at home there and was very successful again, scoring 13 goals in just 19 games. He returned to Valencia for one more season before moving to England.

Birmingham City

Žigić playing for Birmingham in 2010.

In May 2010, Žigić signed with Birmingham City, who played in the English Premier League. His first season was very memorable. He scored the first goal in the 2011 League Cup Final against the famous club Arsenal. In the last minute of the game, his header led to the winning goal, and Birmingham won the cup in a huge surprise victory.

The team was relegated (moved down to a lower league) that same season, but Žigić stayed with the club. He became a fan favorite for his important goals. One of his most famous moments came on the last day of the 2013–14 season. Birmingham needed a goal to avoid being relegated again. Žigić scored, and then in the final seconds, his header set up a teammate to score the goal that kept the team safe.

He left the club in 2014 but returned for a short time in the 2014–15 season before retiring.

International career

Žigić began playing for the Serbia and Montenegro national team in 2004. He became a key player, using his height to score goals and help his teammates. He helped the team qualify for the 2006 World Cup, where he scored a goal against Ivory Coast.

After Montenegro became a separate country, he played for the Serbia team. He helped them qualify for the 2010 World Cup. In a famous match, Serbia beat Germany 1–0, with Žigić setting up the winning goal.

In 2011, he was named the captain of the Serbian national team. He played 57 times for his country and scored 20 goals.

Style of play

Žigić's greatest strength was his height. He was excellent in the air, scoring many goals with his head from crosses and set pieces. He was also great at "knocking down" long passes to his teammates so they could score.

Even though he was very tall, he was also a skilled player with good control of the ball. He worked best with a smaller, faster striker as his partner. Coaches and players said he was very smart on the field and difficult for defenders to stop.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Red Star

• First League of Serbia and Montenegro: 2003–04, 2005–06
• Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2003–04, 2005–06

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 2007–08

Birmingham City

• Football League Cup: 2010–11

Individual

• Serbia and Montenegro League: top scorer 2003–04
• Serbian Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2007
• Večernje novosti captains' poll
  • Domestic player of the year: 2003, 2005
  • Prva zvezda (Player of the year based abroad): 2006
• Red Star Sport Association Best Male Athlete: 2005

See also

In Spanish: Nikola Žigić para niños