Aleksandar Kolarov
Encyclopedia
Aleksandar Kolarov is a professional association footballer playing for Premier League side Manchester City
and the Serbian national team.
Although primarily a left back, Kolarov can play in centre back as well and is known for his overlapping runs on the left wing and his powerful shot.
youth system. He spent five years in the club, but never made the first team.
, which played in the top-tier Serbia-Montenegro League. Signing a three-year contract, he finished out the 2003-04 season in the club's youth setup and during summer 2004 got introduced to full squad. Making 27 league appearances in his debut season, the youngster left a good impression, but couldn't help the beleaguered team avoid relegation.
He started the 2005-06 campaign for Čukarički in the second-tier league competition, but during the winter break controversially transferred to top-tier league club OFK Beograd
.
in February 2006 and finished out the season with them, scoring his first league goal.
sold Kolarov to Italian side Lazio
for €925,000.
Kolarov's first goal for Lazio came at the Stadio Oreste Granillo
in Reggio Calabria
on 30 September 2007, as he hit a rocket from 40 meters to secure a draw against lowly Reggina
. During his time in Rome, Kolarov has also gathered experience in the UEFA Champions League
.
In his second season in Italy, Kolarov established himself as Lazio's first choice at left back, scoring a spectacular goal against Lecce
at the Stadio Via del Mare
. It got even better for the Serbian in the second Derby della Capitale
of the season. With Lazio 3–2 up, Kolarov received the ball in defence from goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
and proceeded to run the length of the pitch virtually unopposed. Having run 85 metres, Kolarov then slotted the ball past a hapless Doni
in the Roma
goal.
As the 2009–10 season
drew to an end, Kolarov was instantly linked with a move away from Lazio with Manchester City and Real Madrid
interested.
On 14 August 2010, Kolarov made his Premier League debut in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
. On 18 January 2011, Kolarov scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 victory over Leicester City
in the FA Cup while on 2 February 2011, Kolarov recorded his first Premier League goal from a free kick in a 2–2 draw against Birmingham City
. On 14 September 2011, he scored an equaliser for City in the 1–1 draw against Napoli in their first 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage match.
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Lazio
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
||24||1||0||0||rowspan="3" colspan="2"| ||3||0||27||1
|-
|2008–09||25||2||0||0||0||0||25||2
|-
|2009–10
||33||3||0||0||5||1||38||4
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Manchester City
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||24||1||8||1||0||0||5||1||37||3
|-
|2011–12
||5||1||0||0||3||0||5||1||13||2
|-
82||6||0||0||0||0||8||1||90||7
29||2||8||1||3||0||10||2||50||5
111||8||8||1||3||0||18||3||140||12
side which reached the final of the 2007 U-21 Championships held in the Netherlands
.
As a key member of that side, Kolarov was named in the UEFA Team of the tournament. In the semi-final clash with Belgium
, he scored a free-kick from long range.
Manchester City
to OFK Beograd
in February 2006, during the 2005-06 season winter break, was highly controversial. Under contract with Čukarički at the time, Kolarov filed a request to be released dated January 31, 2006 on the grounds of "contract expiry" even though it was good until January 2007. Soon after handing in his request to Čukarički, Kolarov publicly stated his desire to join OFK Beograd. Seeing that they had a disgruntled player on their hands, Čukarički set a €300,000 transfer fee for Kolarov due to the fact he still had one more year left on his contract with the club. OFK for their part simply ignored this fact and simply signed Kolarov without paying a fee. Over the coming years Čukarički took the case in front of Serbian Football Association (SFS), where all of their official complaints got rejected.
Year and a half later, during summer 2007, when Kolarov was sold by OFK Beograd to S.S. Lazio
for €800,000, Čukarički president Aleksandar Mihajlović went public with an accusation that Kolarov "was stolen from Čukarički by OFK Beograd". For that, he was punished by Serbian FA on the verbal delict grounds and given a year-long ban on performing any functions in Serbian football.
The entire Kolarov case was featured in early 2008 on B92 television
's investigative journalism programme Insajder that focused on criminal activities in Serbian football. The programme claims that Kolarov's case was part of a wide initiative by Serbian FA president Zvezdan Terzić
(formerly the president of OFK) who made sure young promising players signed for OFK and then raise their transfer price by making sure they get playing time in the U-21 national team.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and the Serbian national team.
Although primarily a left back, Kolarov can play in centre back as well and is known for his overlapping runs on the left wing and his powerful shot.
Club career
Kolarov's football career started in the Red Star BelgradeRed Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
youth system. He spent five years in the club, but never made the first team.
Čukarički
During January 2004, eighteen-year-old Kolarov moved across town to FK ČukaričkiFK Cukaricki Stankom
FK Čukarički Stankom is a Serbian football club from Belgrade that plays in the Serbian SuperLiga.- History :...
, which played in the top-tier Serbia-Montenegro League. Signing a three-year contract, he finished out the 2003-04 season in the club's youth setup and during summer 2004 got introduced to full squad. Making 27 league appearances in his debut season, the youngster left a good impression, but couldn't help the beleaguered team avoid relegation.
He started the 2005-06 campaign for Čukarički in the second-tier league competition, but during the winter break controversially transferred to top-tier league club OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
.
OFK Beograd
Kolarov joined OFK BeogradOFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
in February 2006 and finished out the season with them, scoring his first league goal.
Lazio
In the summer of 2007, OFK BeogradOFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
sold Kolarov to Italian side Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
for €925,000.
Kolarov's first goal for Lazio came at the Stadio Oreste Granillo
Stadio Oreste Granillo
The Stadio Oreste Granillo is a football stadium in Reggio Calabria, Italy. It is the home of Reggina Calcio. The stadium was built in 1999 on the foundations of Comunale and holds 27,763...
in Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
on 30 September 2007, as he hit a rocket from 40 meters to secure a draw against lowly Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
. During his time in Rome, Kolarov has also gathered experience in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
In his second season in Italy, Kolarov established himself as Lazio's first choice at left back, scoring a spectacular goal against Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
at the Stadio Via del Mare
Stadio Via del Mare
Stadio Via del Mare is a multi-purpose stadium in Lecce, Italy. It is mostly used for football matches and is the home of U.S. Lecce. The stadium was built in 1966 and holds 33,876. It takes its name from the street leading to the sea.-History:...
. It got even better for the Serbian in the second Derby della Capitale
Derby della Capitale
The Derby della Capitale , also known as Derby Capitolino and Derby del Cupolone, as well as The Rome Derby in English, is the football local derby in Rome, Italy, between the two major teams of the city, Roma and Lazio...
of the season. With Lazio 3–2 up, Kolarov received the ball in defence from goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
Fernando Muslera
Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Galatasaray and is first-choice keeper for the Uruguayan national team.-Uruguay:...
and proceeded to run the length of the pitch virtually unopposed. Having run 85 metres, Kolarov then slotted the ball past a hapless Doni
Donieber Alexander Marangon
Doniéber Alexander Marangon , more frequently known as simply Doni, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liverpool as a goalkeeper. He was born in Jundiaí, São Paulo....
in the Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
goal.
As the 2009–10 season
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
drew to an end, Kolarov was instantly linked with a move away from Lazio with Manchester City and Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
interested.
Manchester City
On 24 July 2010 it was announced that he had signed for Manchester City for £16 million.On 14 August 2010, Kolarov made his Premier League debut in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
. On 18 January 2011, Kolarov scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 victory over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
in the FA Cup while on 2 February 2011, Kolarov recorded his first Premier League goal from a free kick in a 2–2 draw against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. On 14 September 2011, he scored an equaliser for City in the 1–1 draw against Napoli in their first 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage match.
Career statistics
|-|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
||rowspan="3"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||24||1||0||0||rowspan="3" colspan="2"| ||3||0||27||1
|-
|2008–09||25||2||0||0||0||0||25||2
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Serie A
The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...
||33||3||0||0||5||1||38||4
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||rowspan="2"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||24||1||8||1||0||0||5||1||37||3
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
||5||1||0||0||3||0||5||1||13||2
|-
82||6||0||0||0||0||8||1||90||7
29||2||8||1||3||0||10||2||50||5
111||8||8||1||3||0||18||3||140||12
International career
Kolarov was a part of the successful Serbia under-21Serbia national under-21 football team
The Serbia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Serbia and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia....
side which reached the final of the 2007 U-21 Championships held in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
As a key member of that side, Kolarov was named in the UEFA Team of the tournament. In the semi-final clash with Belgium
Belgium national under-21 football team
The Belgium national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
, he scored a free-kick from long range.
Club
Lazio- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(1): 2008–092009 Coppa Italia Final-Post-match:After the match, some Lazio players wore a T-shirt to joke A.S. Roma rivals with written on it Io campione, tu zero titoli , quoting a sentence said by José Mourinho who had, earlier in the season, correctly predicted that Milan, Juve and Roma would have completed the season with no... - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
(1): 20092009 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2009 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by the 2008–09 Serie A winners Internazionale and 2008–09 Coppa Italia winners Lazio. It took place on 8 August 2009 at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, China. Lazio won the match 2–1 to earn their third Supercoppa...
Manchester City
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(1): 2010–112011 FA Cup FinalThe 2011 FA Cup Final was the 130th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London. The clubs contesting the 2011 final were Premier League clubs Manchester City and Stoke City, with the victors guaranteed...
Controversy
Kolarov's switch from FK ČukaričkiFK Cukaricki Stankom
FK Čukarički Stankom is a Serbian football club from Belgrade that plays in the Serbian SuperLiga.- History :...
to OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd
Omladinski fudbalski klub Beograd, commonly referred to as OFK Beograd , is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia, more precisely from the Karaburma urban neighborhood. It currently is the oldest team playing in the Serbian SuperLiga. The name means "Youth Football Club Belgrade" in Serbian...
in February 2006, during the 2005-06 season winter break, was highly controversial. Under contract with Čukarički at the time, Kolarov filed a request to be released dated January 31, 2006 on the grounds of "contract expiry" even though it was good until January 2007. Soon after handing in his request to Čukarički, Kolarov publicly stated his desire to join OFK Beograd. Seeing that they had a disgruntled player on their hands, Čukarički set a €300,000 transfer fee for Kolarov due to the fact he still had one more year left on his contract with the club. OFK for their part simply ignored this fact and simply signed Kolarov without paying a fee. Over the coming years Čukarički took the case in front of Serbian Football Association (SFS), where all of their official complaints got rejected.
Year and a half later, during summer 2007, when Kolarov was sold by OFK Beograd to S.S. Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
for €800,000, Čukarički president Aleksandar Mihajlović went public with an accusation that Kolarov "was stolen from Čukarički by OFK Beograd". For that, he was punished by Serbian FA on the verbal delict grounds and given a year-long ban on performing any functions in Serbian football.
The entire Kolarov case was featured in early 2008 on B92 television
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...
's investigative journalism programme Insajder that focused on criminal activities in Serbian football. The programme claims that Kolarov's case was part of a wide initiative by Serbian FA president Zvezdan Terzić
Zvezdan Terzic
Zvezdan Terzić is a Serbian retired football player and current administrator of Montenegrin origin...
(formerly the president of OFK) who made sure young promising players signed for OFK and then raise their transfer price by making sure they get playing time in the U-21 national team.
External links
- Aleksandar Kolarov at reprezentacija.rs
- Premier League profile