Milan Smiljanic
Encyclopedia
Milan "Lola" Smiljanić is a Serbia
n footballer who plays for FK Partizan
as a midfielder
.
, Sweden
, as his father Branko
, who was also a professional footballer, was playing for Kalmar AIK FK at the time.
youth ranks. Under head coach Vladimir Vermezović
, he made his debut for the first team in a league
match against FK Sutjeska Nikšić, during the second part of 2004–05. He also spent some time playing for FK Teleoptik
, the farm team
. In little more than two professional seasons, he amassed more than 50 official appearances with Partizan, and eventually gained club captaincy despite his age.
On 18 July 2007, Spain
's RCD Espanyol
agreed with Partizan for the transfer of Smiljanić for an undisclosed fee, in a five-year contract. He made his La Liga
debut against Real Valladolid
on 26 August, in a 0–1 home loss; most of his first two seasons in Catalonia
were spent mainly appearing from the bench, even though one of his main competitors in the team, Iván de la Peña
, was often injured.
After the club's initial unsuccessful attempts to loan him out for 2009–10
, Smiljanić spent the first months of the new campaign only training, not having been given any squad number; however, such a move was arranged in late January 2010, as he joined Sporting de Gijón
until June.
In the summer of 2010, Smiljanić was loaned to his former club Partizan. After his loan expired, he returned to Spain and agreed the contract termination with the Barcelona
-based club. On 16 August 2011, he signed a permanent contract with Partizan, penning a two-year deal.
coach Miroslav Đukić to be part of his squad for the 2007 European Championships
; he helped the national side finish runner-up to hosts Holland
.
He made his international debut for the full squad
on 22 August 2007, in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match in Brussels
against Belgium, a 3–2 loss.
In July 2008, Smiljanić was picked to the 18-man squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics
, with Đukić again as manager. Serbia ranked last in its group. Next year, he appeared in the 2009 European Under-21 Championship
, as captain, but could not help repeat the previous edition's feat, as the nation did not progress through the group stages in his country of birth, Sweden
.
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Partizan
||rowspan="3"|SuperLiga
||2||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2005–06
||15||1||1||0||0||0||16||1
|-
|2006–07||31||0||3||1||8||0||42||1
|-
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Espanyol
||rowspan="4"|La Liga
||30||0||4||0||0||0||34||0
|-
|2008–09||17||0||5||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009–10
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|Sporting Gijón
||6||0||0||0||0||0||6||0
|-
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Partizan
||rowspan="2"|SuperLiga
||18||1||3||0||7||0||28||1
|-
|2011–12
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
66||2||7||1||16||0||89||3
53||0||9||0||0||0||62||0
119||2||16||1||16||0||151||3
|2007||2||1
|-
|2008||4||0
|-
!Total||6||1
|}
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n footballer who plays for FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Early life
Smiljanić was born in KalmarKalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, as his father Branko
Branko Smiljanic
Branko Smiljanić is a Serbian football manager, currently employed as the manager of the Libya national football team.- Coaching career :...
, who was also a professional footballer, was playing for Kalmar AIK FK at the time.
Club career
Smiljanić subsequently returned to his country and joined FK PartizanFK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
youth ranks. Under head coach Vladimir Vermezović
Vladimir Vermezovic
Vladimir Vermezović is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is the current coach of South African Premier Soccer League club Kaizer Chiefs.-Playing career:...
, he made his debut for the first team in a league
Serbian Superliga
Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...
match against FK Sutjeska Nikšić, during the second part of 2004–05. He also spent some time playing for FK Teleoptik
FK Teleoptik
Fudbalski klub Teleoptik is a professional football club based in Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia. The club currently playing in the Serbian First League....
, the farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
. In little more than two professional seasons, he amassed more than 50 official appearances with Partizan, and eventually gained club captaincy despite his age.
On 18 July 2007, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
agreed with Partizan for the transfer of Smiljanić for an undisclosed fee, in a five-year contract. He made his La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut against Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
on 26 August, in a 0–1 home loss; most of his first two seasons in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
were spent mainly appearing from the bench, even though one of his main competitors in the team, Iván de la Peña
Iván de la Peña
Iván de la Peña López is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder. During his career, de la Peña earned the nicknames Little Buddha and Lo Pelat due to his shaven head and slight frame....
, was often injured.
After the club's initial unsuccessful attempts to loan him out for 2009–10
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
, Smiljanić spent the first months of the new campaign only training, not having been given any squad number; however, such a move was arranged in late January 2010, as he joined Sporting de Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
until June.
In the summer of 2010, Smiljanić was loaned to his former club Partizan. After his loan expired, he returned to Spain and agreed the contract termination with the Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
-based club. On 16 August 2011, he signed a permanent contract with Partizan, penning a two-year deal.
International career
After the 2006–07 season, Smiljanić was called up by Serbia's U-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....
coach Miroslav Đukić to be part of his squad for the 2007 European Championships
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
; he helped the national side finish runner-up to hosts Holland
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
.
He made his international debut for the full squad
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
on 22 August 2007, in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
against Belgium, a 3–2 loss.
In July 2008, Smiljanić was picked to the 18-man squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, with Đukić again as manager. Serbia ranked last in its group. Next year, he appeared in the 2009 European Under-21 Championship
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
, as captain, but could not help repeat the previous edition's feat, as the nation did not progress through the group stages in his country of birth, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 17 October 2007 | Tofik Bahramov Stadium, Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal... |
5–1 | 6–1 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
Club
|-|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
||rowspan="3"|SuperLiga
Serbian Superliga
Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...
||2||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 Serbia and Montenegro SuperLiga
2005-06 Serbia and Montenegro Superliga is the last edition before the dissolution of the state union between Serbia and Montenegro.-League table:||||rowspan=5 style="background:white;"|...
||15||1||1||0||0||0||16||1
|-
|2006–07||31||0||3||1||8||0||42||1
|-
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
||rowspan="4"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||30||0||4||0||0||0||34||0
|-
|2008–09||17||0||5||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|2009–10
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|Sporting Gijón
Sporting de Gijón
Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club from Gijón, Asturias. Founded in 1 June 1905, it currently plays in Spanish first division....
||6||0||0||0||0||0||6||0
|-
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Serbian Superliga
-League table:-Results:...
||rowspan="2"|Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
||rowspan="2"|SuperLiga
Serbian Superliga
Serbian SuperLiga is a Serbian professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Serbian First League...
||18||1||3||0||7||0||28||1
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Serbian SuperLiga
-League table:-Results:...
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
66||2||7||1||16||0||89||3
53||0||9||0||0||0||62||0
119||2||16||1||16||0||151||3
International
|-|2007||2||1
|-
|2008||4||0
|-
!Total||6||1
|}