Nemanja Matic
Encyclopedia
Nemanja Matić is a Serbia
n footballer who currently plays as a midfielder
for Benfica
. He also has 2 caps for the Serbian national side
.
full squad. Matić played three season there amassing 16 appearances. After impressing in the Serbian League Belgrade
(3rd tier) he was bought by Slovakian club MFK Košice
of the Corgoň Liga. He impressed during his time in Slovakia
making 67 Corgoň Liga appearances and scoring 4 goals; helping them gain 4th spot in the league during the 2008–09 campaign. He also impressed in the Slovak Cup
helping his team defeat FC Artmedia Petržalka in the cup final at NTC Stadion
in Senec
. Košice
won the game 3–1 and gained a berth in the first edition of the UEFA Europa League.
Nemanja has dual-nationality. He holds Serbia
n citizenship by birthright, and he later obtained Slovak
status. After having a trial early in the 2008–2009 Premiership season, it was believed Middlesbrough F.C.
were leading the pack to sign the young Serbian star, but the trial was cut short as he was called up for Serbia's
full squad for a friendly against Denmark
. In the summer months there was much speculation in England that Matić might return to the Premier League with a hosts of clubs after him including Tottenham and Chelsea
.
. He was on the bench for Chelsea's Carling Cup tie against Queens Park Rangers on 23 September 2009 but did not take any part in the 1–0 victory. Matic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on 21 November 2009 coming on for Florent Malouda on 69th minute in the 4–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. His second appearance came as a sub against Wigan on the final day of the 09–10 season, where Chelsea won 8–0 to regain the Premier League title.
and Matej Delač
to Dutch
Eredivisie
club Vitesse on a 1-year loan.
n coach Vermezović
who trained Spartak Trnava
in 2008–09 season. Nemanja was an unknown player in Serbia
until then. Matić's debut for the national team of Serbia U-21
came in a match against Denmark U-21
on October 11, 2008. After three matches and two goals for the Serbia under-21 squad, he was called up to the Serbia first team
and he made his debut in a friendly against Poland
at December 14, 2008.
Matić took part in 2009 EURO U-21 Championship
where he played 85 minutes in the first group match against Italy
(0:0). Matić was injured after contact with Italian Giovinco
. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and he had to undergo surgery.
|2006-07
||rowspan="3"|MFK Košice
||rowspan="3"|Corgoň Liga||13||1||0||0||0||0||13||1
|-
|2007-08
||25||1||2||0||0||0||27||1
|-
|2008-09
||28||2||6||0||0||0||34||2
|-
|2009-10||rowspan="1"|Chelsea
||rowspan="1"|Premier League||2||0||1||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="1"|Vitesse (loan)||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
||27||2||2||0||0||0||29||2
|-
|2011-12
||rowspan="1"|Benfica||rowspan="1"|Primeira Liga||6||0||0||0||6||0||12||0
66||4||8||0||0||0||74||4
2||0||1||0||0||0||3||0
27||2||2||0||0||0||29||2
6||0||0||0||6||0||12||0
101||5||11||0||6||0||118||6
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 currently plays 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...
for Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
. He also has 2 caps for the Serbian national side
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...
.
Career
At the age of 16 in 2004, Matić was called up for Serbian side FK KolubaraFK Kolubara
FK Kolubara is a football club based in Lazarevac, Serbia.-Recent seasons:1 Championship abandoned officially on 14 May 1999 due to the NATO attacks on FR Yugoslavia.-Current squad:As of November 2010....
full squad. Matić played three season there amassing 16 appearances. After impressing in the Serbian League Belgrade
Serbian League Belgrade
Srpska Liga Belgrade is a section of the Srpska Liga, Serbia's third football league. Teams from Belgrade are in this section of the league. The other sections are Srpska Liga East, Srpska Liga West, and Srpska Liga Vojvodina.-Srpska Liga Beograd Teams 10/11:...
(3rd tier) he was bought by Slovakian club MFK Košice
MFK Košice
MFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have...
of the Corgoň Liga. He impressed during his time in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
making 67 Corgoň Liga appearances and scoring 4 goals; helping them gain 4th spot in the league during the 2008–09 campaign. He also impressed in the Slovak Cup
Slovak Cup
The Slovak Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Slovak football.The competition was first disputed in 1961. Until 1993, the winner of the Slovak Cup would face the winner of the Czech Cup in the Czechoslovak Cup final, the winner of which would be Czechoslovakia's representative in the Cup...
helping his team defeat FC Artmedia Petržalka in the cup final at NTC Stadion
NTC Stadion
National Training Center is a multi-use stadium in Senec, Slovakia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of ŠK SFM Senec. The stadium holds 3,264 people....
in Senec
Senec, Slovakia
Senec is a town in the Bratislava Region of south-western Slovakia. It is a well known summer tourism and recreation center. The town is attractive not only because of the proximity of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, but also because of the healthy environment and summer resort "Slnečné...
. Košice
MFK Košice
MFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have...
won the game 3–1 and gained a berth in the first edition of the UEFA Europa League.
Nemanja has dual-nationality. He holds Serbia
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 citizenship by birthright, and he later obtained Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
status. After having a trial early in the 2008–2009 Premiership season, it was believed Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
were leading the pack to sign the young Serbian star, but the trial was cut short as he was called up for Serbia's
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...
full squad for a friendly against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. In the summer months there was much speculation in England that Matić might return to the Premier League with a hosts of clubs after him including Tottenham and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Chelsea
On 18 August 2009, Matić signed for Chelsea for a fee of around £1.5 million in a four year contract. He was given the number 24 shirt by Chelsea but wasn't able to make his debut immediately due to the injury he picked up at the recent U21 championships2009 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...
. He was on the bench for Chelsea's Carling Cup tie against Queens Park Rangers on 23 September 2009 but did not take any part in the 1–0 victory. Matic made his Premier League debut for Chelsea on 21 November 2009 coming on for Florent Malouda on 69th minute in the 4–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. His second appearance came as a sub against Wigan on the final day of the 09–10 season, where Chelsea won 8–0 to regain the Premier League title.
Vitesse
On 23 August 2010, Matić transferred together with his Chelsea teammates Slobodan RajkovićSlobodan Rajkovic
Slobodan Rajković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a Centre back for Hamburger SV.-Club career:...
and Matej Delač
Matej Delač
Matej Delač is a Croatian football goalkeeper who is currently on loan in Dynamo České Budějovice from Barclays Premier League club Chelsea.-Inter Zaprešić:...
to Dutch
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...
Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
club Vitesse on a 1-year loan.
International
Advice about him gave SerbiaSerbia
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 coach 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:...
who trained Spartak Trnava
FC Spartak Trnava
FC Spartak Trnava is a Slovak football club based in Trnava, Slovakia. Historically it is one of the most successful clubs in Slovakia, having won the Czechoslovak First League and the Czechoslovak Cup five times, and reaching semifinal of European Cup once and quarterfinal twice. The club plays...
in 2008–09 season. Nemanja was an unknown player in Serbia
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...
until then. Matić's debut for the national team of Serbia U-21
Serbia 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....
came in a match against Denmark U-21
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
on October 11, 2008. After three matches and two goals for the Serbia under-21 squad, he was called up to the Serbia first team
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...
and he made his debut in a friendly against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
at December 14, 2008.
Matić took part in 2009 EURO U-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...
where he played 85 minutes in the first group match against Italy
Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
(0:0). Matić was injured after contact with Italian Giovinco
Sebastian Giovinco
Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Parma and the Italian national team. Giovinco is an attacking midfielder with noted dribbling skills, play-making skills and he is known for his freekicks....
. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and he had to undergo surgery.
Career statistics
|-|2006-07
Corgon Liga 2006/07
-Corgoň Liga 2006/07 Teams:In 2006/07 the Slovakian Corgoň Liga consists of the following teams:-Standings after basic stage:Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Championship Playoff...
||rowspan="3"|MFK Košice
MFK Košice
MFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have...
||rowspan="3"|Corgoň Liga||13||1||0||0||0||0||13||1
|-
|2007-08
Slovak Superliga 2007-08
-Corgoň Liga 2007/08 teams:In 2007/2008 the Slovak Corgoň Liga consists of the following 12 teams:-Standings after basic stage:as 2008.5.25Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top...
||25||1||2||0||0||0||27||1
|-
|2008-09
Slovak Superliga 2008-09
-League table:-Results:The schedule consists of three rounds. The pairings of the first round were set according to the 2007-08 final standings. Every team played each opponent once for a total of 11 games per team...
||28||2||6||0||0||0||34||2
|-
|2009-10||rowspan="1"|Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||rowspan="1"|Premier League||2||0||1||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="1"|Vitesse (loan)||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||27||2||2||0||0||0||29||2
|-
|2011-12
2011–12 Primeira Liga
-Personnel and kits:Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.-Managerial changes:-League table:-Positions by round:...
||rowspan="1"|Benfica||rowspan="1"|Primeira Liga||6||0||0||0||6||0||12||0
66||4||8||0||0||0||74||4
2||0||1||0||0||0||3||0
27||2||2||0||0||0||29||2
6||0||0||0||6||0||12||0
101||5||11||0||6||0||118||6
Club
- KošiceMFK KošiceMFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have...
- Slovak CupSlovak CupThe Slovak Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Slovak football.The competition was first disputed in 1961. Until 1993, the winner of the Slovak Cup would face the winner of the Czech Cup in the Czechoslovak Cup final, the winner of which would be Czechoslovakia's representative in the Cup...
(1): 2008-09
- Slovak Cup
- ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- 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): 2009-102010 FA Cup FinalThe 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
- FA Cup