Stan Stamenkovic
Encyclopedia
Srboljub Stamenković (January 31, 1956 in Titovo Užice, Serbia
, FPR Yugoslavia – January 28, 1996 in Užice
, Serbia
, FR Yugoslavia) known professionally in the United States
as Stan Stamenkovic was a Yugoslav
football
player. The most notable part of his career was spent in the United States playing indoor soccer
for the Major Indoor Soccer League
in Memphis
and Baltimore
.
Born in the town of Užice
(then called Titovo Užice) in Serbia
he started playing for Red Star Belgrade
in 1975 and stayed until 1981, when he was transferred to the Memphis Americans
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
. He played there for two seasons before going to the Baltimore Blast and stayed there until 1988, after helping the team win an MISL championship in 1984. He returned to Yugoslavia afterward to start his own business, a pizza parlor. He tried a comeback with the CISL's
San Jose Grizzlies
in 1994 but nagging injuries, which had prompted his earlier retirement, stopped this after 8 matches.
Stamenković scored 231 career goals and tallied 311 assists for a total of 542 career points. He is sometimes referred to as the greatest player in MISL history. In 1984 he led the league with 34 goals. His unique dribbling was perfect for the indoor game. At times he made the ball look like it was on a string. He could also find a streaking player, and thread the needle behind his back, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Stamenkovic died after injuring his head in a fall on a sidewalk in Užice, just three days before his fortieth birthday.
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...
, FPR Yugoslavia – January 28, 1996 in Užice
Užice
Užice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
, 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...
, FR Yugoslavia) known professionally in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Stan Stamenkovic was a Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. The most notable part of his career was spent in the United States playing indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
for the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Born in the town of Užice
Užice
Užice is a city and municipality in western Serbia, located at the banks of the Đetinja river. It is the administrative center of the Zlatibor District...
(then called Titovo Užice) 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...
he started playing for Red Star Belgrade
Red 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...
in 1975 and stayed until 1981, when he was transferred to the Memphis Americans
Memphis Americans
The Memphis Americans were a soccer team based out of Memphis, Tennessee that played in the old Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1981 to 1984. Their home arena was the Mid-South Coliseum....
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
. He played there for two seasons before going to the Baltimore Blast and stayed there until 1988, after helping the team win an MISL championship in 1984. He returned to Yugoslavia afterward to start his own business, a pizza parlor. He tried a comeback with the CISL's
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies
San Jose Grizzlies were a professional indoor soccer team based in San Jose, California. The team was founded on November 24, 1993 as a member of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. After playing in the 1994 and 1995 CISL seasons, the Grizzlies folded following the 1995 season. The team played...
in 1994 but nagging injuries, which had prompted his earlier retirement, stopped this after 8 matches.
Stamenković scored 231 career goals and tallied 311 assists for a total of 542 career points. He is sometimes referred to as the greatest player in MISL history. In 1984 he led the league with 34 goals. His unique dribbling was perfect for the indoor game. At times he made the ball look like it was on a string. He could also find a streaking player, and thread the needle behind his back, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Stamenkovic died after injuring his head in a fall on a sidewalk in Užice, just three days before his fortieth birthday.
Yearly Awards
- MISL All-Star Team - 1982, 1983, 1984
- MISL Pass-Master (most assists) - 1983, 1984
- MISL Top Points Scorer - 1984
- MISL MVP - 1984