Full name Zvonimir Vukic Name Zvonimir Vukic Position Midfielder Weight 72 kg | Years Team Height 1.82 m Role Footballer | |
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Date of birth (1979-07-19) 19 July 1979 (age 36) Number 99 (Veria F.C. / Midfielder) | ||
Playing position | ||
Zvonimir vukic career highlights 2012
Zvonimir Vukić (Serbian Cyrillic: Звонимир Вукић; born 19 July 1979) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Contents
- Zvonimir vukic career highlights 2012
- Zvonimir vukic
- Club career
- Third stint at Partizan
- Career in Greece
- International career
- Club
- Individual
- References
Vukić represented Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Zvonimir vukic
Club career
Vukić started out at his hometown club Proleter Zrenjanin, making his senior debut in the 1996–97 season, aged 17. He became a first team regular in the following season, attracting the attention of numerous domestic and foreign teams. In the summer of 1998, Vukić was snapped by Spanish club Atlético Madrid.
After spending almost two years with Atlético's B team in the Segunda División, Vukić returned to his homeland and signed with Partizan in April 2000. He made a name for himself over the following four seasons at Partizan, scoring 52 goals in all competitions. Vukić was the top scorer of the national championship in the 2002–03 season with 22 goals.
In the summer of 2003, Vukić signed a five-year contract with Shakhtar Donetsk. He was their top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club. In the following season, Vukić made his UEFA Champions League debut in the 2004–05 campaign.
In August 2005, Vukić was loaned to Premier League side Portsmouth until the end of the 2005–06 season. He scored his first and only goal for Portsmouth in a 4–1 win over Sunderland on 29 October 2005. However, after the sacking of manager Alain Perrin, and reinstatement of former manager Harry Redknapp, Vukić was deemed surplus to requirements.
In January 2006, Vukić found himself back in familiar territory, having been loaned to his former club Partizan for the rest of the 2005–06 season. He rejoined his former teammate Danko Lazović. Unfortunately, Vukić broke a foot in a friendly game against Ural, managing to play just two competitive matches after a long pause.
After his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk expired in the summer of 2008, Vukić joined Moscow. However, the Ukrainian club claimed that they have a valid contract with the player. Eventually, FIFA allowed Vukić to play for the Russian club in October 2008. He scored on his debut for the club in a league fixture against Terek Grozny on 2 November 2008. After the club folded in February 2010, Vukić became a free agent.
Third stint at Partizan
In May, and November 2010, after training for several months with the club, Vukić was linked to Partizan again, but no deal was concluded. He finally signed with his former club on 31 January 2011, a one-year contract. Vukić chose the number 80 shirt and was officially presented together with Ghanaian international Prince Tagoe. He was failing to find his old form during the second half of the 2010–11 season, due to more than a year without any competitive football.
At the start of the 2011–12 season, Vukić assumed his old number 10 shirt. He opened the season with a goal against Shkëndija in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. However, after a weak form in August 2010, Vukić became a subject of fans criticism, briefly dropping from the first team.
On 21 September 2011, Vukić returned to the lineup and scored a goal in the Serbian Cup first round against Novi Pazar. He then scored a brace in his first league game after six rounds for a 2–0 victory over Spartak Subotica on 15 October 2011. In the next 30 days, Vukić netted five more, including three league and two cup goals. He also scored the opening goal in a 2–0 away win over arch-rivals on 26 November 2011, becoming a fans favorite again. In the last two rounds of the first half of the season, Vukić scored two more goals to complete his fantastic performances in late 2011.
On 24 January 2012, after much speculation, Vukić signed another one-year contract with Partizan. He continued his good performances in the second half of the season, being named in the SuperLiga Team of the Season. However, Vukić was removed from the squad in August 2012, because of disagreements with reappointed manager Vladimir Vermezović.
Career in Greece
On 30 January 2013, Vukić joined PAOK on a free transfer, signing a one-and-a-half-year deal. He played three matches in the Superleague Greece until the end of the 2012–13 regular season, scoring two goals in his first two appearances for the club against Panionios and Panathinaikos. Vukić also recorded four appearances in the Superleague Greece playoffs.
On 26 April 2014, Vukić was the only scorer for his team in the Greek Cup final, converting a penalty in the 70th minute of their 1–4 loss to Panathinaikos. He was also one of the team's top scorers in the 2013–14 season, with 15 goals in all competitions, before eventually leaving PAOK at the end of his contract.
On 7 September 2014, Vukić joined Veria on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract. He was given the number 99 shirt. On 12 February 2015, Vukić terminated his contract with Veria by mutual consent.
International career
Vukić earned 26 caps for Serbia and Montenegro, making his debut in a 2–2 home draw with Azerbaijan on 12 February 2003. He scored his first national team goal in a 3–2 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium on 11 October 2003.
Vukić was a regular member of the team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, scoring four goals. He was included in the final 23-man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, despite having been in the process of convalescence after a long break due to foot injury. Eventually, Vukić made one appearance in the final tournament, coming in from the bench in a 0–6 loss to Argentina.