Dejan Stanković

Stanković began playing football for FK Teleoptik, based in his neighbourhood of Zemun. When spotted by Red Star cadet squad coach Branko Radović, however, 14-year-old Dejan transferred to Red Star Belgrade's youth system. Stanković then passed every age category at his hometown club.[3] In the youth teams, he was coached by Vladimir Petrović, playing alongside future professionals Nikola Lazetić and Nenad Lalatović.

During the 1994–95 season, Stanković's debut opportunity for first team action came under head coach Ljupko Petrović against crosstown rivals OFK Beograd on 11 February 1995. Fighting for a spot on the team led by, among others, Rambo Petković, Darko Kovačević, and Nebojša Krupniković, 16-year-old Stanković made seven league appearances that season as the team won league title. He scored his first goal against Budućnost Podgorica, soon becoming a first team regular and a fan favourite.

During the early 1990s, Red Star was under an international ban because of a UN sanction imposed on FR Yugoslavia, meaning that the team could not compete in any European competition. The ban was lifted ahead of the 1995–96 season, and just a year later Stanković played a huge part in a memorable two-leg victory over 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Cup Winners' Cup.

Before the start of the 1997–98 season, he was made squad captain at the age of 19, the youngest ever in the club's history. Despite not winning the league he captained the team to two domestic cup victories.

In the summer of 1998, Stanković transferred for ₤24 million to Lazio,[4] where he scored on his Serie A debut versus Piacenza on 13 September 1998. In those years, Lazio had an all-star squad with world class players at almost every position, but Stanković quickly secured a regular first-team place despite competition from fellow midfielders Pavel Nedvěd, Juan Sebastián Verón and Diego Simeone. He formed a formidable midfield combination with Nedvěd, Veron and Simeone and were an integral part of the successful Lazio side at the turn of the decade. His work rate and impressive performances earned him the nickname "Il Dragone" ("The Dragon") from fans.[5] He had five-and-a-half successful seasons in the Biancoceleste part of Rome before earning a high-profile move to Inter Milan in February 2004.

As Stanković began the 2003–04 season at Lazio, the Biancoceleste struggled with financial problems and were forced to sell many of their best players. Big name teams in European football knew that the club would have to sell the midfielder in the nearest future, so there was fierce competition for his services during the 2003–04 winter transfer window. Juventus were favorites in the chase for the Serb's signature with even some preliminary paperwork reportedly signed between the two parties in early January 2004,[6] but the player eventually chose Inter Milan. He was signed as part of a deal worth €4 million, that also sent Macedonian international Goran Pandev (plus 50% of Pandev's contract) in the opposite direction.[7][8]

The fact that his old friend, former teammate, and head coach from Lazio Roberto Mancini was already rumoured to be soon taking over the head coaching duties at Inter may have influenced Stanković's decision. In early February 2004, Stanković played his debut for Inter under head coach Alberto Zaccheroni, a Serie A clash at home against Siena that ended 4–0. On 21 February 2004, he scored a spectacular goal directly from a corner kick to put Inter 1–0 up in Derby della Madonnina versus fierce rivals Milan. Inter finished the league season in fourth place thus qualifying for Champions League. Still, Inter president Massimo Moratti was not convinced with Zaccheroni and at the end of the season, just like rumoured, brought Mancini from the financial shipwreck at Lazio.

The head coaching change suited Stanković just fine, and he got reunited with another familiar face from Lazio – Siniša Mihajlović. On 7 May 2006, Stanković played his 100th match for Inter. Coming off the summer appearance at the 2006 World Cup, he carried excellent form right from the start of the 2006–07 Serie A campaign, scoring some decisive goals. His strike against Catania and his memorable goal against city rivals Milan, only further enhanced his already glowing reputation with Internazionale fans. According to the official ratings of the La Gazzetta dello Sport, Stanković was selected as the man of the match five times throughout the 2006–07 Serie A campaign. He renewed his contract on 2 February 2007, with Inter securing his services until at least 2010.

With the June 2008 arrival of José Mourinho to the position of Inter's head coach, there was a lot of press speculation about Stanković's exit from the Nerazzuri (along with Adriano, Hernán Crespo, David Suazo and Nicolás Burdisso) being imminent, due to reportedly not being held in high regard by the newly arrived Portuguese coach.[9] A lot of the press' focus was also placed on Stanković's friendship with previous head coach Mancini and assistant coach Mihajlović, with veiled suggestions that it was this friendly relationship with the coaching duo that kept the Serb midfielder in the club, even when his performances were less than stellar throughout the 2007–08 season. Then in late June, after reports that Stanković was told by Mourinho that he would not be allowed to show up for the pre-season training in South Tyrol,[10] and more reports that Stanković and Juve had agreed personal terms, it seemed that Stanković was definitely on his way out. The press reports of Stanković's pending arrival to Juve, sparked the club's fans into protests and online petitions, as they would neither forgive his turning down the club back in January 2004, nor his exuberant public celebrations after the 2005–06 Serie A title was stripped from Juve, and handed to Inter following the Calciopoli scandal.[11] The Juve deal fell through within days for a variety of other reasons,[12] and Stanković was suddenly reported to be happy to stay at Inter.[13] However, the transfer talk was reignited again by Mourinho's suggestion in mid July 2008 that "Stanković was not the same player that he was at Lazio",[14][15] which some took as a sign that the players Inter days were numbered, once again.

Stanković, however, remained with the club to fight for a spot on Mourinho's team, and soon after the season started, he managed to achieve his aim. On 19 October 2008, Stanković scored a superb goal in Inter's 4–0 hammering of Luciano Spalletti's Roma away at Stadio Olimpico. After receiving a pass from Sulley Muntari, he drove the ball past the Roma goalkeeper into the net, his 24th goal in all competitions for the Nerazzuri, thus ending a year-long goal drought.[16] The relief and vindication after everything he had gone through during the summer, was evident in his goal celebration,[17] and in interviews after the match Stanković talked of his joy to be fully back on form, following the injury-prone previous season. He also thanked Mourinho for giving him an opportunity, even after the two did not get off on the right foot during the summer off-season.[18]

In December 2008, Stanković, by now an irreplaceable part of Mourinho's midfield, gave another display of his rediscovered form versus Chievo at home: first with a through-pass to Maxwell for the game's opening goal, followed by a goal of his own for 2–0 with a first time shot from the edge of the penalty area, and finally an assist from the right wing to Zlatan Ibrahimović as Inter recorded a 4–2 win.[19][20]

On 7 February 2009, Stanković celebrated his 200th appearance for Inter in all competitions at the away game versus Lecce. Inter hammered the newly promoted team 3–0 with Stanković heading in the third goal following a slick free-kick cross from Maicon.[21] Stanković's season-long good form continued as he scored Internazionale's second goal against Milan in the 270th Milan Derby on 15 February. This turned out to be the winning goal after Alexandre Pato had pulled one back. Inter went on to win a fourth consecutive title, his fifth Serie A trophy.

In the Champions League, Inter limped into the second round after losing its final two group stage matches against Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen. In the first elimination round (round of 18), they lost to Manchester United in a hard-fought tie. Stanković played the full 90 minutes in the first leg at San Siro, putting in a very lively and active display.[22] In the return at Old Trafford, Stanković started the match and had a great first half 37th minute effort after playing a one-two with Ibrahimović, and striking the ball with the outside of his boot from some 25 metres out, only to see it go centimeters wide of Edwin van der Sar's right post. Two minutes later, Stanković had another glorious opportunity when he got in behind Patrice Evra on the right, as Ibrahimović picked him out with a cross from the left, but the Serb did not make good enough contact with the ball in the one-on-one situation with Van der Sar, and the shot therefore went over the bar. In the 57th minute, with United leading 2–0, and Inter forced to chase the result, Mourinho took Stanković off and inserted striker Adriano. The match marked Stanković's 63rd Champions League appearance, thus overtaking Predrag Đorđević at the top of the list of Serbian players with most appearances in the competition.[23]

Stanković in action for Inter in 2009

The 2009–10 season began well for Stanković. In the Milan derby on 29 August, he played in a deeper role to replace the injured Esteban Cambiasso. Nevertheless, he scored Inter's fourth goal and his second in consecutive Milan derbies in a 4–0 thrashing, a spectacular 30-yard strike after quickly collecting Sulley Muntari's pass.[24] He subsequently scored against Rubin Kazan and Udinese to continue his rich vein of form under José Mourinho.

He also scored a wonder-goal from 54 metres out in a 5–0 thrashing against Genoa, volleying the ball straight in from Marco Amelia's clearance.[25]

Playing under new head coach Rafael Benítez, Stanković continued his usual midfield role. On 28 November 2010, Stanković netted a hat-trick in an emphatic 5–2 victory over Parma at the San Siro.

At the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in mid December, Stanković played an excellent semi-final against Seongnam, scoring the opening goal and turning in an all around midfield performance.[26] Despite this, however, Benítez decided to bench the midfielder for the final versus TP Mazembe, only bringing him on for Christian Chivu in the 54th minute. Benítez was soon sacked despite winning the trophy, and a couple of weeks later Stanković expressed his dismay at Spaniard's decision to leave him on the bench for the final.[27] On the same occasion, despite publicly backing the beleguerd coach months earlier,[28] Stanković stated that Benítez simply "didn't work" at Inter.[29] He says that strong personalities crashed to each other's (Internazionale players after winning Champions League and strong personality of Rafael Benítez), so at the end Benitez departed after six months at the bench.

Under newly arrived head coach Leonardo, Stanković continued to be the automatic midfield choice, displaying his versatility (at times filling in for injured Wesley Sneijder in the midfield organizational role). Stanković scored his first goal under new coach at home versus Bologna in mid-January, and then continued with the same form away at Udinese, scoring the opening goal followed by hitting the post in a match that Inter lost 3–1. In Coppa Italia quarter-final at Napoli on 26 January, Stanković injured his thigh muscle that initially ruled him out for a month. However, he returned ahead of schedule for a Serie A match at Fiorentina on 16 February, putting in a lively performance with surging runs and two good scoring opportunities as Inter won 2–1 to come within five points of league leaders Milan.[30] Inter made good recovery chasing the league-leaders AC Milan, getting within three points of them ahead of Milan derby, but lost disastrously 0–3.

Stanković scored a spectacular volley from the halfway line against Schalke 04 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on 5 April 2011 as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer ran out of the box to make a daring header clearance that made it up to the halfway line, leaving an open goal as a target for Stanković's firm first-time volley. Inter, however, would lose that match 2–5 at home.[31] On 19 April, in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, Stanković scored the winning goal with another spectacular long-range effort, hitting a sweet outside foot volley past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper.

On 21 December 2019, Stanković was appointed as the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[40] He won his first trophy as manager on 29 May 2020, the league title with the club.

Source:[41]

Red Star Belgrade

• Yugoslav First League: 1994–95
• Yugoslav Cup: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97

Lazio

• Serie A: 1999–2000
• Coppa Italia: 1999–2000, 2003–04
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1998, 2000
• Cup Winners' Cup: 1998–99
• UEFA Super Cup: 1999

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2010

Red Star Belgrade

• Serbian SuperLiga : 2019–20

• ESM Team of the Year (1): 2006–07[44]
• Serbian Player of the Year (2): 2006,[45] 2010[46]
• Inter Hall of Fame: 2019[47]