Dragan Žilić

Dragan Žilić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Жилић; born 14 December 1974) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for ASV Kleinottweiler in Germany.

Dragan Žilić
Personal information
Full name Dragan Žilić
Date of birth (1974-12-14) 14 December 1974
Place of birth Kikinda, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 ASV Kleinottweiler
Youth career
1985–1992 OFK Kikinda
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1996 OFK Kikinda 70 (0)
1996–2000 Vojvodina 49 (0)
2000–2001 CSKA Sofia 1 (0)
2001–2005 Sartid Smederevo 112 (0)
2005–2008 Rijeka 79 (0)
2009–2010 Gorica 19 (0)
2012 OFK Kikinda 0 (0)
2015 Gençlerbirliği Homburg 10 (0)
2015–2017 SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler 33 (0)
2017 SV Beeden 16 (0)
2018 Gençlerbirliği Homburg 28 (0)
2019– ASV Kleinottweiler 8 (0)
National team
1998–2003 Serbia and Montenegro 8 (0)
Teams managed
2015–2017 SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler (player-manager)
2018 Gençlerbirliği Homburg (player-manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Žilić started out at OFK Kikinda, joining his hometown club as a trainee in 1985.[1] He made his senior debut in the 1992–93 season, as they suffered relegation from the top flight. After four seasons in the senior squad, Žilić was transferred to Vojvodina. He was a member of the team that reached the final of the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, losing 1–2 on aggregate to Werder Bremen. In June 2000, Žilić moved abroad to Bulgaria and signed a three-year contract with CSKA Sofia.[2] He left the club by mutual agreement in February 2001, recording only one league appearance for the side.[3] In July 2001, Žilić returned to his homeland and joined ambitious Sartid Smederevo.[4] He spent the following four seasons at the club, winning the Serbia and Montenegro Cup in 2003.[5]

In July 2005, Žilić completed a controversial move to Croatian side Rijeka.[6] The transfer caused a minor sensation in the region as it marked the first occasion that a player of Serb ethnicity joined a Croatian club after the Yugoslav Wars. Despite being exposed to severe verbal abuse by the nationalist supporters of Rijeka,[7] Žilić immediately established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and gradually earned the support of fans with his consistent performances.[8] He eventually helped them win the 2005–06 Croatian Cup. On 29 November 2006, Žilić scored a 92nd-minute header against Konavljanin that got Rijeka into the 2006–07 Croatian Cup semi-finals.[9]

By fall 2008, Žilić lost his place in the first team and got demoted to as low as training with the youth team.[10] He finally left them in the 2009 winter transfer window and moved to Slovenian club Gorica.

International career

Žilić made his international debut for FR Yugoslavia on 23 September 1998, coming on as a second-half substitute for Ivica Kralj in a 1–1 away friendly draw at Brazil, while keeping a clean sheet in the process. He collected a total of eight caps for his country between 1998 and 2003.

Post-playing career

In December 2012, Žilić became the president of OFK Kikinda. He resigned from the position a little bit less than a year later.

Statistics

Club
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sartid Smederevo 2001–02 33000330
2002–03 33040370
2003–04 27040310
2004–05 19030220
Total 11201101230
Rijeka 2005–06 2907020380
2006–07 2706120351
2007–08 23010—240
Total 79014140971
Gorica 2008–09 30000030
2009–10 1600000160
Total 1900000190
Career total 21001411502391

International
National teamYearAppsGoals
FR Yugoslavia 199810
199900
200000
200100
200230
Serbia and Montenegro 200340
Total80

Honours
Sartid Smederevo
Rijeka

References
  1. "Bavite se sportom" (in Serbian). pancevac-online.rs. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  2. ""Lale" od milion maraka" (in Serbian). glas-javnosti.rs. 15 June 2000. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  3. "Dragan Žilić otišao iz CSKA" (in Serbian). glas-javnosti.rs. 9 February 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. "Žilić u Sartidu" (in Serbian). glas-javnosti.rs. 14 July 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  5. "Sartid pobednik Kupa!" (in Serbian). srbija.gov.rs. 29 May 2003. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  6. "Žilić priželjkuje ovacije Armade" (in Croatian). index.hr. 22 July 2005. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  7. "Armada izvrijeđala Žilića" (in Croatian). index.hr. 24 July 2005. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  8. "Dragan Žilić: "Pobedio sam karakterom"" (in Serbian). b92.net. 27 March 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  9. "Žilić pogotkom u nadoknadi spasio Rijeku od debakla" (in Croatian). index.hr. 29 November 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  10. "Ćutim i čekam kraj ugovora s Rijekom" (in Serbian). blic.rs. 12 October 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
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