Zajko Zeba
Zajko Zeba (born 22 May 1983) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Bosnian Premier League club Olimpik.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zajko Zeba | ||
| Date of birth | 22 May 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Olimpik | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2002 | Željezničar | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2003 | Olimpik | ||
| 2003–2004 | Brotnjo | 14 | (2) |
| 2004 | → Željezničar (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | Zrinjski Mostar | 22 | (6) |
| 2005–2006 | Maribor | 43 | (10) |
| 2007–2009 | KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny | 83 | (21) |
| 2010 | Alania Vladikavkaz | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Željezničar | 68 | (20) |
| 2012–2013 | RNK Split | 4 | (0) |
| 2013 | Olimpija Ljubljana | 8 | (1) |
| 2014 | Olimpic | 9 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Shkëndija | 17 | (2) |
| 2015–2016 | Sloboda Tuzla | 49 | (16) |
| 2016–2018 | Željezničar | 29 | (5) |
| 2018– | Olimpik | 31 | (8) |
| National team | |||
| 2005–2007 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 March 2020 | |||
He was also part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team from 2005 to 2007. For a short period during 2018, Zeba worked as a football manager, holding the role of assistant manager at Željezničar and then as a coach of the youth team at the same club.
Club career
Born in Sarajevo, Zeba started his career at hometown club Željezničar. He played for the youth sides, but never got an opportunity to play for the first team, so he moved to Olimpik. His performances produced interest from stronger teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina and resulted in a transfer to Brotnjo. In 2004, Željezničar officials brought Zeba back to his childhood club on loan, but after only several months, as a result of new disagreements, he signed a contract with Zrinjski Mostar.[1]
His first foreign club was Slovenian PrvaLiga club Maribor. Then, he went to the Russian Football National League where he played for KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny. After a short period in Alania Vladikavkaz, Zeba came back to Željezničar, the club in which he had started his football career. In his third spell with Željezničar, Zeba won one league title and two cups and was named the 2011–12 Bosnian Premier League Player of the Season. In December 2012, he left Željezničar and went to RNK Split.[2]
After coming back to Bosnia in early 2015, and signing with Sloboda Tuzla, he became the team captain the following season, and helped the team in winning the autumn part of the 2015–16 Bosnian Premier League season. At the end of the season, Zeba was named as the best player of the 2015–16 season in the Bosnian Premier League.[3] In November 2016, he returned to Željezničar but he couldn't play for the club until 2017. In 2018, he won the Bosnian Cup with Željezničar and shortly after he retired at the age of 34.[4]
On 20 December 2018, Zeba came out of retirement and for the third time in his career signed with Olimpik.[5] He scored his first goal after coming back to Olimpik on 9 March 2019, in a 1–0 away win against Igman Konjic.[6] On 26 May 2020, the 2019–20 First League of FBiH season ended abruptly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, by default, Zeba with Olimpik were crowned league champions and got promoted back to the Bosnian Premier League.[7]
International career
Zeba was a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and played five games between 2005 and 2007.[8]
Managerial career
Željezničar
In June 2018, after announcing his retirement, Zeba was appointed as an assistant manager at Željezničar.[9] On 29 October 2018, after a string of poor results, it was announced that Zeba was dismissed of his position of assistant,[10] while a month later, on 21 November, was named as a coach of the youth selections at the club.[11]
In December 2018, he left Željezničar after coming out of retirement and signing with Olimpik.[12]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 7 March 2020[13]
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Brotnjo | 2003–04 | Bosnian Premier League | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 2 | ||
| Željezničar | 2003–04 | Bosnian Premier League | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 3 | ||
| Zrinjski Mostar | 2004–05 | Bosnian Premier League | 22 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 27 | 7 | ||
| Maribor | 2005–06 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 17 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | 26 | 9 | ||
| Total | 43 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | 54 | 13 | |||
| KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny | 2007 | Russian Football National League | 33 | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 12 | ||
| 2008 | Russian Football National League | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 6 | |||
| 2009 | Russian Football National League | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 | |||
| Total | 83 | 21 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 84 | 21 | ||||
| Alania Vladikavkaz | 2010 | Russian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Željezničar | 2010–11 | Bosnian Premier League | 27 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 17 | |
| 2011–12 | Bosnian Premier League | 29 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | Bosnian Premier League | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 2 | ||
| Total | 68 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 0 | — | 87 | 27 | |||
| RNK Split | 2012–13 | 1. HNL | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Olimpija Ljubljana | 2013–14 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Olimpic | 2013–14 | Bosnian Premier League | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Shkëndija | 2014–15 | Macedonian First Football League | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |
| Sloboda Tuzla | 2014–15 | Bosnian Premier League | 14 | 6 | — | — | — | 14 | 6 | |||
| 2015–16 | Bosnian Premier League | 27 | 10 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 11 | |||
| 2016–17 | Bosnian Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 49 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 56 | 17 | |||
| Željezničar | 2016–17 | Bosnian Premier League | 13 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Bosnian Premier League | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 21 | 3 | ||
| Total | 29 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 38 | 5 | |||
| Olimpik | 2018–19 | First League of FBiH | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2019–20 | First League of FBiH | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 18 | 8 | |||
| Total | 31 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 9 | ||||
| Career total | 391 | 95 | 35 | 10 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 451 | 108 | ||
- Appearance in Slovenian Supercup
International
- As of match played 12 September 2007[8]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
Honours
Zrinjski Mostar[13]
Željezničar[13]
- Bosnian Premier League: 2011–12
- Bosnian Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2017–18
Olimpik[13]
References
- Zajko Zeba at footballdatabase.eu
- "Zajko Zeba potpisao za RNK Split" (in Bosnian). bljesak.info. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- "Zajko Zeba najbolji igrač BH Telecom Premijer lige BiH" (in Bosnian). Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- Zajko Zeba se oprostio od navijača Željezničara i završio karijeru at klix.ba, 19 May 2018
- Zeba se vratio iz mirovine, po treći put obukao dres Olimpika at sportsport.ba, 20 December 2018
- "(FOTO/VIDEO) Zeba eurogolom donio pobjedu Olimpiku u Konjicu" (in Bosnian). Sport1.ba. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- A. Čaušević (26 May 2020). "Stigla je i službena odluka: Završena sezona u Prvoj ligi FBiH!" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "Zajko Zeba". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- "Krčmarević će iduće sedmice obaviti prozivku fudbalera Želje s pomoćnicima Zebom i Ljubičićem" (in Bosnian). scsport.ba. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- D.B. (29 October 2018). "UO FK Željezničar podržao Odovića, zamijenjeni Zeba i Karić, prekriženi Bogičević i Blagojević" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- V. Vukmirović (21 November 2018). "Zeba i Karić dobili nove funkcije u Željezničaru" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- "Zajko Zeba skinuo kopačke s klina i potpisao za Olimpik" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- "Z. Zeba: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
External links
- Zajko Zeba at Sofascore