Mirko Vučinić

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Mirko Vučinić
Personal information
Full name Mirko Vučinić
Date of birth October 1, 1983 (1983-10-01) (age 24)
Place of birth    Nikšić, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club A.S. Roma
Number 9
Youth clubs
1998–1999 Sutjeska Nikšić
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1999–2000
2001–2006
2006-		 Sutjeska Nikšić
U.S. Lecce
A.S. Roma		 9 (4)
111 (34)
58 (11)   
National team
2005–2006
2007–		 Serbia and Montenegro
Montenegro		 2 (0)
4 (4)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Mirko Vučinić (in Serbian Cyrillic: Мирко Вучинић, born October 1, 1983 in Nikšić, Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Montenegrin footballer forward currently playing in the Italian Serie A for A.S. Roma.

Contents

[edit] Club Career

[edit] Early career

Having been signed at a young age, Vučinić showed remarkable promise early and was quickly snatched by U.S. Lecce. In his third (2004–05) season for the club, the 21 year-old Vučinić scored 19 goals in 29 games. Following that successful season, his progress came to a halt with only nine goals recorded in 31 games as his career stalled due to injury.

[edit] Roma

On August 30, 2006, he signed a one year loan contract with Roma worth €3.5m with an option of buying him entirely from Lecce once the season finishes for an additional €7.5m[1].

During his first season with AS Roma, he did not feature much as he had operations on his left knee twice.[2] Also, the presence of the European Golden Boot winner Francesco Totti as the lone forward of Roma's tactical formation did not give Vučinić much playing time. Despite this, he succeeded in scoring three goals: his first goal for AS Roma in the 1-0 victory against Siena on January 28, 2007[3], his first goal in the UEFA Champions League during the quarter-finals match 2-1 victory against Manchester United on April 4, 2007[4]. He also scored the decisive goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League. He also scored another serie a goal against Catania in a game that saw roma beat the sicilians 2-1.

At the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Roma paid Lecce the pre-agreed price of €7.5m, to sign Vučinić permanently[5]. He decided to wear the jersey #9, owned by Vincenzo Montella in the last eight seasons, and also stated that he would like to do the same that Montella did at Roma.[6]

Due to the role of Francesco Totti in Roma's play, Vučinić began to play as left winger in Luciano Spalletti's 4-2-3-1. He scored his first goal of the season in the 2-1 victory against Sporting CP, in the Champions League group stage, allowing Roma to get the vital goal to earn them three points.[7]

In the following game away to AC Milan at the San Siro, Vučinić started instead of the injured Totti, who sustained an injury in the previous match against Sporting, and scored the only goal of the game as Roma picked up a win. Vucinic started as a striker, instead as a left winger. This proved decisive, as in the Lazio game, he performed very well. He scored the equalizer and then assist in Perrotta's goal, making it 3-1.

[edit] International career

Vučinić was one of the two Montenegro-born players who had been chosen to play for Serbia and Montenegro at 2006 FIFA World Cup (the other one was Dragoslav Jevrić); he had been capped already two times for the Serbia and Montenegro team, but on May 23, 2006 he got injured and could not participate in the competition.

After Montenegro became an independent country, and a new national team was established, Vučinić chose to play for it and, when on March 24, 2007, Montenegro national team played its first international match against Hungary, Vučinić scored the first goal, a penalty, of Montenegro's history, of whom currently he is also the captain.[8] He also scored in every appearance for Montenegro picking up four goals in his first four games.

[edit] Career Statistics

Season Team League Domestic League Domestic Cups European Games Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
1999-00 FK Sutjeska Yugoslavia League 9 4 0 0 0 0 9 4
2000-01 US Lecce Serie A 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2001-02 US Lecce Serie A 7 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2002-03 US Lecce Serie B 28 5 0 0 0 0 28 5
2003-04 US Lecce Serie A 12 1 0 0 0 0 12 1
2004-05 US Lecce Serie A 28 19 0 0 0 0 28 19
2005-06 US Lecce Serie A 34 9 0 0 0 0 34 9
2006-07 AS Roma Serie A 25 2 1 0 6 1 32 3
2007-08 AS Roma Serie A 28 6 3 1 6 4 34 9
Total 170 44 4 1 12 5 184 49

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ (Italian) Acquisizione a titolo temporaneo con diritto di opzione per l'acquisizione a titolo definitivo con accordo di partecipazione del diritto alle prestazioni sportive del calciatore Mirko Vučinić (Italian). asroma.it. Retrieved on 30 August 2006.
  2. ^ (Italian) Roma: altro stop per Vucinic, sarà operato al ginocchio sinistro
  3. ^ (Italian) Vucinic-gol, la Roma non perde la speranza
  4. ^ (English) Roma defeat United's ten men
  5. ^ (Italian) [http://www.asroma.it/UserFiles/689.pdf Esercitato il diritto d'opzione per l'acquisizione a titolo definitivo con accordo di partecipazione del diritto alle prestazioni sportive del calciatore Mirko Vučinić]
  6. ^ (Italian) [http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Primo_Piano/2007/07_Luglio/17/vucinic.shtml Vucinic pronto al decollo "Il mio modello è Montella"]
  7. ^ Mirko Vucinic si sblocca e la Roma vince 2-1
  8. ^ (English) Montenegro beats Hungary 2-1 in its first international friendly

[edit] External links

v • d • e
A.S. Roma – current squad

1 Curci • 2 Panucci • 3 Cicinho • 4 Juan • 5 Mexès • 7 Pizarro • 8 Aquilani • 9 Vučinić • 10 Totti • 11 Taddei • 13 Andreolli • 14 Giuly • 15 Antunes • 16 De Rossi • 18 Esposito • 20 Perrotta • 21 Ferrari • 22 Tonetto • 25 Zotti • 26 Piţ • 27 Júlio Sérgio • 29 Barusso • 30 Mancini • 32 Doni • 33 Brighi • 77 Cassetti • Coach: Spalletti
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