Zoran Mirković

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Zoran "Bata" Mirković (Serbian Cyrillic: Зоран "Бата" Мирковић) (born September 21, 1971 in Belgrade, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a former Serbian footballer.

[edit] Football career

Rad is the club where Mirković began his professional career on March 3, 1991 (Proleter 2:1 Rad). But even before that he and his team mates won the Yugoslav title in the under 21 category, the biggest success this club ever had. Mirković spent three seasons in FK Rad as a professional player, and all together played 62 games (five in 1990/1991 season, 26 in 1991/1992 season and 31 in 1992/1993 season), scoring a goal. His talent didn't go unnoticed by Partizan officials and they invited him to defend black and white colors.

Mirković always describes the three years he spent in Partizan as the most beautiful years of his career and says Partizan is the club he loves the most. In those three years he established himself as a player, became a standard player in Yugoslav national selection and won three titles (Yugoslav Championship 1993/1994 and 1994/1995 and Yugoslav Cup 1993/94). He wore the number 2 jersey. He became a hero of Partizan fans because he is such a fighter, because of all Crvena Zvezda players he had beaten up and because he, in those difficult times (war and sanctions) upheld his obligations towards Partizan and stayed all three years stipulated in his contract. He played 82 games in Partizan jersey (26 in 1993/1994 season, 29 in 1994/1995 season and 27 in 1995/1996 season), scoring one goal.

Mirković spent two seasons with Atalanta Bergamo. He got injured in the first game in Serie A league and had to take a three months long break. He played a role of midfielder/defender and his performance was so good at that time Juventus coach Marcello Lippi invited him to join Juve. He was very popular among the Atalanta fans and when the club wanted to sell him to Fiorentina hell almost break loose.

Mirković's career in Juventus can be divided in two different periods. One under coach Lippi. At that time Bata played 19 Serie A games, scoring one goal. He also played UEFA Champions League matches. When Carlo Ancelotti took over in spring of 1999, Mirković was no longer a standard Juve player, playing mostly UEFA and Italian Cup matches.

Mirković signed a three year contract with Fenerbahçe. It proved to be a very smart decision indeed. In his first season in Istanbul he won a Turkish League title and was a finalist in Turkish Cup. In his second season in Turkey he played Champions League and came second in Turkish League. His third season in Fenerbahçe was not so successful. Three coaches and problems in the club caused Fenerbahçe to end the season in the sixth place.

Then Mirković became Partizan player again. He signed a contract for two and a half years.

Mirković was a standard player in Serbia and Montenegro where he usually played right back position wearing jersey number 2. He played 59 games with national A selection. He was a participant of 1998 World Cup in France but a three-game ban by UEFA prevented him from participating in Euro 2000.

On March 6, 2006, Mirkovic announced his retirement due to a recurring back injury at the age of 34. [1]

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Outside the field

In 24 April 2007, Football Association of Serbia appointed Mirkovic as sporting director of national team. [2]

[edit] References

• (Serbian) Serbian national football team website

v • d • e Yugoslavia squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Kralj • 2 Mirković • 3 Đorović • 4 Jokanović • 5 Đukić • 6 Brnović • 7 Jugović • 8 Savićević • 9 Mijatović • 10 Stojković • 11 Mihajlović • 12 Leković • 13 Komljenović • 14 Saveljić • 15 Drulović • 16 Petrović • 17 Milošević • 18 Govedarica • 19 Stević • 20 Stanković • 21 Ognjenović • 22 Kovačević • Coach: Santrač