Zoran Tošić

Zoran Tošić

Personal information
Full name	Zoran Tošić
Date of birth	28 April 1987 (1987-04-28) (age 23)
Place of birth	Zrenjanin, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Left winger
Club information
Current club	CSKA Moscow
Number	21
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2006	Budućnost Banatski Dvor	7	(0)
2006–2007	Banat Zrenjanin	25	(2)
2007–2009	Partizan	49	(14)
2009–2010	Manchester United	2	(0)
2010	→ Köln (loan)	13	(5)
2010–	CSKA Moscow	2	(1)
National team‡
2007–2009	Serbia U21	17	(2)
2007–	Serbia	23	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:36, 15 August 2010 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:20, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Zoran Tošić (Serbian: Зоран Тошић; born 28 April 1987) is a Serbian footballer who plays as a left winger for CSKA Moscow. Born in Zrenjanin, Tošić began his career with his local side Proleter Zrenjanin. He then joined Budućnost Banatski Dvor, who then merged with Proleter to form Banat Zrenjanin. A year later, he signed for Serbian giants Partizan, for whom he played for two years before a high-profile move to Manchester United of England. After he struggled to break into the Red Devils first-team, he was sent on a six-month loan to German side Köln in January 2010, and was then transferred to CSKA Moscow of Russia that summer.

Club career

Early career

Born in Zrenjanin, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, Tošić began his football career with Proleter Zrenjanin, before joining Budućnost Banatski Dvor midway through the 2005–06 season. Those two teams later joined to form Banat Zrenjanin, now playing in the Serbian First League. In 25 appearances for Banat, Tošić scored two goals, and in doing so helped his team avoid relegation.

Tošić's performances both on the domestic scene with Banat and on the international scene with Serbia earned him glances from many clubs across Europe.^[1] On 6 August 2007, Tošić signed a four-year professional contract with Partizan. He made his Partizan debut in a 1–0 win on 11 August at Stadion Karađorđe against Vojvodina.

Manchester United

On 22 November 2008, the Daily Mail claimed that a deal had been agreed with his club for the midfielder to join Manchester United in the January 2009 transfer window.^[2] The deal was also subject to a successful work permit application as the player had not played the required 75% of his country's matches in the last year. On 28 November, there were reports that Tošić had been granted a work permit, with the transfer expected to go through at the start of the transfer window.^[3][4][5] Despite claims that negotiations had stalled over Tošić's personal terms, the transfer was finalised on 2 January 2009, with both Tošić and his Partizan team-mate Adem Ljajić joining United. Tošić was given the number 14 shirt.^[6]

Tošić received his first taste of first team football on 20 January 2009, when he was named on the bench for United's League Cup semi-final second leg at home to Derby County.^[7] He made his debut in an FA Cup Fourth Round match against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 January 2009, when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo.^[8] Tošić's league debut came three days later, on 27 January 2009, when he came on as a 77th-minute substitute for Dimitar Berbatov in United's 5–0 win over West Bromwich Albion.^[9] Although he did not make many first team appearances in his first season at Manchester United, Tošić became a regular in the club's reserve team, helping the team to a second-place finish in the Premier Reserve League before scoring the winning goal in the final of the 2009 Manchester Senior Cup against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.^[10]

He scored his first senior goal for the club on 26 July 2009 in an 8–2 victory over Hangzhou Greentown during United's pre-season campaign in Asia.^[11]

Loan to Köln

On 27 January 2010, Tošić joined Köln on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season.^[12] He made his debut three days later, coming on as a substitute for Taner Yalçın in the 54th minute of Köln's 2–1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt on 30 January.^[13] On 27 March 2010, Tošić scored his first two goals for Köln in his eighth appearance for them, in a 4–1 away win over Hannover.^[14] However, in his next league match a week later he was sent off after two bookable offences in the space of 45 seconds, coming in a 3–0 home defeat at the hands of Hertha Berlin.^[15] On 17 April 2010, after his one game ban was over, Tošić returned to the squad and scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over Bochum.^[16] After five months with Köln, he returned to Manchester United in June 2010.^[17]

CSKA Moscow

On 15 June, Tošić was signed on a five-year contract by CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed fee,^[18] believed to be in the region of £8 million.^[19] On 15 August 2010, he scored his first goal for Moskva in home match versus Anzhi Makhachkala in Russian Premier League. Four days later, in his European debut for the Russian side he scored two goals in the Europa League match at home to Anorthosis of Cyprus, CSKA winning 4-0. ^[20]

International career

On the international scene, Tošić made his debut for the Serbia national under-21 football team on 23 March 2007, against Belgium. Four days later, against Portugal, he scored his first international goal. He also took part in Serbia's 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, in which they reached the final before losing out to the Netherlands.

On 31 August 2007, Tošić received his first call-up to the Serbia squad for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Finland and Portugal by national team manager Javier Clemente, and made his international debut in the Finland game. Tošić scored his first international goal on 12 August 2009 against South Africa in a friendly match. He scored twice in a 3–1 victory.

Career statistics

Statistics accurate as of match played 24 August 2010^[22][23]

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	12 August 2009	Atteridgeville Super Stadium, Atteridgeville, South Africa	South Africa	0–1	1–3	Friendly
2.	12 August 2009	Atteridgeville Super Stadium, Atteridgeville, South Africa	South Africa	1–3	0–3	Friendly
3.	14 October 2009	Sūduva Stadium, Marijampolė, Lithuania	Lithuania	1–1	2–1	FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying
4.	3 March 2010	Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	0–3	0–3	Friendly

Honours

Club

Partizan

• Serbian SuperLiga (1): 2007–08
• Serbian Cup (1): 2007–08

References

External links

• Zoran Tošić at reprezentacija.rs
• Zoran Tošić career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile at ManUtd.com

Serbia squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Stojković (c) • 2 Jovanović • 3 Kolarov • 4 Kačar • 5 Rajković • 6 Pavlović • 7 Smiljanić • 8 Gulan • 9 Rakić • 11 D. Tošić • 12 Tadić • 13 Fejsa • 14 Mrdaković • 15 Živković • 16 Tomović • 17 Z. Tošić • 18 Stamenković • 19 Kaluđerović • Coach: Đukić

Serbia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Stojković • 2 Rukavina • 3 Kolarov • 4 Kačar • 5 Vidić • 6 Ivanović • 7 Tošić • 8 Lazović • 9 Pantelić • 10 Stanković (c) • 11 Milijaš • 12 Isailović • 13 Luković • 14 Jovanović • 15 Žigić • 16 Obradović • 17 Krasić • 18 Ninković • 19 Petrović • 20 Subotić • 21 Mrđa • 22 Kuzmanović • 23 Đuričić • Coach: Antić