| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samir Handanović | ||
| Date of birth | 14 July 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Ljubljana, Slovenia | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Udinese | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ND Slovan | |||
| 2002–2003 | Domžale | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2004 | Domžale | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | → Zagorje (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2004– | Udinese | 121 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Treviso (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2006 | → Lazio (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Rimini (loan) | 39 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2006 | Slovenia U21 | 7 | (0) |
| 2004– | Slovenia | 53 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 November 2010. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Samir Handanovič, (born 14 July 1984) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian club Udinese and the Slovenian national team. He is well known for his ability to save penalties. During the course of 2010–11 Serie A season he has saved a total of six penalty shots thus tying an all time league record, set in 1948–49 season and is, as of May 2011, five short of an all time league record.[1]
Contents |
Handanović started his career at Slovan and was later transferred to Domžale where he spent two seasons. He was signed by Udinese in the summer of 2004 at the age of 20. He was on loan to Treviso in summer 2005, but in January 2006, he was exchanged with Matteo Sereni to Lazio.[2]
In July 2006, he was loaned to Rimini.[3] with a pre-set price of €1.2 million,[4] The club finished 5th in the Serie B and conceded the 4th least number of goals in the league.
He returned to Udinese in summer 2007, as Udinese excised the counter-option to reject the buying, where he replaced Morgan De Sanctis, and signed a new and improved contract which would last until 30 June 2012. He signed the contract along teammates Asamoah Gyan and Fabio Quagliarella.[5][6] In May, 2011, during a match against Lazio he saved a penalty shot to Mauro Zarate and tied an all time league record with six saved penalties during the course of one season.[1]
In August 2011 he signed a new 5-year contract.[7]
Handanović has been capped 50 times for Slovenia.[8] He made his debut for national team on 17 November 2004, in a match against Slovakia.[9] He also played for Slovenia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[10]
He became a hero in Estonia after saving the penalty of Nemanja Vidić in Euro 2012 qualifier against Serbia which sent the Estonia national football team into qualification play-offs.[11]
Handanovič's parents are of Bosnian descent.[9] His elder cousin, Jasmin Handanović also embarked on a career in Italy from 2007 to 2011 and currently plays for Maribor in Slovenian PrvaLiga. They both play as goalkeepers for the Slovenia national football team.[9] Handanovič is in a long standing relationship with the former KK Olimpija cheerleader named Zoja with whom he has a son Alen, born on 19 January 2011.[12][13]
|
|||||||
|
|||||
![[1]](http://www.google.fi/imgres?imgurl=http://www.inthenews.co.uk/photo/a-large-portion-of-slovenian-hopes-rest-in-the-hands-of-samir-handanovic-$7062964$300.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.inthenews.co.uk/profiles/sport/football/world-cup-2010/slovenia-$21379411.htm&usg=__9lLGgKA5vWv0b-YmrYXAREJ4VYY=&h=300&w=300&sz=75&hl=fi&start=56&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ogX5OcfT1VZIuM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images?q=robert%2Bkoren&start=54&hl=fi&sa=N&gbv=2&ndsp=18&tbs=isch:1,isz:ex,iszw:300,iszh:300){kind=link}