Ivica Dragutinović

Ivica Dragutinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Ивица Драгутиновић; born 13 November 1975) is a Serbian retired footballer. Mainly a central defender, he could also operate as a defensive left back. He was known as a combative yet composed defender. As a left back, he was known for his ability to come forward and deliver good crosses into the penalty box.^[1]

After nearly one decade in Belgium, mainly with Standard Liége, he went to a part of the Sevilla squads that won six major titles in the 2000s.

The recipient of nearly 50 caps, Dragutinović represented Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 World Cup.

Club career

Early years / Belgium

Born in Prijepolje, Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Dragutinović began his career in 1992 with hometown team FK Polimlje, representing FK Bor the following season.^[2] In his country's first division he played for FK Borac Čačak, heading to Belgium in 1996 and spending the following nine years there with K.A.A. Gent and Standard Liège, appearing in 219 top level games in the process.

Since his arrival in Liège Dragutinović was an overwhelming success, having played over 200 official matches for the club. He still started 2005–06 with Standard but, on the last day of the August transfer window, signed with Sevilla FC on a 3+1 contract as an immediate replacement for Real Madrid-bound Sergio Ramos.^[3]

Sevilla

Dragutinović saw regular playing time during his first three seasons, appearing in the middle or the left flank of the back four and scoring once in every campaign, as the club won, amongst other trophies, back-to-back UEFA Cups (he appeared in 18 games combined in those conquests, including the 2007 final against RCD Espanyol). He already held a Belgian passport, thus not being included in the three non-EU player quota of La Liga.

On 2 August 2007, Spanish sports paper Diario Marca claimed that Dragutinović had agreed to join Newcastle United in the Premier League. However, on 5 November, he put pen to paper on a new four-year deal.^[4] Still in that month, on the 25th, he was first to rush to the aid of collapsed teammate Antonio Puerta during the match against Getafe CF, due to a heart attack, arguably prolonging his life by keeping him from swallowing his tongue; Puerta eventually died in the hospital, three days later.

On 24 November 2009 Dragutinović scored an own goal during Sevilla's 0–1 loss against FC Unirea Urziceni, for the season's UEFA Champions League; it was his second at Stadionul Steaua, as he had already had the dubious honour in a match against ground owners FC Steaua Bucureşti, in the UEFA Cup.^[5]

Dragutinović appeared in 20 matches in the 2009–10 season, as Sevilla finished fourth. On 20 February 2010 he netted through an unstoppable curler in a 3–1 victory at RCD Mallorca,^[6] precisely the team they edged for the final Champions League berth.

Following a severe injury,^[7] Dragutinović's first appearance in 2010–11 only took place on 11 May 2011: he entered the pitch in the last ten minutes of an away fixture against CA Osasuna, with the Andalusians leading 2–0 only to lose 2–3.^[8] On 26 May 2011, the 35-year-old – often referred to as just Drago during his stint – confirmed he was leaving the club.^[9]

International career

Dragutinović made his international debut for the Yugoslavia national team on 13 December 2000, in a friendly with Greece that ended 1–1. During the country's successful 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign he, alongside Goran Gavrančić, Nemanja Vidić and Mladen Krstajić, formed the "Famous Four" defence that only conceded a goal (courtesy of Spain's Raúl) during qualifying.^[10] During the final stages in Germany he only appeared once, in the group stage 0–1 loss against Holland, as the nation conceded ten and lost all matches.

On 12 September 2007, in the dying minutes of an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier in Portugal, Dragutinović was involved in an altercation with opposing manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, whom eventually punched the defender;^[11][12] they were handed four and two-match bans, respectively.^[13] Serbia finished third in its group and failed to qualify.

Dragutinović was again called up for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, appearing in six out of the ten contests and helping the newly reformed Serbian team to their first FIFA World Cup; after an achilles tendon injury sustained in training for Sevilla, however, he was ruled out of the final stages in South Africa.^[14]

International

Honours

Sevilla

• UEFA Cup: 2005–06, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2006; Runner-up 2007
• Spanish Cup: 2006–07, 2009–10
• Spanish Supercup: 2007; Runner-up 2010

References

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Serbian)
• Ivica Dragutinović at National-Football-Teams.com

v t e Serbia and Montenegro squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Jevrić 2 Ergić 3 Dragutinović 4 Duljaj 5 Vidić 6 Gavrančić 7 Koroman 8 Kežman 9 Milošević (c) 10 Stanković 11 P. Đorđević 12 Kovačević 13 Basta 14 N. Đorđević 15 Dudić 16 D. Petković 17 Nađ 18 Vukić 19 Žigić 20 Krstajić 21 Ljuboja 22 Ilić 23 Stojković Coach: I. Petković