Dragan Žilić Explained

Dragan Žilić
Birth Date:14 December 1974
Birth Place:Kikinda, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height:1.97 m
Position:Goalkeeper
Currentclub:FC Bierbach
Youthyears1:1985–1992
Youthclubs1:OFK Kikinda
Years1:1992–1996
Clubs1:OFK Kikinda
Caps1:70
Goals1:0
Years2:1996–2000
Clubs2:Vojvodina
Caps2:49
Goals2:0
Years3:2000–2001
Clubs3:CSKA Sofia
Caps3:1
Goals3:0
Years4:2001–2005
Clubs4:Sartid Smederevo
Caps4:112
Goals4:0
Years5:2005–2008
Clubs5:Rijeka
Caps5:79
Goals5:0
Years6:2009–2010
Clubs6:Gorica
Caps6:19
Goals6:0
Years7:2015
Clubs7:Gençlerbirliği Homburg
Caps7:10
Goals7:0
Years8:2015–2017
Clubs8:SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler
Caps8:33
Goals8:0
Years9:2017
Clubs9:SV Beeden
Caps9:16
Goals9:0
Years10:2018
Clubs10:Gençlerbirliği Homburg
Caps10:28
Goals10:0
Years11:2019
Clubs11:ASV Kleinottweiler
Caps11:11
Goals11:0
Years12:2019–2021
Clubs12:SV Schwarzenbach
Caps12:23
Goals12:0
Years13:2022–2023
Clubs13:SG Knopp/Wiesbach
Caps13:9
Goals13:0
Years14:2023–
Clubs14:FC Bierbach
Caps14:0
Goals14:0
Nationalyears1:1998–2003
Nationalteam1:Serbia and Montenegro
Nationalcaps1:8
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2015–2017
Managerclubs1:SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler (player-manager)
Manageryears2:2018
Managerclubs2:Gençlerbirliği Homburg (player-manager)
Pcupdate:18 June 2024

Dragan Žilić (; born 14 December 1974) is a Serbian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for German amateur club FC Bierbach.[1]

Club career

Žilić joined his hometown club OFK Kikinda as a trainee in 1985.[2] He made his senior debut in the 1992–93 First League of FR Yugoslavia, as the team finished in the lower half of the standings. In the summer of 1996, Žilić was transferred to Vojvodina. He was a regular member of the team that reached the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Werder Bremen.

In June 2000, Žilić moved abroad to Bulgaria and signed with CSKA Sofia on a three-year contract.[3] He left the club by mutual agreement in February 2001,[4] having played just two official games for the team. In July 2001, Žilić returned to his homeland and joined ambitious Sartid Smederevo.[5] He spent four seasons with the Oklopnici, winning the Serbia and Montenegro Cup in 2003.[6]

In July 2005, Žilić completed a controversial move to Croatian side Rijeka.[7] The transfer caused a minor sensation in the region as it marked the first occasion that a Serbian-born player joined a Croatian club after the Yugoslav Wars. Despite being exposed to severe verbal abuse by the nationalist supporters of Rijeka,[8] Žilić immediately established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and gradually earned the support of fans with his consistent performances.[9] He played an important role in helping them win the 2005–06 Croatian Cup. On 29 November 2006, Žilić scored a 92nd-minute header against Konavljanin that pushed Rijeka into the 2006–07 Croatian Cup semi-finals.[10] He would lose his place in the first team by the fall of 2008, being demoted to as low as training with the youth team.[11] In the 2009 winter transfer window, Žilić signed with Slovenian club Gorica on a free transfer. He retired from professional football after the 2009–10 season.

In early 2015, at the age of 40, Žilić came out of retirement to play for German amateur club Gençlerbirliği Homburg in the Bezirksliga.[12] He became player-manager of Landesliga club SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler in October of the same year.[13]

International career

Žilić made his international debut for FR Yugoslavia in a 1–1 away friendly draw against Brazil on 23 September 1998. He came on as a second-half substitute for Ivica Kralj and kept a clean sheet in the process. After nearly four years of absence, Žilić returned to the squad in a 2–1 friendly win over Mexico at Bank One Ballpark on 13 February 2002. He earned a total of eight caps for the national team between 1998 and 2003.[14]

Post-playing career

Following his initial retirement in 2010, Žilić served as president of his parent club OFK Kikinda.

Career statistics

Club

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueCupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
OFK Kikinda1992–93First League of FR Yugoslavia2020
1993–94First League of FR Yugoslavia8080
1994–95Second League of FR Yugoslavia300300
1995–96Second League of FR Yugoslavia300300
Total700700
Vojvodina1996–97First League of FR Yugoslavia404080
1997–98First League of FR Yugoslavia13000130
1998–99First League of FR Yugoslavia230100330
1999–2000First League of FR Yugoslavia9040130
Total490180670
CSKA Sofia2000–01Bulgarian First League10001020
Sartid Smederevo2001–02First League of Serbia and Montenegro33000330
2002–03First League of Serbia and Montenegro3305040420
2003–04First League of Serbia and Montenegro27040310
2004–05First League of Serbia and Montenegro19030220
Total1120501101280
Rijeka2005–06Croatian First League2907020380
2006–07Croatian First League2706120351
2007–08Croatian First League23010240
Total79014140971
Gorica2008–09Slovenian First League30000030
2009–10Slovenian First League1600000160
Total1900000190
Gençlerbirliği Homburg2014–15Bezirksliga2020
2015–16Landesliga8080
Total100100
SpVgg Einöd-Ingweiler2015–16Landesliga130130
2016–17Landesliga200200
Total330330
SV Beeden2017–18Landesliga160160
Gençlerbirliği Homburg2017–18Landesliga110110
2018–19Landesliga170170
Total280280
ASV Kleinottweiler2018–19Landesliga110110
SV Schwarzenbach2019–20Verbandsliga140140
2020–21Verbandsliga2020
2021–22Verbandsliga7070
Total230230
SG Knopp/Wiesbach2021–22Bezirksliga5050
2022–23Bezirksliga4040
Total9090
Career total46001913405131

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[15] !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
FR Yugoslavia199810
199900
200000
200100
200230
Serbia and Montenegro200340
Total80

Honours

Sartid Smederevo

Rijeka

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zilic Dragan . de . kicker.de . 20 December 2022.
  2. Web site: Bavite se sportom . sr . pancevac-online.rs . 30 August 2012 . 10 December 2016.
  3. Web site: "Lale" od milion maraka . sr . glas-javnosti.rs . 15 June 2000 . 10 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Dragan Žilić otišao iz CSKA . sr . glas-javnosti.rs . 9 February 2001 . 10 December 2016.
  5. Web site: Žilić u Sartidu . sr . glas-javnosti.rs . 14 July 2001 . 10 December 2016.
  6. Web site: Sartid pobednik Kupa! . sr . srbija.gov.rs . 29 May 2003 . 10 December 2016.
  7. Web site: Žilić priželjkuje ovacije Armade . hr . index.hr . 22 July 2005 . 10 December 2016.
  8. Web site: Armada izvrijeđala Žilića . hr . index.hr . 24 July 2005 . 10 December 2016.
  9. Web site: Dragan Žilić: "Pobedio sam karakterom" . sr . b92.net . 27 March 2006 . 10 December 2016.
  10. Web site: Žilić pogotkom u nadoknadi spasio Rijeku od debakla . hr . index.hr . 29 November 2006 . 10 December 2016.
  11. Web site: Ćutim i čekam kraj ugovora s Rijekom . sr . blic.rs . 12 October 2008 . 10 December 2016.
  12. Web site: Ein Ex-Nationalspieler in der Bezirksliga . de . saarbruecker-zeitung.de . 7 February 2015 . 9 September 2021.
  13. Web site: Spvgg. Einöd-Ingweiler verpflichtet mit Zilic einen neuen Trainer . de . saarbruecker-zeitung.de . 17 October 2015 . 9 September 2021.
  14. Web site: Žilić Dragan . sr . reprezentacija.rs . 20 December 2022.
  15. Web site: Dragan Žilić, international football player . eu-football.info . 20 December 2022.