Goran Đorović Explained

Goran Đorović
Birth Date:11 November 1971
Birth Place:Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia
Height:1.83 m
Position:Defender
Youthclubs1:Priština
Years1:1989–1993
Years2:1993–1997
Years3:1997–2001
Years4:2001–2004
Years5:2003–2004
Clubs1:Priština
Clubs2:Red Star Belgrade
Clubs3:Celta
Clubs4:Deportivo La Coruña
Clubs5:Elche (loan)
Caps1:97
Caps2:101
Caps3:100
Caps4:11
Caps5:15
Totalcaps:324
Goals1:4
Goals2:2
Goals3:5
Goals4:0
Goals5:0
Totalgoals:11
Nationalyears1:1994–2001
Nationalteam1:FR Yugoslavia
Nationalcaps1:49
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2017–2019
Managerclubs1:Serbia U21
Manageryears2:2021–
Managerclubs2:Serbia (assistant)

Goran Đorović (Serbian: Горан Ђopoвић; born 11 November 1971) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played mainly a central defender but also as a left-back.

In his country, he played for Priština and Red Star. He spent the rest of his career in Spain after arriving there in 1997, representing Celta, Deportivo and Elche.

Đorović went into coaching upon retiring, serving as the manager of the Serbian national under-21 team.

Club career

Đorović was born in Pristina, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Having initially played for his hometown club FK Priština, he joined Red Star Belgrade in 1993. He went on to appear in exactly 100 league matches and, aged almost 26, moved abroad after signing with Spanish club RC Celta de Vigo.

Soon, interest arose from major teams, such as UC Sampdoria and Arsenal. However, he decided to stay at least for the 1998–99 season at Celta, where he would eventually share teams with his brother Zoran (who had absolutely no impact for the Galicians)[1] and play 126 competitive games, his La Liga debut coming on 31 August 1997 in a 2–1 home win against Real Zaragoza.[2]

Having had one attempt to sign the player previously rebuffed, Deportivo de La Coruña manager Javier Irureta signed Đorović in 2001, having already bought him from Red Star four years earlier. However, the player's career at Depor would be constantly marred by injuries as he earned over 2 million per season, one of the highest in the squad.[3]

For 2003–04, Đorović was loaned alongside Dani Mallo, Roberto Acuña and José Manuel, to Elche CF in the second division. After featuring rarely throughout the campaign he returned to Deportivo, and was immediately released despite still having one year in his contract.[4] He retired shortly after.

International career

Đorović made his debut for the Serbia and Montenegro national team on 23 December 1994, playing the second half of a 0–2 friendly loss in Brazil in Porto Alegre. He won 48 caps more in the next seven years, being part of the setups at the 1998 FIFA World Cup (playing in all the matches and minutes during the tournament, as the nation bowed out in the round-of-16) and UEFA Euro 2000.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by national team and year[5]
National teamYearAppsGoals
FR Yugoslavia199420
199560
199690
199770
1998100
199940
200060
200150
Total490

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: El Celta ataba a los Djorovic hace veinte años. Celta snapped the Djorovics twenty years ago. La Voz de Galicia. es. 8 June 2016. 3 January 2019.
  2. News: Pachi Salinas resuelve la puesta de largo del Celta. Pachi Salinas decides Celta's rentrée. ABC. J. B.. Conde. es. 1 September 1997. 4 January 2019.
  3. News: De celestes y blanquiazules. Of sky blue and white-and-blue. La Opinión A Coruña. J.. Conde. es. 13 June 2012. 4 January 2019.
  4. Web site: Room for Bent at Everton. UEFA. 23 June 2004. 30 May 2010.
  5. Web site: Goran Đorović. European Football. 3 January 2019.