Mladen Krstajić

Mladen Krstajić

Krstajić in 2007
Personal information
Full name Mladen Krstajić
Date of birth (1974-03-04) 4 March 1974
Place of birth Zenica, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Defender
Youth career
1984–1992 Čelik Zenica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1993 Senta 15 (1)
1993–1996 Kikinda 55 (2)
1996–2000 Partizan 84 (7)
2000–2004 Werder Bremen 112 (11)
2004–2009 Schalke 04 131 (7)
2009–2011 Partizan 43 (3)
Total 440 (31)
National team
1999–2008 Serbia 59 (2)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Mladen Krstajić (Serbian Cyrillic: Младен Крстајић; born 4 March 1974) is a former Serbian footballer who played as a centre back. He was known for his composure, leadership and defensive ability.[1] He represented Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Mladen Krstajić was born in Zenica, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia to Bosnian Serb mother from Bijeljina and Serb father from Žabljak, SR Montenegro. He grew up in Bosnia and Herzegovina and played in the youth squads of NK Čelik Zenica (1984–1992). Because of the Bosnian War he and his family moved to Serbia.

Club career

Early career

After playing in the youth system of NK Čelik, Krstajić moved to Kikinda in April 1992, following the breakout of the Bosnian war. He started playing with FK Senta for six months. He then moved on the OFK Kikinda, at that time a first league club. At some point of a successful career as a Serbian football player, there comes the time, to decide, whether one wants to play for Partizan or for Zvezda, and Krstajić decided to take the move to Partizan in 1996. According to Krstajić himself, also FK Crvena zvezda was interested in him, but as he comes from a "Partizan" family, he decided to sign a contract with his favourite club. His four and a half years at Partizan was more than successful, winning the national championships three times (1996, 1997, 1999) and also the national cup in 1998.

Werder Bremen and Schalke

The defender with the "winner mentality" (Jupp Heynckes) moved then to SV Werder Bremen, where he became one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, winning the German Championship and Cup with Werder in 2004. Since 2004 he played for FC Schalke 04, where he was named the new captain on 17 March 2009.

Partizan

On 5 June 2009, Krstajić signed a two-year contract with his former club FK Partizan.[2] In January 2010, after the departure of Nenad Đorđević, he was named a new Partizan captain.[3] After two very successful seasons, he played his last professional match on 21 May 2011.[4] Immediately after retiring he was appointed as the new director of football of the club. After less than 6 months as director of football, he was sacked due to a media war against club president Dragan Đurić. Aleksandar Stanojević resigned as head coach as a result. The day before he was released, Partizan fans Grobari chanted his name as a sign of support during a basketball match against arch rivals KK Crvena Zvezda.[5]

International career

Krstajić has been a part of the Serbia and Montenegro national team "Famous Four" defence, which conceded just one goal during the qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The other members of the famous four are Ivica Dragutinović, Goran Gavrančić and Nemanja Vidić. He was capped 59 times for Serbia, and was undoubtedly the leading figure of the "Famous Four" due to his experience and age.

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Partizan 1995–96 6161
1996–97 110110
1997–98 214214
1998–99 170170
1999–00 2922062374
Total 8472062929
Werder Bremen 2000–01 252200050322
2001–02 262200020302
2002–03 314501041415
2003–04 303500040393
Total 112111401015114212
Schalke 04 2004–05 2815100121453
2005–06 2921020120442
2006–07 271200000291
2007–08 232203060342
2008–09 2413040311
Total 1317131503411839
Partizan 2009–10 2221092324
2010–11 21140120371
Total 43350212695
Career total 370283416076648635

International

Serbia and Montenegro
YearAppsGoals
199920
200050
200151
2002111
200370
200450
200580
2006100
200740
200820
Total592

Honours

Club

Partizan
Werder Bremen[6]
Schalke 04[6]

References

  1. "Player Profile". www.paktribune.com. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  2. "Mladen Krstajić ponovo u Partizanu" (in Serbian). b92.net. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
  3. "Krstajić kapiten, Ilić zamenik (VIDEO)" (in Serbian). mondo.rs. 22 January 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  4. "Partizan – Cukaricki 4:0 (0:0)". partizan.rs. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  5. "Krstajic new FK Partizan Sporting Director, Stanojevic extended his contract". partizan.rs. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "M. Krstajić". Soccerway. Retrieved 22 August 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mladen Krstajić.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Marcelo Bordon
Schalke 04 captain
2009
Succeeded by
Heiko Westermann
Preceded by
Nenad Đorđević
Partizan captain
2010–2011
Succeeded by
Saša Ilić
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