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Zdravko Kuzmanović

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Zdravko Kuzmanović
Здравко Кузмановић
Personal information
Full name Zdravko Kuzmanović
Date of birth (1987-09-22) 22 September 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth Thun, Switzerland
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 VfB Stuttgart
Number 8
Youth career
1994–2001 Dürrenast
2001–2003 Young Boys
2003–2005 FC Basel
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 FC Basel 34 (4)
2007–2009 Fiorentina 70 (3)
2009– VfB Stuttgart 96 (17)
International career‡
2006–2007 Switzerland U21 4 (0)
2007– Serbia 46 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:03, 19 January 2013 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:11, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

Zdravko Kuzmanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Здравко Кузмановић, born 22 September 1987) is a Serbian-Swiss footballer who plays as a central midfielder for VfB Stuttgart in the German Bundesliga. He represented Serbia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Born in Thun, Switzerland to a family of Bosnian Serbs expats (his father hails from a small village called Skugrić near Modriča, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia), Kuzmanović continued the family tradition as both his father Ljubo and his grandfather played football for the lower league in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the local club in Gradačac – FK Zvijezda where he started his football career.[1] Kuzmanović's father also played professionally in Berlin, before eventually ending his career at FC Thun of Switzerland, and continuing to live in the country.

Club career

Kuzmanović started his professional career at Basel. He was promoted to first team in 2005–06 season and also played for Basel II at 1. Liga that season. Following his good performance, he is reported by UEFA as one of the most interesting young players in Europe and was awarded with the Swiss Golden Player Award for season 2006.

Zdravko Kuzmanović warming up during training

A.F.C. Fiorentina

In early 2007, Kuzmanović was approached by Palermo, but the negotiations with the Rosanero stopped abruptly. On 30 January 2007, at the age of 19, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with ACF Fiorentina after learning that Donadel would be away for about two months because of a calf injury.[2] The move was controversial when president Maurizio Zamparini and sporting director Rino Foschi accused Fiorentina of 'misconduct' by describing the director of football Pantaleo Corvino as a 'jackal'.[3] In response, Corvino says "better jackal than chicken" and reaffirmed the correctness of his actions[4] In an interview of the club official website years later, Kuzmanović explained his story how his move to Palermo was stalled.[5]

"I did not like Zamparini. It was him and the tall bald guy [Foschi, ed] [...] plus a girl for the translation. They gave me only five minutes, said they had to return to Italy. The contract was not good but how could I decide quickly? I said am I important or not? If I am you can not do it all in five minutes. They did not answer, I closed it there: Take the plane, I'm going home. Then one day my agent called and said Fiorentina want you, they are a great club and are serious about you. I said yes immediately."

— Kuzmanović on Palermo move.[5]

On 4 March 2007, he played his first Serie A match for Fiorentina in a 5–1 win over against Torino and setting up a goal for Alessandro Gamberini.[6] In his first half of the season at Fiorentina, Kuzmanović made 4 appearance. In his first full season at Fiorentina, Kuzmanović began to be in the starting eleven for the club and scored his first goal for the club against Catania on 17 February 2008. In the UEFA Cup campaign knockout stage in the quarter final against Everton, Kuzmanović scored his first European goal in a 2–0 win in the first leg. In the second leg, Everton managed to catch up with a 2–0 win, resulting an extra time and the game played on the penalties which Fiorentina won 4–2. The following season, Kuzmanović scored a first of the season from a cross by Riccardo Montolivo in a 2–0 win over Chievo on 5 October 2008 and scored his second in a 3–0 win over Torino on 7 December 2008.

He went on to become an integral first team player for Fiorentina, notching up over 70 Serie A appearances and featuring in their successful European Competition runs.

VfB Stuttgart

Kuzmanović at Stuttgart in 2012.

On 31 August 2009 on the transfer deadline, Kuzmanović signed a four year contract with Fc inter milano worth £7million.[7] Following his move, Kuzmanović eagerly anticipating plying his trade in the Bundesliga.[8] On 12 September 2009, Kuzmanović set to make debut for Stuttgart against Hamburger SV[9] and eventually did as Stuttgart lost 3–1. On 21 November 2009, Kuzmanović scored his first goal for Stuttgart in a 1–1 draw against Hertha BSC.[10] Kuzmanović made his Champions League debut for Stuttgart in a 1–3 defeat at home to Sevilla on 20 October 2009 and later scored his first Champions League goal in the return leg when Sevilla and Stuttgart played a 1–1 draw. Since then, Kuzmanović established himself in the starting eleven. Throughout his two seasons with Stuttgart Kuzmanović caught the interest of Italian clubs Juventus and Lazio, but the Serb said he was happy playing for the German side.[11]

International career

Kuzmanović (fifth right) in the Serbia squad.

In early 2007, Serbian FA began talks with him about the possibility of playing for the Serbian national team[12] and he accepted call up to squad against Kazakhstan and Portugal in March 2007. He scored his first two goals for Serbia in the away game versus Belgium, but they weren't enough to get a point, since Serbia lost 3–2. Although Kuzmanović was born in Thun and played for Switzerland at youth level, he has decided to play for Serbia on the senior level, stating: "I'm Serbian and I want to give all for my country, it's a matter of what you feel in your heart and I must listen to it." In the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Serbia and Ghana, Kuzmanović conceded a penalty by handling the ball, one that Ghana scored and was the only goal in the match which Ghana won.[13]

He played once at 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifying for Switzerland U21[14] thus ineligible to play for Serbia at the same campaign, which Serbia lost to the Netherlands in the final. He also played a friendly verse France U21 in February 2007, before accepted the call-up from Serbia.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of 19 January 2013
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Switzerland League Schweizer Cup Europe Total
2005–06 Basel Super League 17 1 0 0 2 1 19 2
2006–07 17 3 0 0 10 2 27 5
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
2006–07 Fiorentina Serie A 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
2007–08 34 1 2 0 13 1 49 2
2008–09 32 2 1 0 8 0 41 2
Germany League DFB-Pokal Europe Total
2009–10 VfB Stuttgart Bundesliga 26 3 2 0 6 2 34 5
2010–11 32 9 3 0 12 2 47 11
2011–12 26 5 3 1 0 0 29 6
2012–13 12 0 2 0 3 0 17 0
League Cup Continental Total
Total Switzerland 34 4 0 0 12 3 46 7
Italy 70 3 3 0 21 1 94 4
Germany 96 17 10 1 21 4 127 22
Career total 200 24 13 1 54 8 267 33

International goals

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1. 22 August 2007 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 2–1 3–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2. 22 August 2007 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 3–2 3–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
3. 10 October 2009 Red Star Stadium, Beograd, Serbia  Romania 3–0 5–0 FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifying
4. 3 March 2010 Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria  Algeria 0–2 0–3 Friendly
5. 6 September 2011 Stadion FK Partizan, Belgrade, Serbia  Faroe Islands 3–1 3–1 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
6. 28 February 2012 Tsirion Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus  Armenia 0–1 0–2 Friendly

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References

  1. ^ "Zdravko Kuzmanović igrat će za Srbiju" (in Bosnian). Sportin. 13 March 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2001.
  2. ^ "Acquisito Zdravko Kuzmanovic" (in Italian). ACF Fiorentina official website. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007.
  3. ^ "Palermo: Foschi critica la Fiorentina" (in Italian). 31 January 2007. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/?action= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Corvino: "Meglio sciacalli che polli"" (in Italian). Gazzetta Dello Sport. 1 February 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  5. ^ a b ""Kuzmanovic: "Voglio vincere a Firenze e diventare come Ballack"" (in Italian). www.Fiorentina.it. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Tactical Formation". Football-Lineups.com. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
  7. ^ "VfB sign Zdravko Kuzmanovic". vfb.de. 31 August 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.[dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Stuttgart secure Kuzmanović". Sky Sports. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  9. ^ "New Signing Zdravko Kuzmanovic Set To Make Stuttgart Debut". Goals.com. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
  10. ^ "VBF Stuttgart 1–1 Hertha BSC". Stuttgart official website. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  11. ^ "Kuzmanovic happy at Stuttgart". Sky Sport. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  12. ^ "Terzić ga želi u timu Srbije" (in Serbian). Kurir. 16 January 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  13. ^ "Clemente calls on new recruits". UEFA. 18 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 March 2007.
  14. ^ "Dzemaili leaves Switzerland on brink". UEFA. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2009. [dead link‍]
  15. ^ "Les Bleuets s'imposent (4–0)" (in French). FFF. 7 February 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2009.


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