Mitar Mrkela

Mitar Mrkela (born July 10, 1965 in Belgrade, Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Serbian football player.

He started his pro career with OFK Beograd in 1981 before moving on to Red Star Belgrade in 1983 where he stayed until 1990. After appearing in 1 game for Red Star in 1990/91 season, he transeferred to Dutch club Twente Enschede and stayed there for two seasons. In The Netherlands he also played for Cambuur Leeuwarden.

Mrkela holds distinction as the youngest player ever to play for SFR Yugoslavia national squad. He was only 17 years and 130 days old when he made his national team debut on November 17, 1982 during a Euro 1984 qualifier versus Bulgaria in Sofia. Head coach Todor Veselinović brought him on in the 17th minute in place of injured Zvonko Živković. However, despite a lot of early promise, Mrkela would go on to make only 4 more national team appearances, scoring 1 goal.

Post-football

For a time in early 2000s, Mrkela was the president of City of Belgrade Football Association. In July 2005, soon after Dragan Stojković took over club president's job from Dragan Džajić, Mrkela became the director of Red Star Belgrade youth academy - a job up to that moment performed by Goran Đorović.

Personal

In the early 1990s Mrkela married actress Lidija Vukićević. The couple divorced in 2000.

Club stats

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
OFK Beograd	1981/82	14	0	?	?	?	?	14	0
	1982/83	31	4	?	?	?	?	31	4
	All	45	4	?	?	?	?	45	4
Red Star Belgrade	1983/84	20	2	?	?	?	?	20	2
	1984/85	27	6	?	?	?	?	27	6
	1985/86	29	11	?	?	?	?	29	11
	1986/87
	1987/88	5	0	?	?	?	?	5	0
	1988/89	21	4	?	?	?	?	21	4
	1989/90	22	2	?	?	?	?	22	2
	1990/91	1	0	?	?	?	?	1	0
	All	125	25	?	?	?	?	125	25
Twente Enschede	1990/91	?	8	?	?	?	?	?	8
	1991/92	?	2	?	?	?	?	?	2
	All	?	10	?	?	?	?	?	10
Cambuur Leeuwarden	1992/93	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
	1993/94	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
	All	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?