slovenian football player

Josip Iličić ( croatian pronunciation : [ jǒsip ǐlitʃitɕ ] ; [ 1 ] [ 2 ] born 29 January 1988 ) is a slovenian professional football player who plays as a advancing for Serie A club Atalanta and the Slovenia national team. He began his professional career with slovenian club Bonifika, former besides playing for Interblock and Maribor in his home country, before moving to Italy in 2010 to join Palermo. In 2013, he signed for Fiorentina, and subsequently for Atalanta in 2017. He enjoyed his best time as a master football player with Atalanta, scoring eleven or more league goals in each of his first three years at the cabaret and was awarded a topographic point in the 2018–19 Serie A Team of the year. He is the first player to ever score four away goals in a Champions League knockout meet, and is besides the oldest actor to score four goals in a Champions League smasher match.

Iličić made his elder debut for the Slovenia national team in August 2010 in a friendly match against Australia. Three years after his introduction, he scored his first external goal against Cyprus in September 2013 .

Club career [edit ]

early career [edit ]

Born in Prijedor, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iličić started his career play in the young teams of Triglav Kranj and late Britof from Kranj. [ 3 ] At the age of 19, he moved to SC Bonifika, where he played for a season in the slovenian Second League. It was there when his talent was spotted by Interblock, where he stayed for two seasons playing in the slovenian top division. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Interblock was relegated into 2. SNL after two qualifications matches against Triglav. Despite being one of the best players of his club and one of the circus tent prospects of slovenian football Iličić finished the season as a reserve. [ 4 ] Aged 21, Iličić contemplated an mind of finishing his playing career altogether, however, a few weeks late he received a telephone name from Zlatko Zahovič, the director of football at Maribor, who proposed he should sign for the club. [ 5 ] In a life sentence changing decision, Iličić took the volunteer immediately and moved to Slovenia ‘s second base largest city, where he made a big shock from the start as he scored doubly in the UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Scottish Premier League golf club Hibernian in July 2010. [ 6 ] He then scored again, in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff round against sicilian Palermo, which ended in a 3–2 win for the slovenian side. On the very next day, it was confirmed that Palermo had acquired Iličić and teammate Armin Bačinović from Maribor for a permanent go. [ 7 ] The transmit fee paid by Palermo was undisclosed, but it was reported to be around €2.3 million. [ 8 ]

palermo [edit ]

Iličić debuted for Palermo in the Serie A on 12 September 2010 against Brescia, replacing Giulio Migliaccio in the second half. [ 9 ] In the future cycle, he was already a starter and scored his beginning goal for Palermo at home against reigning champions Internazionale. [ 10 ] merely four days later, on 23 September 2010, he scored his second goal of the season, this time against another italian giant star Juventus. [ 11 ] His good performances against top italian teams continued when he scored a finish against Fiorentina on 3 October 2010, [ 12 ] [ 13 ] and against Roma on 28 November 2010. [ 14 ] On 20 June 2011, Iličić signed a newfangled five-year compress. [ 15 ] He changed his shirt number to 27 on 16 August 2011. [ 16 ] however, in the 2011–12 season Iličić struggled to make an impact largely due to Javier Pastore – Iličić ‘s attacking midfield collaborator – being sold in a phonograph record bid to Paris Saint-Germain, and Iličić provided only two goals as a leave. Despite that, he was confirmed for the 2012–13 season american samoa well, being paired with new signing Franco Brienza in a 3–4–2–1 formation by new read/write head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Iličić ‘s top moment of the season came on 24 November 2012, when he scored a winning stimulate in a 3–1 home winnings for a struggling Palermo side against Catania in the sicilian bowler hat .

Fiorentina [edit ]

On 23 July 2013, Palermo formally confirmed the sale of Iličić to Serie A rivals Fiorentina on their web site. late, the deal was officially announced by Fiorentina on their web site. [ 17 ] The transfer fee was undisclosed, reported to be in the union of €9 million including add-ons. [ 18 ] He scored six goals in his first temper at Fiorentina. The 2014–15 season was more successful for him, finishing as the clubhouse ‘s top scorekeeper with ten goals in all competitions, along with Mario Gómez .

Atalanta [edit ]

Iličić with Atalanta in 2020 On 5 July 2017, Atalanta signed Iličić from Fiorentina for a report fee of €5.5 million after Fiorentina declined to offer him a contract extension. [ 19 ] [ 20 ] Iličić made an immediate shock in his first gear year at Atalanta, scoring 11 times in a seventh-place finish. The following year, he scored twelve times in a historic season as Atalanta finished third in the Serie A, earning them a point in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group phase for the first fourth dimension. [ 21 ] He was besides awarded a point in the 2018–19 Serie A Team of the year along with teammate Duván Zapata. [ 22 ] On 25 January 2020, Iličić scored a hat-trick, which included a free complain finish from the center agate line, in a 7–0 victory over Torino. [ 23 ] On 10 March 2020, Iličić scored all four Atalanta ‘s goals in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions league round off of 16 equal against spanish side Valencia, to secure a 4–3 win and help Atalanta progress to the quarter-finals. He besides became the first player in the history of the competition to score four goals in an away tie of a knockout stage match, and the oldest musician at the time to score four goals in a single match in the competition at the age of 32 years and 41 days, surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimović. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] Iličić besides received UEFA ‘s Player of the Week award after the Champions League round of 16 matches. [ 26 ] late in 2020, Iličić was nominated for the UEFA 50 Men ‘s team of the Year. [ 27 ]

International career [edit ]

Iličić made his international debut with the slovenian under-20 team in October 2008 in a match against Croatia. Overall, he made four appearances for the team, all of them in the Mirop Cup. [ 28 ] He besides played for the under-21 team between 2009 and 2010, including two appearances in the qualifiers for the 2011 UEFA european Under-21 Championship. [ 29 ] Iličić missed out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup but made his debut for the senior team in a friendly couple against Australia on 11 August 2010. [ 30 ] He scored his first external finish on 10 September 2013 against Cyprus. [ 31 ]

expressive style of playing period [edit ]

A predominantly left-footed player, [ 32 ] [ 33 ] Iličić is capable of playing as a second hitter, [ 33 ] [ 34 ] as a across-the-board midfielder or winger on either flank, [ 35 ] or even in a cardinal function as an attacking midfielder in a 4–2–3–1 or 4–3–1–2 system. [ 32 ] [ 36 ] [ 37 ] His former Palermo coach, Bortolo Mutti, believed that the 4–3–3 system was the perfect formation for his characteristics, as it allowed him to be deployed on the right flank, a place from which he could cut inside and strike on goal with his potent left metrical foot. [ 38 ] He has besides been deployed as a central midfielder on juncture, although this is not his preferable position. [ 39 ] During his time at Atalanta, he has frequently been used in a barren advanced character in a fluid 3–4–3 formation under coach Gian Piero Gasperini. [ 40 ] [ 41 ] A brawny and accurate striker of the ball with either animal foot, in particular from distance, he is highly regarded for his touch on the ball, proficiency, dribbling skills, and creativity, american samoa well as his physical potency, leadership, strong personality, and natural free rein on the lurch ; [ 33 ] [ 42 ] [ 43 ] [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ] [ 47 ] he is besides known for his function of feints, in detail the back-heel travel, [ 48 ] [ 49 ] [ 50 ] and is an accurate set piece and penalty taker. [ 51 ] [ 52 ] [ 53 ] While he is known for his composure, ability to find space, and eye for goal, he is besides an excellent playmaker and aid provider, courtesy of his vision, crossbreed, and precise pass ability, in particular with the outside of his boot, which enables him to contribute to his team ‘s dysphemistic plays efficaciously by creating goalscoring chances for himself or his teammates. [ 44 ] [ 54 ] [ 55 ] [ 56 ] [ 57 ] [ 58 ] furthermore, he is a hard-working musician, who possesses promptly feet, poise, and elegance in possession, despite his tall stature, acrobatic build, and miss of significant pace or acceleration. [ 42 ] [ 43 ] [ 59 ] Despite his talent and ability, he has been accused by certain pundits of being inconsistent at times, and has besides drawn criticism over his difficult character, defensive put, and tactical awareness, in particular in his youth, although he was able to improve on the mental aspect of his game as he matured and his career progressed, which saw him reach his prime and maintain a consistent level of performance into his early 30s. [ 40 ] [ 43 ] [ 44 ] [ 58 ] [ 59 ] His play style and accelerate of think has earned him the nickname Il Professore ( “ The Professor ” ) in the italian media. [ 60 ]

personal life [edit ]

Josip Iličić was born in Prijedor, contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina and moved to Kranj, contemporary Slovenia when he was only one year old, together with his mother Ana and brother Igor, after his church father was killed. [ 61 ] Iličić was once asked in an consultation if he would be concern in playing for Croatia national football team, due to his croatian ancestry, but he replied that he would have never accepted the offer due to the fact he had lived in Slovenia his whole life sentence. [ 62 ] belated, he made a similar gloss regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the area where he was born. [ 63 ] In 2020 he suffered from depression due to COVID-19. [ 64 ] [ 65 ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

As of match played 21 December 2021.[66][67]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bonifika 2007–08 2. SNL 24 3 — — — 24 3
Interblock 2008–09 1. SNL 27 9 4 1 — 0 0 31 10
2009–10 28 3 3 1 2[a] 0 2[b] 0 35 4
Total 55 12 7 2 2 0 2 0 66 14
Maribor 2010–11 1. SNL 5 1 0 0 6[a] 3 — 11 4
Palermo 2010–11 Serie A 34 8 5 0 0 0 — 39 8
2011–12 33 2 1 3 2[a] 1 — 36 6
2012–13 31 10 1 1 — — 32 11
Total 98 20 7 4 2 1 — 107 25
Fiorentina 2013–14 Serie A 21 3 2 1 8[a] 2 — 31 6
2014–15 25 8 2 0 7[a] 2 — 34 10
2015–16 30 13 1 0 6[a] 2 — 37 15
2016–17 29 5 2 0 4[a] 1 — 35 6
Total 105 29 7 1 25 7 — 137 37
Atalanta 2017–18 Serie A 31 11 4 0 6[a] 4 — 41 15
2018–19 31 12 5 1 0 0 — 36 13
2019–20 26 15 1 1 7[c] 5 — 34 21
2020–21 28 6 4 0 6[c] 1 — 38 7
2021–22 18 3 0 0 4[c] 1 — 22 4
Total 134 47 14 2 23 11 — 171 60
Career total 421 112 35 9 58 22 2 0 516 143

International [edit ]

As of match played 14 November 2021.[68]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Slovenia 2010 6 0
2011 8 0
2012 8 0
2013 1 1
2014 4 0
2015 8 1
2016 9 0
2017 6 3
2018 5 0
2019 10 4
2020 3 1
2021 11 6
Total 79 16
Scores and results list Slovenia’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iličić goal.[66]

Honours [edit ]

Interblock
Maribor

  • Slovenian Supercup runner-up: 2010[66]

Palermo
Fiorentina
Atalanta
Individual

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]

  • Player profile at NZS ( in Slovene )