Ivan Ergic
Encyclopedia
Ivan Ergić is an international footballer
from Serbia
. He is a free agent, last playing for Bursaspor
in the Turkish Süper Lig, he played as midfielder. He holds Serbian and Australia
n citizenship.
n coastal town of Šibenik
, and lived in the village of Gaćelezi. However, he moved to Perth, Western Australia
at an early age and trained at the Australian Institute of Sport
on a government-funded football scholarship.
He started his football career with Perth Glory
in 1999 and helped the club finish runners-up during the 1999/2000 season
. In 2000, Ergić moved to Italian
giants Juventus
, but went on loan to FC Basel
of Switzerland
during the season. He later signed for FCB for CHF
1.6 million. He was given the captaincy when Pascal Zuberbühler
left in 2006, but in 2008 he resigned from being captain and handed it over to his fellow teammate, Franco Costanzo
. He played his 150th first-team game for Basel on 10 May 2008 against BSC Young Boys
at St. Jakob-Park
. Basel won the game 2–0, which resulted in them becoming Champions. On June 16, 2009, he was released by FC Basel
after newly-hired manager Thorsten Fink
decided not to offer him a new contract. He spent nine years at the club and played over 200 matches. He then signed for Bursaspor
of the Turkish Süper Lig.
. On 15 May 2006, he was named as a member of the squad to take part at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany
. He made his international debut in Serbia & Montenegro's 1–1 draw with Uruguay
at the Stadion Crvena Zvezda
in Belgrade
on 27 May 2006. He left the national team 2007, but he returned in 2008.
, and his further career as a football player was in question at the time. Nevertheless, FC Basel
kept him as a player and eventually made him club captain. He is also close friends with Ljubo Miličević
. He appeared on the Swiss late night show Aeschbacher, stating that football players earn too much money and expressing sympathies for the ideas of Karl Marx
. He also appeared on RTS
(Serbian public broadcaster) programme Ključ
where he openly discussed his battle with depression as well as treatment he'd undergone.
Since December 2008, Ergić has been writing an irregular column for Serbia
n daily newspaper Politika
. His contributions are about issues related to professional sports, written from an insider's viewpoint. He's touched on various topics such as: male chauvinism in sports, raw competitive spirit he considers to be unhealthy, corporate machinery behind institutionalized sports, and lack of public's understanding for professional athletes who do not subscribe to a cliché
lifestyle created by sports media, fans, club leadership, and leagues stakeholders and officials.
Basel
Bursaspor
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. He is a free agent, last playing for Bursaspor
Bursaspor
Bursaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, Bursaspor are nicknamed the Yeşil Timsahlar...
in the Turkish Süper Lig, he played as midfielder. He holds Serbian and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n citizenship.
Club
Ergić was born in the CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n coastal town of Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
, and lived in the village of Gaćelezi. However, he moved to Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
at an early age and trained at the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport - Football (soccer)
The Australian Institute of Sport Football Program is an association football talent identification and player development program run by the Australian Institute of Sport, in Canberra...
on a government-funded football scholarship.
He started his football career with Perth Glory
Perth Glory FC
Perth Glory Football Club is a professional football club in Perth, Western Australia, Australia, competing in Australia's top football competition the A-League. Perth Glory is one of only three clubs to survive from the now defunct National Soccer League...
in 1999 and helped the club finish runners-up during the 1999/2000 season
National Soccer League 1999-00
-Regular season:-Elimination semifinals:*Marconi Fairfield 0-1 Carlton*Sydney Olympic 4-1 Adelaide Force-References:*...
. In 2000, Ergić moved to Italian
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
giants Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, but went on loan to FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
of Switzerland
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
during the season. He later signed for FCB for CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
1.6 million. He was given the captaincy when Pascal Zuberbühler
Pascal Zuberbühler
Pascal Zuberbühler is a Swiss footballer who is currently the goalkeeping coach for the Philippines. He was recently released by Fulham after coming to the end of his contract.-Club career:...
left in 2006, but in 2008 he resigned from being captain and handed it over to his fellow teammate, Franco Costanzo
Franco Costanzo
Franco Costanzo is an Argentine international football goalkeeper, who plays now for Olympiacos Piraeus FC. He has earned the reputation of being an eccentric goalkeeper by often dribbling the ball past the opposition's strikers and by making somewhat unorthodox saves...
. He played his 150th first-team game for Basel on 10 May 2008 against BSC Young Boys
BSC Young Boys
Berner Sport Club Young Boys 1898 is a Swiss sporting club based in the capital city of Bern. The name is often abbreviated to YB . Abroad, YB is often referred to as Young Boys Bern. The club's colors are yellow and black....
at St. Jakob-Park
St. Jakob-Park
' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
. Basel won the game 2–0, which resulted in them becoming Champions. On June 16, 2009, he was released by FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
after newly-hired manager Thorsten Fink
Thorsten Fink
Thorsten Fink is a German football coach and former player, currently manager of Bundesliga club Hamburger SV.-Career:...
decided not to offer him a new contract. He spent nine years at the club and played over 200 matches. He then signed for Bursaspor
Bursaspor
Bursaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, Bursaspor are nicknamed the Yeşil Timsahlar...
of the Turkish Süper Lig.
International
Ergić did not choose to play international football for Australia, and instead chose SerbiaSerbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
. On 15 May 2006, he was named as a member of the squad to take part at the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He made his international debut in Serbia & Montenegro's 1–1 draw with Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
at the Stadion Crvena Zvezda
Stadion Crvena Zvezda
The Red Star Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Red Star Belgrade. The stadium is all-seated and the capacity is 51,328. It was opened in 1963 after construction which had started three years...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
on 27 May 2006. He left the national team 2007, but he returned in 2008.
Personal
In June 2004, Ergić was treated for depression in the psychiatric university clinic in BaselBasel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, and his further career as a football player was in question at the time. Nevertheless, FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
kept him as a player and eventually made him club captain. He is also close friends with Ljubo Miličević
Ljubo Milicevic
Ljubo Miličević is an Australian football player who currently plays for Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL.-Early Career and Overseas:...
. He appeared on the Swiss late night show Aeschbacher, stating that football players earn too much money and expressing sympathies for the ideas of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
. He also appeared on RTS
Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia or Serbian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster in Serbia. It broadcasts and produces a variety of news, drama, and sports programming through radio, television and the Internet. RTS is, since July 2001, a member of the European Broadcasting Union. RTS is...
(Serbian public broadcaster) programme Ključ
Kljuc (talk show)
Ključ was a weekly panel show that aired from 2004 until 2009 on RTS - Serbia's public broadcaster. Hosted by Nataša Miljković, the show debut on May 20, 2004...
where he openly discussed his battle with depression as well as treatment he'd undergone.
Since December 2008, Ergić has been writing an irregular column for Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n daily newspaper Politika
Politika
Politika is a Serbian newspaper. It is considered the newspaper of record and is the oldest daily in the Balkans, having been founded on January 25, 1904 by Vladislav Ribnikar. It is currently being published by Politika Newspapers and Magazines , a joint venture between Politika AD and...
. His contributions are about issues related to professional sports, written from an insider's viewpoint. He's touched on various topics such as: male chauvinism in sports, raw competitive spirit he considers to be unhealthy, corporate machinery behind institutionalized sports, and lack of public's understanding for professional athletes who do not subscribe to a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
lifestyle created by sports media, fans, club leadership, and leagues stakeholders and officials.
Honours
Perth Glory- National Soccer LeagueNational Soccer LeagueThe National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
: 2000National Soccer League 1999-00-Regular season:-Elimination semifinals:*Marconi Fairfield 0-1 Carlton*Sydney Olympic 4-1 Adelaide Force-References:*...
Basel
- Swiss CupSchweizer CupThe Swiss Cup is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1926 by the Swiss Football Association . The winner is allowed to take part in the UEFA Europa League. Between 2003 and 2008 the cup has been sponsored and known as the Swisscom Cup.-Finals:All played...
: 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008 - Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008 - Uhren CupUhrencupThe Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
: 2003, 2006, 2008
Bursaspor
- Turkish Super League: 2009–102009–10 Süper LigThe 2009–10 Süper Lig was the 52nd season since its establishment. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with Istanbul B.B. hosting defending champions Beşiktaş at Atatürk Olympic Stadium. The last matches were played on 16 May 2010.Bursaspor won the league beating defending champions Beşiktaş 2–1...