Josip Iličič
Encyclopedia
Josip Iličić is a Slovenia
n football midfielder
, who currently plays for Italian Serie A
club Palermo
and the Slovenia national team
. In Slovenia he is nicknamed Jojo.
. At the age of 19, he moved to SC Bonifika, where he played for a season in Slovenian second division, 2.SNL
. It was there when his talent was spoted by NK Interblock where he stayed for two seasons playing in Slovenian top league, 1.SNL. At the end of 2009-10 season NK Interblock was relegated into 2.SNL after two qualifications matches against NK Triglav. Despite being one of the best players of his club and one of the top prospects of Slovenian football Iličić finished the season as a reserve.
A couple of months later he moved to NK Maribor
where he has made a big impact from the start as he scored twice in the UEFA Europa League match against Scottish Premier League
club Hibernian
in July 2010. 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 move. The transfer fee paid by Palermo was undisclosed, but it is widely believed to be around €2.3 million.
He then picked up where he left off as he nearly scored a late equaliser at his debut for his new team in Serie A
. In the next round, he was already a starter and scored his first goal for Palermo at home against reigning champions Inter
. Only four days later, on 23 September 2010, he scored his second goal of the season, this time against another Italian giant Juventus
. His terrific performances against top Italian teams continued when he scored a goal against Fiorentina
on 3 October 2010, and against Roma
on 28 November 2010.
On 20 June 2011 he signed a new 5-year contract. He changed his shirt number to 27 on 16 August 2011.
but made his debut for the national side in a friendly match against Australia on August 11, 2010.
|2007–08||Bonifika||2. SNL
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|2008-09||rowspan="2"|Interblock||rowspan="3"|1. SNL||27||9||4||1||||||31||10
|-
|2009-10
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|-
|2010-11||NK Maribor
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|-
86||16||6||2||8||3||100||21
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="2"|Palermo
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||34||8||5||0||0||0||39||8
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|2011-12||9||1||0||0||2||1||11||2
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, present day Bosnia and Herzegovina
and moved to Slovenia
after the death of his father when he was only one year old, together with his mother Ana and brother Igor. As a top prospect without national team experience he was once asked in an interview if he would be interested in playing for Croatia national football team, due to his Croatia
n ancestry, but Iličić replied that he would have never accepted the offer because he has lived in Slovenia his whole life. Later, he made a similar comment regarding the country where he was born.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n football midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, who currently plays for Italian Serie A
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...
club Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
and the Slovenia national team
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
. In Slovenia he is nicknamed Jojo.
Club career
Iličić started his career playing in the youth teams of NK Triglav and later NK Britof from KranjKranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
. At the age of 19, he moved to SC Bonifika, where he played for a season in Slovenian second division, 2.SNL
Slovenian Second League
Slovenian Second Football League is the second highest football league in Slovenia. The league was formed in 1991 with the dissolution of the Yugoslav Second League and it is operated by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Clubs participating 2011/12:...
. It was there when his talent was spoted by NK Interblock where he stayed for two seasons playing in Slovenian top league, 1.SNL. At the end of 2009-10 season NK Interblock was relegated into 2.SNL after two qualifications matches against NK Triglav. Despite being one of the best players of his club and one of the top prospects of Slovenian football Iličić finished the season as a reserve.
A couple of months later he moved to NK Maribor
NK Maribor
Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from...
where he has made a big impact from the start as he scored twice in the UEFA Europa League match against Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in July 2010. He then scored again, in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff round against Sicilian Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
, 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
Armin Bačinovič
Armin Bačinovič is a Slovenian football midfielder who currently plays for Palermo and Slovenia national football team.-Club career:...
from Maribor for a permanent move. The transfer fee paid by Palermo was undisclosed, but it is widely believed to be around €2.3 million.
He then picked up where he left off as he nearly scored a late equaliser at his debut for his new team in Serie A
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...
. In the next round, he was already a starter and scored his first goal for Palermo at home against reigning champions Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. Only four days later, on 23 September 2010, he scored his second goal of the season, this time against another Italian giant 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...
. His terrific performances against top Italian teams continued when he scored a goal against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
on 3 October 2010, and against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
on 28 November 2010.
On 20 June 2011 he signed a new 5-year contract. He changed his shirt number to 27 on 16 August 2011.
International career
Iličić missed out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
but made his debut for the national side in a friendly match against Australia on August 11, 2010.
Career statistics
|-|2007–08||Bonifika||2. SNL
Slovenian Second League
Slovenian Second Football League is the second highest football league in Slovenia. The league was formed in 1991 with the dissolution of the Yugoslav Second League and it is operated by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Clubs participating 2011/12:...
||24||3||0||0||||||24||3
|-
|2008-09||rowspan="2"|Interblock||rowspan="3"|1. SNL||27||9||4||1||||||31||10
|-
|2009-10
2009–10 Slovenian PrvaLiga
The 2009–10 Slovenian PrvaLiga was the 19th season of top-tier football in Slovenia. The season began on 18 July 2009 and finished in May 2010...
||28+2||3||2||1||2||0||34||4
|-
|-
|2010-11||NK Maribor
NK Maribor
Nogometni Klub Maribor , commonly referred to as NK Maribor or simply Maribor, is a professional association football club based in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. Founded on 12 December, 1960, Maribor is one of only three football clubs in the country who have never been relegated from...
||5||1||0||0||6||3||11||4
|-
86||16||6||2||8||3||100||21
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="2"|Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
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...
||34||8||5||0||0||0||39||8
|-
|2011-12||9||1||0||0||2||1||11||2
|-
43||9||5||0||2||1||50||10
129||25||11||2||10||4||150||31
Personal life
Josip Iličić was born in PrijedorPrijedor
Prijedor is a city and municipality in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina region....
, present day Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
and moved to Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
after the death of his father when he was only one year old, together with his mother Ana and brother Igor. As a top prospect without national team experience he was once asked in an interview if he would be interested in playing for Croatia national football team, due to his Croatia
Croatia
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 ancestry, but Iličić replied that he would have never accepted the offer because he has lived in Slovenia his whole life. Later, he made a similar comment regarding the country where he was born.
External links
- Player profile - PrvaLiga