Vujadin Savić

Vujadin Savić (Serbian Cyrillic: Вујадин Савић; born 1 July 1990) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Cypriot First Division club APOEL FC.[1]

Vujadin Savić

Savić with Red Star in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Vujadin Savić
Date of birth	1 July 1990
Place of birth	Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Club information
Current team	APOEL
Number	90
Youth career
1998–2007	Red Star Belgrade
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2010	Red Star Belgrade	14	(0)
2007–2009	→ Rad (loan)	25	(0)
2010–2014	Bordeaux	10	(1)
2011–2014	→ Bordeaux II	14	(1)
2012–2013	→ Dynamo Dresden (loan)	34	(0)
2014	→ Arminia Bielefeld (loan)	6	(0)
2015	Watford	0	(0)
2015–2017	Sheriff Tiraspol	34	(4)
2017–2019	Red Star Belgrade	36	(1)
2019–	APOEL	17	(1)
National team^‡
2008–2009	Serbia U19	2	(1)
2009–2012	Serbia U21	9	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 May 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 February 2012

Club career

Early career

He was eight years old when he began training for the Red Star Belgrade, where he passed all age categories. Between 2007 and 2009 he played for FK Rad before returning to Red Star where he would play in the first squad until 2010 when he moved to France and signed with Bordeaux.[2] In January 2012, he went on loan to Dynamo Dresden for the rest of 2011–12 season.[3]

On 23 January 2015 Savić signed for English Championship club, Watford until the end of the season.[4] However, he was one of three released by Watford following their promotion to the Barclays Premier League in 2015, and left without making an appearance for the club.[5]

In 2015, Savić joined Sheriff Tiraspol, where he made a total of 40 appearances and 4 goals in all competitions over two seasons. He scored a bicycle kick in a league match against FC Zaria Bălți on September 19, 2015.[6]

Return to Red Star Belgrade

In June 2017, Savić returned to his home club, Red Star Belgrade on a two-year contract.[7] In his first season back in Belgrade, Red Star became the first team in history to make it to the 2018 Europa League knockout phase from the first qualifying round.[8] It was also Red Star's first season surviving the group stage of a UEFA competition in 26 years.[8] During the 2017 season, coach Vladan Milojević played Savić in reputable defensive partnerships with Srđan Babić[8] and Damien Le Tallec. With Savić, Red Star conceded only two goals in the 2017 Europa League group stage; it was the second best defense in the Europa League group stage behind eventual semi-finalists Red Bull Salzburg.[8] In May 2018, Savić was elected in the best 11 players for the 2017–18 Serbian SuperLiga season, by clubs captains' and managers' choice.[9] The following season, Savić managed to guide Red Star to their first ever UEFA Champions League appearance. During the qualifying rounds, playing mostly in tandem with Miloš Degenek, Red Star managed to concede only three goals. In absence of club captain Nenad Milijaš, Savić captained Red Star in all four of the games he featured in. In two out of those four games, both home against Napoli and Liverpool, Red Star managed to keep a clean sheet. He played the first half against Liverpool at Anfield but was substituted at half-time due to injury. He missed the remaining two games against Napoli in Naples and Paris Saint-Germain in Belgrade also because of injury. On 25 January 2019, Savić extended his contract with Red Star to the summer of 2022.[10]

APOEL

On 14 July 2019, Cypriot club APOEL officially announced Savić's signing.[11] Savić joined APOEL from Red Star on a free transfer, with a provision that Red Star be paid half of the sum of his next transfer.[12] He signed a three-year contract.[11] In late August 2019, he underwent surgery for a groin injury.[13]

International career

Savić represented Serbia at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. In March 2018, Savić got a first call to the Serbia national football team under coach Mladen Krstajić, for friendly games against Morocco and Nigeria.[14] He failed to make a debut due to injury.[15] On 19 June 2020, Savić announced that him and his wife tested positive for COVID-19[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of end of 2019–20 season[17]

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
Rad (loan)	2007–08[2]	First League	7	0	0	0	—		—		7	0
	2008–09[2]	SuperLiga	18	0	0	0	—		—		18	0
	Total		25	0	0	0	—		—		25	0
Red Star Belgrade	2009–10	SuperLiga	14	0	0	0	3	0	—		17	0
Bordeaux	2010–11	Ligue 1	7	1	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	—		—		8	1
	2011–12		1	0	0	0	0	0	—		1	0
	2013–14		2	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	1[lower-alpha 3]	0	—		4	0
	Total		10	1	2	0	1	0	—		13	1
Bordeaux II	2011–12	CFA 2	9	1	—		—		—		9	1
	2013–14		5	0	—		—		—		5	0
	Total		14	1	—		—		—		14	1
Dynamo Dresden (loan)	2011–12	2. Bundesliga	13	0	—		—		—		13	0
	2012–13		21	0	2	0	—		—		23	0
	Total		34	0	2	0	—		—		36	0
Arminia Bielefeld (loan)	2013–14	2. Bundesliga	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
Watford	2014–15	Championship	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
Sheriff	2015–16	National Division	18	1	1	0	0	0	—		19	1
	2016–17		16	3	3	1	2	0	0	0	21	4
	Total		34	4	4	1	2	0	0	0	40	5
Red Star Belgrade	2017–18	SuperLiga	17	0	2	0	15[lower-alpha 3]	0	—		34	0
	2018–19		19	1	1	0	11[lower-alpha 4]	0	—		31	0
	Total		36	1	3	0	26	0	—		65	1
APOEL FC	2019–20	First Division	17	1	1	0	8[lower-alpha 5]	1	1	0	27	2
Career total			190	8	12	1	40	1	1	0	245	10

1. Including an appearance in the Coupe de la Ligue
2. Including an appearance in the Coupe de France
3. All appearances in UEFA Europa League
4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. 2 appearances in UEFA Champions League, 6 appearances in UEFA Europa League

Personal life

Vujadin is a son of Serbian former professional footballer Dušan Savić.[18] He has three children with unmarried spouse Mirka Vasiljević, who is an actress.[19] Savić was named after Serbian coach and former player Vujadin Boškov.[20] He is also nicknamed Giška after his relative Đorđe Božović.[21][22]

Honours

Club

Red Star Belgrade

• Serbian SuperLiga (2): 2017–18, 2018–19[17]
• Serbian Cup: 2009–10[17]

Sheriff

• National Division (2): 2015–16, 2016–17[17]
• Moldovan Cup: 2016–17[17]
• Moldovan Super Cup: 2016[17]

Individual

• Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2017–18[9]

References

1. Вујадин Савић. Red Star Belgrade official website (in Serbian). Retrieved 6 October 2017.
2. "Savic, Vujadin". srbijafudbal.com. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
3. "Vujadin Savić u Cvajti" (in Serbian). mozzartsport.com. January 23, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
4. "Ben Watson leaves to join Watford". BBC. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
5. "Watford will release Marco Motta, Luke O'Nien and Vujadin Savic while the club are in discussions with Heurelho Gomes, Hornets legend Lloyd Doyley and Rene Gilmartin". Watford Observer (in Serbian). 19 May 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
6. Aleksandar Obrenović. Sportske: "Makazice" Vujadina Savića za spas Šerifa! (in Serbian) September 20, 2015. Accessed May 11, 2018.
7. Вујадин Савић се вратио у Звезду. Radio Television of Serbia (in Serbian). 17 June 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
8. Euan McTear (December 11, 2017). "Tifo Football: How Red Star Belgrade returned from the European football wilderness". Retrieved May 11, 2018.
9. "Super liga: Održana manifestacija Prvi tim, priznanja u rukama najboljih". Serbian SuperLiga official website (in Serbian). 14 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
10. Савић продужио верност клубу. crvenazvezdafk.com (in Serbian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
11. Aleksadnar Obrenović (14 July 2019). "APOEL predstavio Savića". Sportske.net (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 October 2019.
12. Željko Mutavdžić (29 August 2018). "Vujadin Savić mora na operaciju!". MaxBet Sport (in Serbian).
13. Nebojša Todorović (29 August 2019). "MORAO POD NOŽ Vujadin Savić operisan, brzo se vraća na teren". Meridian Sport (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 October 2019.
14. Крстајић позвао Савића, повратак Басте. Dnevnik (in Serbian). 10 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
15. "Vujadin Savić ostaje u Beogradu". mozzartsport.com (in Serbian). 21 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
16. "Oglasio se Vujadin: Imam koronu, ali NISAM bio u kontaktu s igračima!". Mondo Portal (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
17. "V.Savić on Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
18. "Vujadin Savić sin Dušana Savića" (in Serbian). Večernje novosti. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
19. "SAVIĆ ZA ALO! OTKRIVA Evo kada će Vujadin odvesti Mirku pred oltar!" (in Serbian). Alo!. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
20. Blic (2017-07-01). "Čast i odgovornost: Vujadin Savić otkrio po kome je dobio ime" (in Serbian). Retrieved 2018-03-31.
21. ""Otvorenih karata" sa... Vujadinom Savićem!" (in Serbian). mondo.rs. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
22. "Vujadin Savić: Giška mi je bio pradeda" (in Serbian). Kurir. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2018.

External links

• Vujadin Savić at FootballDatabase.eu
• Vujadin Savić at WorldFootball.net
• Vujadin Savić at Soccerbase
• Vujadin Savić – UEFA competition record