Josip Iličić
![]() Iličić with Slovenia in 2021 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 29 January 1988 | ||
Place of birth |
Yugoslavia | ||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) |
winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Maribor | ||
Number | 72 | ||
Youth career | |||
1995–2006 | Triglav Kranj | ||
2006–2007 | Britof | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2007–2008 | Bonifika | 24 | (3) |
2008–2010 |
Interblock | 55 | (12) |
2010 | Maribor | 5 | (1) |
2010–2013 |
Palermo | 98 | (20) |
2013–2017 | Fiorentina | 105 | (29) |
2017–2022 |
Atalanta | 136 | (47) |
2022– | Maribor | 42 | (10) |
International career‡ | |||
2008–2010 | Slovenia U20 | 4 | (0) |
2009–2010 | Slovenia U21 | 6 | (0) |
2010– | Slovenia | 81 | (17) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2024 |
Josip Iličić (Croatian pronunciation:
Iličić began his professional career with Slovenian club
He enjoyed his best time as a professional footballer with Atalanta, scoring eleven or more league goals in each of his first three years at the club and was awarded a spot 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 match, and is also the oldest player to score four goals in a Champions League knockout match.
Iličić made his senior debut for the Slovenia national team in August 2010 in a friendly match against Australia. Three years after his debut, in September 2013, he scored his first international goal against Cyprus. In total, he has made 81 appearances for Slovenia.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Aged 21, Iličić contemplated an idea of finishing his playing career altogether. He wanted to return to
Palermo
Iličić debuted for Palermo in the
On 20 June 2011, Iličić signed a new five-year contract.
Fiorentina
On 23 July 2013, Palermo officially confirmed the sale of Iličić to Serie A rivals Fiorentina on their website. Later, the deal was officially announced by Fiorentina on their website.[18] The transfer fee was undisclosed, reported to be in the sum of €9 million including add-ons.[19] He scored six goals in his first season at Fiorentina. The 2014–15 season was more successful for him, finishing as the club's top scorer with ten goals in all competitions, along with Mario Gómez.
Atalanta
On 5 July 2017,
The following year, he scored twelve times in a historic season as Atalanta finished third in the Serie A, earning them a spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time.[22] He was also awarded a spot in the 2018–19 Serie A Team of the Year along with teammate Duván Zapata.[23]
On 25 January 2020, Iličić scored a
On 10 March 2020, Iličić scored all four of Atalanta's goals in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions league round of 16 match against Spanish side Valencia, to secure a 4–3 win and help Atalanta progress to the quarter-finals. He also 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 player 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.[25][26] Iličić also received UEFA's Player of the Week award after the Champions League round of 16 matches.[27] Later in 2020, Iličić was nominated for the UEFA 50 Men's Team of the Year.[28]
After spending five years with the club, his contract with Atalanta was terminated by mutual consent on 31 August 2022.[29] Overall, Iličić made 173 appearances for Atalanta and scored 60 goals.[29]
Return to Maribor
After twelve years of playing in Serie A, Iličić returned to Slovenia and joined his former club Maribor on 5 October 2022, signing a contract until June 2025.[30] He made his second debut for Maribor a month later, on 6 November, in a 5–1 home win over Mura, where he also scored Maribor's fifth goal from the penalty spot.[31]
International career
Iličić made his international debut with the Slovenia 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.[32] He also played for the under-21 team between 2009 and 2010, including two appearances in the qualifiers for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[33]
Iličić missed out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup but made his debut for the senior team in a friendly match against Australia on 11 August 2010.[34] He scored his first international goal on 10 September 2013 against Cyprus.[35]
In May 2024, Iličić was included in the preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2024, ending his two-and-a-half years absence from the national team.[36]
Style of play
A predominantly left-footed player,
A powerful and accurate striker of the ball with either foot, in particular from distance, he is highly regarded for his touch on the ball, technique,
Personal life
Josip Iličić was born in Prijedor, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and moved to Kranj, present-day Slovenia when he was only one year old, together with his mother Ana and brother Igor, after his father was killed.[66] Iličić was once asked in an interview if he would be interested in playing for Croatia national 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.[67] Later, he made a similar comment regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country where he was born.[68]
In 2020 he suffered from depression due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[69][70] In early 2022, Iličić suffered again from mental health problems and was absent from the Atalanta squad.[71]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | 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 | 1. SNL | 28 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
Total | 55 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 14 | ||
Maribor | 2010–11 | 1. SNL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 3 | — | 11 | 4 | |
Palermo
|
2010–11
|
Serie A | 34 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 39 | 8 | |
2011–12
|
Serie A | 33 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 36 | 6 | ||
2012–13
|
Serie A | 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[b] | 2 | — | 31 | 6 | |
2014–15 | Serie A | 25 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7[b] | 2 | — | 34 | 10 | ||
2015–16 | Serie A | 30 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 2 | — | 37 | 15 | ||
2016–17 | Serie A | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
Total | 105 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 7 | — | 137 | 37 | |||
Atalanta
|
2017–18
|
Serie A | 31 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 6[b] | 4 | — | 41 | 15 | |
2018–19
|
Serie A | 31 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 13 | ||
2019–20
|
Serie A | 26 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 7[d] | 5 | — | 34 | 21 | ||
2020–21
|
Serie A | 28 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 6[d] | 1 | — | 38 | 7 | ||
2021–22
|
Serie A | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 1 | — | 24 | 4 | ||
Total | 136 | 47 | 14 | 2 | 23 | 11 | — | 173 | 60 | |||
Maribor | 2022–23 | 1. SNL | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
2023–24 | 1. SNL | 31 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3[e] | 1 | — | 36 | 9 | ||
Total | 42 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 50 | 11 | |||
Career total | 465 | 122 | 40 | 9 | 61 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 568 | 154 |
- ^ Includes Slovenian Football Cup, Coppa Italia
- ^ a b c d e f g h Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in Slovenian PrvaLiga promotion-relegation play-offs
- ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Europa Conference League
International
- As of match played 8 June 2024[74]
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 | |
2022 | 0 | 0 | |
2023 | 0 | 0 | |
2024 | 2 | 1 | |
Total | 81 | 17 |
- Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iličić goal.[74]
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 September 2013 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | 23 | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 27 March 2015 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 28 | ![]() |
1–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
3 | 10 June 2017 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 46 | ![]() |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
4 | 4 September 2017 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 48 | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
5 | 2–0 | ||||||
6 | 10 June 2019 | Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia | 59 | ![]() |
3–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
7 | 4–0 | ||||||
8 | 10 October 2019 | Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia | 62 | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
9 | 19 November 2019 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw , Poland |
65 | ![]() |
2–2 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
10 | 15 November 2020 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 67 | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
11 | 27 March 2021 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia | 70 | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
12 | 4 June 2021 | Bonifika Stadium, Koper, Slovenia | 73 | ![]() |
2–0 | 6–0 | Friendly
|
13 | 5–0 | ||||||
14 | 8 October 2021 | National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | 76 | ![]() |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
15 | 3–0 | ||||||
16 | 11 October 2021 | Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia | 77 | ![]() |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
17 | 4 June 2024 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 80 | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Honours
Interblock
- 2008–09[72]
- Slovenian Supercup runner-up: 2009[72]
Maribor
Palermo
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 2010–11[72]
Fiorentina
Atalanta
Individual
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2018–19[75]
- Slovenian Footballer of the Year: 2019[76]
- Slovenian First League Player of the Month: February 2024[77]
- Slovenian First League Team of the Season: 2023–24[78]
References
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- ^ "Jòsip". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Ìlija". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 16 February 2020.
Ìličić
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External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Josip Iličić at NZS (in Slovene)