Slobodan Rajković

Slobodan Rajković (Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Рајковић, pronounced [slobǒdan rǎːjkoʋitɕ]; born 3 February 1989) is a Serbian footballer.

Slobodan Rajković
Rajković with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2020
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-02-03) 3 February 1989
Place of birth Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 OFK Beograd 37 (1)
2007–2011 Chelsea 0 (0)
2007–2008 → PSV (loan) 13 (0)
2008–2010 → Twente (loan) 23 (1)
2010–2011 → Vitesse (loan) 24 (0)
2011–2015 Hamburger SV 42 (2)
2015–2016 Darmstadt 98 15 (1)
2016–2019 Palermo 46 (3)
2020 Perugia 12 (0)
2020 Lokomotiv Moscow 5 (0)
National team‡
2007–2010 Serbia U21 8 (0)
2008–2016 Serbia 19 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 December 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 June 2017

Club career

Born in Belgrade, Rajković started his career with OFK Beograd. He was included in the club's first team at the age of 15. During his second season in the first team, Rajković's reputation grew so such that in November 2005, English Premier League club Chelsea decided to pay €2 million for the 16-year-old centre-half.

Under the terms of the deal, Rajković stayed at OFK Beograd as a loaned player from Chelsea until the end of the 2006–07 Serbian SuperLiga season.

Loans to Eredivisie

In June 2007, Chelsea decided to loan Rajković to PSV ahead of the 2007–08 season, as part of the deal surrounding Alex's move to Chelsea.[1]

After the year-long loan spell at PSV, the Dutch club wanted to extend the loan period for another year, but Chelsea declined due to the lack of playing time Rajković was receiving in his season at Eindhoven. Rajković, however, returned to the Eredivisie On 9 July 2008, joining Twente on a one-year loan deal.[2]

After spitting at a referee at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Rajković was banned for 12 months by FIFA. In June 2009, his loan was extended until June 2010.[3]

On 23 August 2010, Rajković transferred to another Eredivisie club, Vitesse, together with his former Chelsea teammates Nemanja Matić and Matej Delač on a season-long loan.[4]

Chelsea

Having returned to Chelsea prior to the 2011–12 season at the request of new manager André Villas-Boas, Rajković played his first game in a Chelsea shirt in a friendly against Wycombe Wanderers on 12 July 2011 at Chelsea's Cobham Training Centre. He played the second half and scored his side's third goal, volleying home a Yuri Zhirkov corner.[5]

Four years after signing for Chelsea, Rajković still remained ineligible for either a work permit or an EU passport, precluding his ability to play in matches open to the public (hence why he played in the closed door game with Wycombe, but could not play against Portsmouth). However, he finally made his debut in a pre-season friendly game against a Malaysian XI, in which he played the whole of the first half. He also played against Kitchee SC in the 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong.

Hamburger SV

On 23 August 2011, Rajković joined German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV from Chelsea on a four-year deal for €2 million. He did not manage to secure the starter's position in his four years at the club, making only 46 appearances in all competitions.

Darmstadt

On 29 September 2015, Rajkovic signed for Darmstadt 98 on a two-year deal.[6]

Palermo

On 1 August 2016 he was signed by Serie A club Palermo. He played a total three seasons for the Rosanero (one in Serie A, and two in Serie B).

Following Palermo's exclusion from the Serie B, he was released together with all other players in July 2019.

Perugia

On 27 January 2020, after six months of inactivity, Rajkovic signed a two-and-a-half year contract with Serie B club Perugia as a free transfer.[7]

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 13 August 2020, he signed a one-year contract with Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow.[8] On 19 January 2021, his Lokomotiv contract was terminated by mutual consent.[9]

International career

By the age of 16, Rajković was a regular in the Serbia under-21 national team, later becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a qualifying match of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.[10] On 17 June 2007, during the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, which the Serbia U21 team eventually finished as runners-up in, Rajković was part of a controversial second goal for England. He was lying on the ground, injured, and while Serbian players expected their rivals would kick the ball out of the field, Matt Derbyshire went on against a bewildered Serbian defence to score the second goal of the night for England, provoking a turbulent reaction from the Serbian players. Rajković was called for a national team match in 2016, after more than two years.[11]

Style of play

Rajković is known as a highly aggressive player. After his arrival to Hamburger SV, he stated in an interview, "I like to play more aggressive than the referees like."

Career statistics

Club
As of end of 2019–20 season[12]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
OFK Beograd 2004–05 6000000060
2005–06 201102000231
2006–07 110001000120
Total 371103000411
PSV (loan) 2007–08 130005000180
Twente (loan) 2008–09 131403000201
2009–10 100103000140
Total 231506000341
Vitesse (loan) 2010–11 240300000270
Hamburger SV 2011–12 161100000171
2012–13 130000000130
2013–14 2000000020
2014–15 111200000131
Total 422300000452
Darmstadt 98 2015–16 151200000171
Palermo 2016–17 4010000050
2017–18 161000000161
2018–19 302220000324
Total 503320000535
Perugia 2019–20 120000000120
Career total 21681701400024710

International
Serbia national team
YearAppsGoals
200820
200900
201020
201170
201220
201310
201400
201500
201650
Total190

Honours

Club
PSV
Twente

References
  1. "Blues to place defender at PSV". jesternix.net. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008.
  2. "FC Twente huurt Rajkovic van Chelsea" (in Dutch). FC Twente. 9 July 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  3. "FC Twente huurt Rajkovic opnieuw". FC Twente (in Dutch). 17 June 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  4. "Op weg naar Vitesse: Rajkovic en Matic" (in Dutch). Vitesse. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  5. "MATCH REPORT: CHELSEA 3 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 0". Chelsea F.C. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  6. "Lilien verstärken sich mit Slobodan Rajkovic" (in German). sv98.de. 29 September 2015. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  7. "RAJKOVIC È BIANCOROSSO" (Press release) (in Italian). Perugia. 27 January 2020.
  8. "Слободан Райкович перешел в «Локомотив»" (in Russian). FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 13 August 2020.
  9. "Слободан Райкович покидает «Локомотив»" (in Russian). FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 19 January 2021.
  10. In May 2010, Rajković was called up to the Serbia senior team for the first time when he was announced in the nation's preliminary 30-man squad for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup. U21 Championship: Facts and figures by UEFA Archived 10 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Posle dve i po godine Slobodan Rajković se vraća u reprezentaciju". mozzartsport.com (in Serbian). 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  12. "S.Rajković". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
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