Saša Bjelanovic
Encyclopedia
Saša Bjelanović is a Croatia
n footballer
striker
who is currently playing for Verona
in Serie B
.
He also holds Italian passport since 2007, as his grandmother was from Trieste
, Venezia Giulia, made him eligible to acquire Italian nationality at birth.
. At the age of 20, he had already made 76 appearances for his native club. In summer 1999, he was signed by Croatian giant Dinamo Zagreb
. However, he made only one appearance before being transferred to NK Istra
from Pula
and then NK Varteks.
On 31 May 2002, Como
, at that time in Serie A
, brought Bjelanović to Italy
. He played 15 Serie A games for Como, and left on loan to Chievo
.
As Como was relegated in summer 2003, on 16 July 2003, Bjelanović was loaned to Perugia
. But on 30 August 2003, he was sold to Genoa C.F.C.
of Serie B
on a co-ownership deal for €1 million. Genoa was owned by former Como owner Enrico Preziosi
.
Bjelanović played 41 out of possible 46 games for Genoa, and as Como was relegated again, this time to Serie C1
, Genoa bought all the registration rights at the end of the season for a discounted price.
Genoa did not win promotion in summer 2004 and Bjelanović played his second Serie A season for U.S. Lecce
on loan.
In summer 2005, Genoa finally won promotion to Serie A, but due to match fixing scandal, Genoa was relegated to play in the Serie C1
next season. As a result, Bjelanović was sold to Ascoli
, the team which was promoted in Genoa's place, on a co-ownership deal.
Bjelanović scored four goals in 31 Serie A appearances for Ascoli in the 2005–06 season. He then went on to score seven goals in the 2006–07 season and became the top scorer for Ascoli for the season. This is due to players leaving the club and Ascoli relegated to Serie B after finishing at 19th.
Bjelanović signed for his 6th Italian club, Torino F.C.
, along with Paolo Zanetti
, on 21 June 2007, on a co-ownership deal. In June 2008 Torino full contracted with Bjelanović.
In August 2008, Bjelanović was transferred to Vicenza
. On 1 July 2009 he joined Vicenza definitely as part of Nicolás Gorobsov
's deal.
In June 2010 he was transferred to Liga I champions CFR Cluj for 900.000 euros. He played only six months for CFR, in January 2011 being sold back in Italy, to Atalanta
.
, where he made only one appearance and scored one goal.
He made his debut for the Croatian senior national team
on 9 February 2005, coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly match against Israel
, which ended in a 3-3 draw. In late March 2005, he was also part of the Croatian squad that played Iceland
and Malta
in the 2006 World Cup
qualifying, but remained an unused substitute in both matches.
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 footballer
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...
striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who is currently playing for Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
.
He also holds Italian passport since 2007, as his grandmother was from Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Venezia Giulia, made him eligible to acquire Italian nationality at birth.
Club career
Saša Bjelanović started his career at ZadarNK Zadar
NK Zadar is a Croatian football club based in Zadar, a city on the Adriatic coast. The club was founded in 1945.Josip Skoblar, Đovani Roso, Dado Pršo and Luka Modrić, are among their most notable former players....
. At the age of 20, he had already made 76 appearances for his native club. In summer 1999, he was signed by Croatian giant Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
. However, he made only one appearance before being transferred to NK Istra
NK Istra
NK Istra is a Croatian football club, from city of Pula. The club currently plays in the Treća HNL but Istra has also played in Prva HNL .Istra was found in 1961 from a merger of NK Pula and NK Uljanik.-Seasons:...
from Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
and then NK Varteks.
On 31 May 2002, Como
Como Calcio 1907
Calcio Como S.r.l. are an Italian football club, based in Como. The club was founded in 1907. The team's color is blue.Como have last been in Serie A in 2002–03; this was followed by three consecutive relegations that brought the team down in Serie C2 at the end of the season 2004–05 after having...
, at that time 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...
, brought Bjelanović to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He played 15 Serie A games for Como, and left on loan to Chievo
A.C. ChievoVerona
Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...
.
As Como was relegated in summer 2003, on 16 July 2003, Bjelanović was loaned to Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
. But on 30 August 2003, he was sold to Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
of Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
on a co-ownership deal for €1 million. Genoa was owned by former Como owner Enrico Preziosi
Enrico Preziosi
Enrico Preziosi is an Italian entrepreneur. He runs numbers of business, which most famously the president of football club Genoa C.F.C..-Toys:...
.
Bjelanović played 41 out of possible 46 games for Genoa, and as Como was relegated again, this time to Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
, Genoa bought all the registration rights at the end of the season for a discounted price.
Genoa did not win promotion in summer 2004 and Bjelanović played his second Serie A season for U.S. Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
on loan.
In summer 2005, Genoa finally won promotion to Serie A, but due to match fixing scandal, Genoa was relegated to play in the Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
next season. As a result, Bjelanović was sold to Ascoli
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
, the team which was promoted in Genoa's place, on a co-ownership deal.
Bjelanović scored four goals in 31 Serie A appearances for Ascoli in the 2005–06 season. He then went on to score seven goals in the 2006–07 season and became the top scorer for Ascoli for the season. This is due to players leaving the club and Ascoli relegated to Serie B after finishing at 19th.
Bjelanović signed for his 6th Italian club, Torino F.C.
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
, along with Paolo Zanetti
Paolo Zanetti
Paolo Zanetti is an Italian football midfielder. He currently plays for Grosseto in Serie B.-Football career:...
, on 21 June 2007, on a co-ownership deal. In June 2008 Torino full contracted with Bjelanović.
In August 2008, Bjelanović was transferred to Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
. On 1 July 2009 he joined Vicenza definitely as part of Nicolás Gorobsov
Nicolás Gorobsov
Nicolás Martín Gorobsov is an Argentine-Italian footballer of Russian origin. He plays for Politehnica Timişoara, on loan from co-owners Torino and Vicenza.-Career:...
's deal.
In June 2010 he was transferred to Liga I champions CFR Cluj for 900.000 euros. He played only six months for CFR, in January 2011 being sold back in Italy, to Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
.
International career
Bjelanović was a member of the Croatian Youth team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:...
, where he made only one appearance and scored one goal.
He made his debut for the Croatian senior national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
on 9 February 2005, coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly match against Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
, which ended in a 3-3 draw. In late March 2005, he was also part of the Croatian squad that played Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
and Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
in the 2006 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...
qualifying, but remained an unused substitute in both matches.