Dejan Stanković

Red Star Belgrade

Stanković grew up in Zemun, a municipality of Belgrade. Both of his parents, Borislav and Dragica, have strong football backgrounds. Stanković began playing football for FK Teleoptik, based in his neighbourhood of Zemun. When spotted by Red Star cadet squad coach Branko Radović, however, 14-year-old Dejan transferred to Red Star Belgrade's youth system. Stanković then passed every age category at his hometown club. In the youth teams, he was coached by Vladimir Petrović, playing alongside future professionals Nikola Lazetić and Nenad Lalatović. During the 1994–95 season, Stanković's debut opportunity for first-team action came under head coach Ljupko Petrović against crosstown rivals OFK Beograd on 11 February 1995, becoming the youngest player to debut with Red Star at senior level. Fighting for a spot on the team led by, among others, Rambo Petković, Darko Kovačević, and Nebojša Krupniković, 16-year-old Stanković made seven league appearances that season as the team won the league title. He scored his first goal against Budućnost Podgorica, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Red Star history as well as a first-team regular and a fan favourite. During the early 1990s, Red Star was under an international ban because of a United Nations sanction imposed on FR Yugoslavia, meaning that the team could not compete in any European competition. The ban was lifted ahead of the 1995–96 season, and just a year later Stanković debuted in a European…

Pre-split Serbia

Stanković made his international debut for the FR Yugoslavia team against South Korea on 22 April 1998, scoring two goals in a 6–1 victory. He represented the FR Yugoslavia national team at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, soon establishing himself as an important player. The Yugoslav team was renamed Serbia and Montenegro by the time 2006 World Cup qualifying started. Stanković played all games but last one, scoring two goals. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was given the number 10 shirt and Savo Milošević captained the new Serbia and Montenegro team in their first World Cup, but they failed to progress to the knock-out rounds after losing all their group matches to the Ivory Coast, Argentina and the Netherlands. After Milošević retired, the midfielder took over as captain of the reformed Serbia national team, following the breakup of Serbia and Montenegro. Stanković was a silver medalist at the 2009 Cyprus International Football Tournament. In the 2010 World Cup qualifying, Stanković started in and captained all except two of Serbia's matches. They qualified for their first World Cup as an independent nation.

Serbia

In June 2010, Stanković was selected in Serbia's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he played every minute in group stage. Their second match was a shocking 1–0 victory against Germany, but they failed to progress to the next round due to narrow losses against Ghana and Australia. After captaining the team in a 1–0 loss…

A former defender, Stanković usually played as an attacking midfielder; however, he was a versatile player who was capable of operating in many different positions, making a name for himself as a player who could also play out wide on the wings or track back in a defensive midfield role. He was also capable of playing in the centre of the pitch in a box-to-box role. "Deki" – as he is nicknamed– was best-known for his efficient, accurate passing, versatility and creativity, as well as his ability to score goals, in particular from long distance, courtesy of his striking ability with his right foot. he was also effective in the air, and was capable making late runs into the box. He was also known for his pace, skill, and influence on the pitch, as well as his composure. In his prime, he was considered to be one of the best players in European football. Despite his ability, however, he was occasionally criticised in the media for being inconsistent.

Red Star Belgrade

On 21 December 2019, Stanković was appointed as the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade on a two-and-a-half-year contract. The club won the 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga, Stankovic's first trophy as a manager, 14 points clear of city rivals Partizan. In 2020–21, Red Star Belgrade went unbeaten through the whole league season, winning 35 of 38 fixtures, while scoring a record-breaking 114 goals. On 25 May, the club also won the Serbian Cup through a 4–3 win on penalties (0–0 after full time) against Partizan in the final. Together with Hoffenheim, they advanced through the group stage of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League, eliminating Slovan Liberec and Gent in the process. The club was knocked out in the round of 32 by Italian club Milan on away goals after the tie ended 3–3 on aggregate. On 26 August 2022, Stanković resigned as Red Star manager after being eliminated by Maccabi Haifa in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League qualification playoff round.

Sampdoria

On 6 October 2022, Stanković signed a contract until the end of the season with struggling Serie A club Sampdoria. He left Sampdoria by the end of season, after failing to save the team from relegation in a situation aggravated by financial struggles.

Ferencváros

On 4 September 2023, he was appointed as the coach of Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Ferencvárosi TC. On 14 December 2023, Ferencváros drew with ACF Fiorentina at the Groupama Arena on the last match day of the…