Nikola Žigić

Nikola Žigić
Никола Жигић

Personal information
Full name	Nikola Žigić[1]
Date of birth	25 September 1980 (1980-09-25) (age 31)
Place of birth	Bačka Topola, Yugoslavia
Height	2.02 m (6 ft 7 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position	Centre forward
Club information
Current club	Birmingham City
Number	19
Youth career
1991–1998	AIK Bačka Topola
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2001	AIK Bačka Topola	76	(68)
2001–2002	Mornar	23	(15)
2002–2003	Kolubara	8	(3)
2003	Spartak Subotica	11	(14)
2003–2006	Red Star Belgrade	79	(47)
2006–2007	Racing Santander	32	(11)
2007–2010	Valencia	28	(5)
2009	→ Racing Santander (loan)	19	(13)
2010–	Birmingham City	32	(6)
National team‡
2004–	Serbia	55	(20)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:16, 6 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:24, 7 October 2011 (UTC)

Nikola Žigić (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Жигић, Serbian pronunciation: [nǐkɔla ʒǐːgitɕ], born 25 September 1980) is a Serbian footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City as a centre forward.

At 2.02 m (6 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in),^[3][2] Žigić is among the tallest professional players in the world. He and Stefan Maierhofer are the tallest players to have played in the English Premier League.^[4]

Club career

Red Star

Žigić began with modest local teams, netting at an impressive rate, after which he joined bigger club Red Star Belgrade in 2003. During his years at the club, he played 110 matches and scored 71 goals in all competitions^{[citation needed]} (cup, league and European competitions).

Racing Santander

On 29 August 2006, Žigić signed a four-year contract with Spanish side Racing de Santander. On 1 April 2007, he scored his first hat-trick in La Liga, in a 5–4 win over Athletic Bilbao.^[5] While at Racing, he formed a formidable duo with diminutive veteran forward Pedro Munitis, and netted 12 league goals during the 2006–07 season.

Valencia

On 8 August 2007, Sky Sports understood that Valencia CF had offered Racing €19 million for Žigić, handing the player a lucrative five-year contract. Numerous other clubs, such as SV Werder Bremen and Manchester City attempted to sign him, but Valencia eventually signed the player, announcing the £20 million deal on their official website the following day. After passing a medical the next day, Žigić was introduced at the Estadio Mestalla.^{[citation needed]}

Žigić's first goal for Valencia came in a Spanish Cup match against Real Unión, adding another to turn the match around, as Valencia won 2–1. However he was unsuccessful in nailing down a starting place in the team under coach Ronald Koeman, who mostly used him as a sub or not at all. His first and only league goal came on 22 December 2007 at Real Zaragoza, as Valencia again came from behind and earned a 2–2 draw. A loan to English club Portsmouth was mooted, but Koeman changed his mind about the player leaving.^[6]

After some speculation regarding moves to the Premier League,^[7][8] and a thwarted loan return to former side Racing Santander, Žigić finally agreed to stay and fight for a place in 2008–09's Valencia.

Žigić with Birmingham in 2010

Eventually, after having failed to appear in any league matches, being restricted to domestic and UEFA Cup matches, and scoring in both competitions, he was loaned in late December 2008 to former side Santander.^[9][10] In June 2009, there were rumours of a move to Sunderland,^[11] but nothing came of it.

Žigić was then loaned to a former team, Racing, until the end of the season. On 4 January 2009, in his first game in his second spell with the Cantabrians, Žigić scored the game's only goal in a win at Real Valladolid, repeating the feat in a win at Getafe CF, two matchdays later, and again the following week on 25 January away at Sevilla FC. He finished his second spell with 13 goals in only 19 matches, squad best, and subsequently returned to Valencia, where he continued to be rarely used in the league.

Profiting from a rare chance in the league with the Che, Žigić headed in the only goal of the game at home to RCD Espanyol on 2 January 2010, in the 93rd minute. On 13 January, he added a brace at Deportivo de La Coruña in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey to put Valencia 2–0 up at halftime, in an eventual 2–2 draw (4–3 aggregate loss); on a more positive note, he replaced starter David Villa at Espanyol on 1 May and scored both goals in a 2–0 win (both with his feet).

Birmingham City

On 25 May 2010, Žigić signed a four-year contract with Premier League club Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee.^[12] Media speculation suggested the fee to be in the region of £6 million.^[13] He made his debut on the opening day of the season away at Sunderland: replacing Garry O'Connor in the 58th minute, he came close to scoring from outside the penalty area and "injected a note of panic hitherto undetected" in the home team's defence as Birmingham came back from 2–0 down to secure a draw.^[14][15]

Žigić's first goal for the club came as Birmingham beat Milton Keynes Dons 3–1 in the League Cup on 21 September.^[16] He scored his first Premier League goal on 16 October, opening the scoring at Arsenal with a header from a Keith Fahey cross, but Birmingham lost the game 2–1.^[17] His fourth goal of the campaign was the 84th-minute winner as Birmingham progressed to the League Cup semi-final at the expense of local rivals Aston Villa.^[18] He scored the opening goal in the 2011 Football League Cup Final with a short-range header as Birmingham defeated favourites Arsenal 2–1 at Wembley Stadium on 27 February 2011.^[19] Because of "niggling" hip and groin injuries, Žigić made only two more substitute appearances. His absence deprived the team of what the Birmingham Mail's reporter called their "most effective style: getting the ball forward early, pressing up the pitch and playing off him", as they were relegated to the Championship.^[20]

Žigić's first goal in the Championship gave Birmingham a 1–0 win against Leeds United in October 2011.^[21]

International career

Although he attracted much attention for his performances with Red Star in the Serbo-Montenegrin league, Žigić only gained a regular place in the national team in mid-2005, after having made his debut the previous year under coach Ilija Petković.

He scored a couple of goals in some friendlies, but it was his substitute appearance in a crucial 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Spain in Madrid during September 2005 that brought him international recognition. After an atrocious first-half at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, during which Serbia-Montenegro rarely crossed the centre line, only being 1–0 down, coach Petković threw Žigić into the mix, and his towering presence up front changed the flow of the match instantly. He would later set up the equalizer, also providing Mateja Kežman with a 2–1 chance, but the ball was clipped wide of Iker Casillas' gaping half-empty net. However, Serbia got the key away point and confirmed their World Cup qualification at home in Belgrade versus Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Žigić again nicely setting up Kežman for the game's only goal.

Žigić's only start at the 2006 World Cup came in the nation's final Group C match, when the team was already eliminated. He scored an early goal in the 10th minute of the first half off a long ball from Dejan Stanković against Ivory Coast, in a 3–2 loss.^[22]

Still an automatic choice under new national manager Javier Clemente, his form took a dip. On 24 March 2007, Žigić received a red card during the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Kazakhstan, seconds before the end of the game. This caused him to miss the home game against Portugal.^{[citation needed]} He also missed the match against Finland on 2 June 2007 after surgery on a facial injury received on 27 May.^[23]

He represented his country in the 2010 World Cup. On 17 November 2010, he scored the winning goal against Bulgaria in a friendly match, which was held in Sofia, but was sent off for a second yellow card shortly before the conclusion of the game.

International goals

As of match played 20 November 2010 ^[2]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	8 Jun 2005	Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada	Italy	1–0	1–1	Friendly
2.	15 August 2005	Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine	Poland	1–1	3–2	Friendly
3.	13 November 2005	Wutaisha Stadium, Nanjing, China	China PR	0–2	0–2	Friendly
4.	21 Jun 2006	Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany	Côte d'Ivoire	0–1	2–3	2006 World Cup
5.	2 September 2006	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Azerbaijan	1–0	1–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
6.	7 October 2006	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Belgium	1–0	1–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
7.	11 October 2006	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Armenia	3–0	3–0	Euro 2008 qualifying
8.	24 March 2007	Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan	2–1	2–1	Euro 2008 qualifying
9.	17 October 2007	Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	0–2	1–6	Euro 2008 qualifying
10.	17 October 2007	Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	1–4	1–6	Euro 2008 qualifying
11.	21 November 2007	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Poland	1–2	2–2	Euro 2008 qualifying
12.	6 September 2008	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Faroe Islands	2–0	2–0	2010 World Cup qualification
13.	11 October 2008	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Lithuania	3–0	3–0	2010 World Cup qualification
14.	1 April 2009	Stadion Partizan, Beograd, Serbia	Sweden	1–0	2–0	Friendly
15.	10 October 2009	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Romania	1–0	5–0	2010 World Cup qualification
16.	18 November 2009	Craven Cottage, London, England	South Korea	0–1	0–1	Friendly
17.	3 September 2010	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	0–3	0–3	Euro 2012 qualifying
18.	7 September 2010	Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Beograd, Serbia	Slovenia	1–1	1–1	Euro 2012 qualifying
19.	8 October 2010	Stadion Partizan, Beograd, Serbia	Estonia	1–0	1–3	Euro 2012 qualifying
20.	17 November 2010	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	0–1	0–1	Friendly

Club statistics

As of match played 6 November 2011

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Serbia			League		Serbian Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
2003–04	Red Star	Prva Liga	28	18	?	2			5	6	33	26
2004–05			25	15	?	2			5	3	30	20
2005–06		Super Liga	23	12	?	2			7	5	30	19
2006–07			3	2	0	0			4	2	7	4
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Copa de la Liga		Europe		Total
2006–07	Racing Santander	La Liga	32	11	0	0			0	0	32	11
2007–08	Valencia		15	1	1	1			2	0	18	2
2008–09			0	0	1	1			3	2	4	3
	Racing Santander		19	13	0	0			0	0	19	13
2009–10	Valencia		13	4	4	3			7	2	24	9
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
2010–11	Birmingham City	Premier League	25	5	2	0	7	3	0	0	34	8
2011–12		The Championship	7	1	0	0	1	0	3	0	11	1
			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Total	Serbia		79	47	?	6			21	16	100	69
	Spain		79	29	6	5			12	4	97	38
	England		32	6	2	0	8	3	3	0	45	9
Career total			190	82	8	12	8	3	36	20	242	117

Honours

Red Star

• Serbia and Montenegro League: 2003–04, 2005–06
• Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2003–04, 2005–06

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 2007–08

Birmingham City

• Football League Cup: 2010–11

Individual

• Serbian Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2005, 2006
• Serbia and Montenegro League: Topscorer 2003–04

References

1. ^ "Premier League clubs submit squad lists". Premier League. 1 September 2010. http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2142220,00.html. Retrieved 6 November 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Žigić Nikola" (in Serbian). reprezentacija.rs. http://www.reprezentacija.rs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1655&Itemid=2. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
3. ^ "Nikola Žigić". UEFA. http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=72137/profile/index.html. Retrieved 1 June 2010. 
4. ^ "Premier League Statistics". http://www.premierleague.com/page/Statistics/0,,12306,00.html. 
5. ^ Žigić hat-trick earns Racing 5-4 win over Bilbao; Reuters, 1 April 2007
6. ^ Valencia keen on Zigic stay; Sky Sports, 30 December 2007
7. ^ O'Neill denies interest in Zigic; BBC Sport, 22 July 2008
8. ^ Blackburn weigh up double swoop; BBC Sport, 19 August 2008
9. ^ Nicola Zigic cayó en la red (Nikola Žigić fell in the net); El Diario Montañés, 30 December 2008 (Spanish)
10. ^ Žigić heads back to Racing on loan; UEFA.com, 30 December 2008
11. ^ "Serbia striker Nikola Zigic and Tottenham's £10m-rated Darren Bent top the bill for new Sunderland boss Steve Bruce". Daily Mail. 25 June 2009. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1190959/Serbia-striker-Nikola-Zigic-Tottenhams-Darren-Bent-new-Sunderland-boss-Steve-Bruce.html?ITO=1490. Retrieved 15 July 2009. 
12. ^ "Birmingham seal signing of giant striker Nikola Zigic". BBC Sport. 26 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8704954.stm. Retrieved 30 May 2010. 
13. ^ Lansley, Peter (27 May 2010). "Alex McLeish planning big things after £6m signing of giant Nikola Zigic". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7137597.ece. Retrieved 30 May 2010. 
14. ^ "Blues fight back for draw". Sky Sports. 14 August 2010. http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3285858,00.html. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
15. ^ Ward, Les (16 August 2010). "Bent marks card for Cattermole after captain's loss of discipline". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/bent-marks-card-for-cattermole-after-captains-loss-of-discipline-2053499.html. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
16. ^ "Birmingham 3–1 MK Dons". BBC Sport. 22 September 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9009796.stm. Retrieved 23 September 2010. 
17. ^ Sheringham, Sam (16 October 2010). "Arsenal 2–1 Birmingham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9085759.stm. Retrieved 16 October 2010. 
18. ^ McNulty, Phil (1 December 2010). "Birmingham 2–1 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9233759.stm. Retrieved 3 December 2010. 
19. ^ McNulty, Philip (27 February 2011). "Arsenal 1–2 Birmingham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9405702.stm. Retrieved 28 February 2011. 
20. ^ Tattum, Colin (26 May 2011). "Colin Tattum reviews Birmingham City's season and asks: How did it go so wrong?". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2011/05/26/colin-tattum-reviews-birmingham-city-s-season-and-asks-how-did-it-go-so-wrong-97319-28765757/. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
21. ^ "Birmingham 1–0 Leeds". BBC Sport. 26 October 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15363372.stm. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
22. ^ Ivorian comeback shocks Serbians; UEFA.com, 21 June 2006
23. ^ Serbia's Žigić to miss Euro 2008 qualifier in Finland; Reuters, 28 May 2007

External links

• National team data (Serbian)
• BDFutbol profile
• Nikola Žigić career stats at Soccerbase
• Nikola Žigić at National-Football-Teams.com
• Premier League profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Dejan Stanković	Serbia captain 2011–	Succeeded by Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by New title Nemanja Vidić	Serbian Footballer of the Year 2003 2006, 2007	Succeeded by Nemanja Vidić Nemanja Vidić

Persondata
Name	Zigic, Nikola
Alternative names
Short description	Professional footballer
Date of birth	25 September 1980
Place of birth	Bačka Topola, Yugoslavia
Date of death
Place of death