Dragan Žilić

Dragan Žilić

Personal information
Full name	Dragan Žilić
Date of birth	14 December 1974 (1974-12-14) (age 36)
Place of birth	Kikinda, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper (retired)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1996	Kikinda	70	(0)
1996–2000	Vojvodina	49	(0)
2000–2001	CSKA Sofia	1	(0)
2001–2005	Sartid Smederevo	112	(0)
2005–2009	Rijeka	78	(1)
2009–2010	Gorica	19	(0)
National team
1998–2003	Serbia and Montenegro	8	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Dragan Žilić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Жилић; born 14 December 1974 in Kikinda) is a retired Serbian football goalkeeper.

Club career

Rijeka

During the summer of 2005, Žilić's transfer from FK Smederevo to HNK Rijeka caused a minor sensation as it marked the first occasion in a very long time that a player of Serbian ethnicity moved to a Croatian club. Already 30 years of age at this time, Žilić earned a place in the first team right away, helping his new club with a series of confident goalkeeping displays. Simultaneously off the pitch and sometimes even on it, he was the victim of constant verbal abuse from the nationalist elements of Rijeka fans. They threw flares at him, threatened him with violence and displayed match day banners that read: "Žilić, out of Rijeka, and out of Croatia".

Over time the abuse toned down and the fans mostly managed to tolerate his presence on their team. His standing in fan eyes improved as he played well during Rijeka's 2005–06 run in the Croatian Cup that ended with the club lifting the trophy. On 29 November 2006, Žilić scored a 92nd minute header versus NK Konavljanin that got Rijeka into the 2006–07 Croatian Cup semifinals.^[1]

By fall 2008, Žilić's role in the club got marginalized as he lost his first team spot and got demoted to as low as training with juniors.^[2] During the 2008–09 winter transfer window he moved to Slovenian club ND Gorica.

Honours

Sartid Smederevo

• Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2002–03

Rijeka

• Croatian Cup: 2005–06

References

1. ^ "Konavljanin - Rijeka: Žilić spasio Rijeku od sramote" (in Croatian). hrsport.net. 29 November 2006. http://www.hrsport.net/vijesti/321108/nogomet-hnl/konavljanin-rijeka-zilic-spasio-rijeku-od-sramote. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 
2. ^ "Ćutim i čekam kraj ugovora s Rijekom" (in Serbian). blic.rs. 12 October 2008. http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/60572/Cutim-i-cekam-kraj-ugovora-s-Rijekom. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 

External links

• National Football Teams
• Dragan Žilić at 1hnl.net
• Dragan Žilić at prvaliga.si
• Dragan Žilić at reprezentacija.rs

Persondata
Name	Zilic, Dragan
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	14 December 1974
Place of birth	Kikinda, SFR Yugoslavia
Date of death
Place of death