Stanković, Tadić, Savićević: Who are Serbia's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Friday, December 2, 2022

Which Serbian players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?

Dejan Stanković, Dušan Tadić znd Dejan Savićević ©Getty Images

Belgrade giants Partizan and Crvena zvezda both established their reputations in European football during the days of the former Yugoslavia, and have continued to make their presences felt in the UEFA Champions League era. Serbia's top players, meanwhile, continue to impress in the top leagues in Europe, with striker Dušan Tadić a constant menace at Ajax.

Most appearances by Serbian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

93: Dejan Stanković (Lazio, Inter)
72: Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
68: Predrag Djordjević (Olympiacos)
64: Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea, Zenit)
60: Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio, Man City, Roma, Inter)
59: Nemanja Matić (Benfica, Chelsea, Man United)
55: Ljubinko Drulović (Porto, Partizan)
54: Nemanja Vidić (Crvena zvezda, Man United)
53: Mateja Kežman (Partizan, PSV, Chelsea, Fenerbahçe, BATE Borisov)
51: Siniša Mihajlović (Vojvodina, Crvena zvezda, Lazio, Inter)

Top-scoring Serbian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Siniša Mihajlović celebrates a 2001 goal for Lazio©Getty Images

17: Borivoje Kostić (Crvena zvezda)
16: Dušan Tadić (Ajax)
12: Siniša Mihajlović (Vojvodina, Crvena zvezda, Lazio, Inter)
12: Dejan Savićević (Crvena zvezda, AC Milan, Rapid Wien)
12: Dejan Stanković (Lazio, Inter)
11: Predrag Djordjević (Olympiacos)
11: Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
11: Mateja Kežman (Partizan, PSV, Chelsea, Fenerbahçe, BATE Borisov)
11: Vladimir Kovačević (Partizan, Nantes)

Most appearances by Serbian players in UEFA club competition*

Saša Ilić in action for Partizan in 2003©AFP/Getty Images

129: Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
120: Dejan Stanković (Crvena zvezda, Lazio, Inter)
112: Branislav Ivanović (OFK Beograd, Lokomotiv Moskva, Chelsea, Zenit)
91: Mateja Kežman (Partizan, PSV, Chelsea, Fenerbahçe, Paris, BATE Borisov)
90: Nemanja Matić (Benfica, Chelsea, Man United, Roma)
88: Miralem Sulejmani (Heereneen, Ajax, Benfica, Young Boys)
85: Danko Lazović (Partizan, Feyenoord, Leverkusen, PSV, Zenit, Fehérvár)
84: Dušan Tadić (Vojvodina, Twente, Southampton, Ajax)
83: Predrag Djordjević (Olympiacos)
83: Aleksandar Kolarov (OFK Beograd, Lazio, Man City, Roma, Inter)

Top-scoring Serbian players in UEFA club competition*

Darko Kovačević celebrates a 2007 goal for Olympiacos©Getty Images

27: Darko Kovačević (Crvena zvezda, Real Sociedad, Juventus, Lazio, Olympiacos)
26: Mateja Kežman (Partizan, PSV, Chelsea, Fenerbahçe, Paris, BATE Borisov)
24: Dušan Tadić (Vojvodina, Twente, Southampton, Ajax)
21: Dejan Savićević (Crvena zvezda, AC Milan, Rapid Wien)
21: Dušan Savić (Crvena zvezda)
21: Nikola Žigić (Crvena zvezda, Valencia, Birmingham)
20: Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
20: Nenad Mirosavljević (Smederevo, Partizan, APOEL, Čukarički)
19: Miroslav Radović (Partizan, Legia Warszawa)
18: Danko Lazović (Partizan, Feyenoord, Leverkusen, PSV, Zenit, Fehérvár)

Notable firsts

Crvena zvezda celebrate winning the European Cup in 1991

First Serbians to play in a European Cup Winners' Cup final
Petar Radenković and Stevan Bena (West Ham 2-0 1860 München, 1964/65)

First Serbian club to reach the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final
Partizan (1965/66, lost 2-1 to Real Madrid)

First Serbian to appear in European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League win
Velibor Vasović (Ajax 2-0 Panathinaikos, 1970/71)

First Serbian to appear in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final win
Mladen Ramljak (Tottenham Hotspur 2-4 agg Feyenoord, 1973/74)

First Serbian club to reach the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Crvena zvezda (1978/79, lost 2-1 agg to Mönchengladbach)

Only Serbian club to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Crvena zvezda (1990/91, won 5-3 on pens after 0-0 draw with Marseille)

Only Serbian players to appear in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final winSiniša Mihajlović and Dejan Stanković (1998/99, Mallorca 1-2 Lazio)
Serbian coach Vujadin Boškov steered Sampdoria to glory in the 1989/90 Cup Winners' Cup

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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup

Stanković, Tadić, Savićević: Who are Serbia's top UEFA Champions League performers?

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Most appearances by Serbian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Top-scoring Serbian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Most appearances by Serbian players in UEFA club competition*

Top-scoring Serbian players in UEFA club competition*

Notable firsts