Miodrag Knežević (Serbian Cyrillic: Миодраг Кнежевић; 22 August 1940 – 25 June 2022) was a Yugoslav and Serbian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miodrag Knežević | ||
| Date of birth | 22 August 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Aleksandrovac, Yugoslavia | ||
| Date of death | 25 June 2022 (aged 81) | ||
| Place of death | Niš, Serbia | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1960 | Napredak Aleksinac | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1971 | Radnički Niš | 291 | (1) |
| 1971–1972 | Partizan | 14 | (0) |
| 1974 | Radnički Niš | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 308 | (1) | |
| International career | |||
| 1966–1967 | Yugoslavia | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career edit
Born in Gornji Stupanj, a village near Aleksandrovac, Knežević went to school in Aleksinac and began playing football at local club Napredak.[2] He joined Yugoslav Second League side Radnički Niš in 1960, helping them win promotion to the Yugoslav First League in 1962.[3] Over the next nine seasons, Knežević established himself as the team's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, making over 250 appearances and scoring one goal in the top flight.
In 1971, Knežević was close to signing with Rapid Wien, but instead moved to Partizan.[4] He spent one season with the club before hanging up his boots. In March 1974, Knežević briefly came out of retirement and made three league appearances for Radnički Niš in the remainder of the 1973–74 season.[5]
International career edit
At international level, Knežević was capped twice for Yugoslavia between 1966 and 1967.[6]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Radnički Niš | 1960–61[7] | Yugoslav Second League | 14 | 0 |
| 1961–62[8] | Yugoslav Second League | 8 | 0 | |
| 1962–63 | Yugoslav First League | 25 | 0 | |
| 1963–64 | Yugoslav First League | 26 | 0 | |
| 1964–65 | Yugoslav First League | 28 | 0 | |
| 1965–66 | Yugoslav First League | 30 | 1 | |
| 1966–67 | Yugoslav First League | 30 | 0 | |
| 1967–68 | Yugoslav First League | 28 | 0 | |
| 1968–69 | Yugoslav First League | 34 | 0 | |
| 1969–70 | Yugoslav First League | 34 | 0 | |
| 1970–71 | Yugoslav First League | 34 | 0 | |
| Total | 291 | 1 | ||
| Partizan | 1971–72 | Yugoslav First League | 14 | 0 |
| Radnički Niš | 1973–74 | Yugoslav First League | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 308 | 1 | ||
International edit
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yugoslavia | 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
References edit
- ^ "Preminuo Miodrag Knežević, bivši golman niškog Radničkog" (in Serbian). rts.rs. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Sportski spomenar" (in Serbian). rts.rs. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "50 godina od ulaska Radničkog u Prvu ligu" (in Serbian). juznevesti.com. 3 June 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Miodrag Knežević" (in Serbian). partizanopedia.rs. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "1973/74: ЈЕСЕЊИ ПРВАК У ПОСЛЕДЊЕМ КОЛУ ИЗБОРИО ОПСТАНАК!" (in Serbian). gacikdesign.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Knežević Miodrag" (in Serbian). reprezentacija.rs. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "1960-61". historical-lineups.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "1961-62". historical-lineups.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Miodrag Knežević, international football player". 11v11.com. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
External links edit
- Miodrag Knežević at WorldFootball.net
- Miodrag Knežević at National-Football-Teams.com