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Serbian footballer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zoran Rajović (Serbian Cyrillic: Зоран Рајовић; born 28 October 1979) is a Serbian football coach and former player.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 28 October 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Vinkovci, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
Vojvodina | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1997–1999 | Vojvodina | 1 | (0) |
1998 | → Vrbas (loan) | 15 | (4) |
1999 | → Vrbas (loan) | 4 | (1) |
1999–2000 | Beroe Stara Zagora | 19 | (4) |
2001 | Dalian Shide | ||
2002 | Vojvodina | 2 | (0) |
2002–2004 | Glasinac Sokolac | 52 | (27) |
2004–2005 | Zrinjski Mostar | 30 | (17) |
2005 | Ashdod | ||
2005–2006 | Hapoel Kfar Saba | ||
2006 | Ethnikos Piraeus | 8 | (0) |
2007–2008 | Zrinjski Mostar | 31 | (13) |
2008–2009 | Hajduk Kula | 27 | (6) |
2009 | Olimpik Sarajevo | 8 | (2) |
2010 | Diagoras | 3 | (0) |
2010 | Leotar | 8 | (2) |
2011 | Rudar Prijedor | 7 | (0) |
2011 | BEC Tero Sasana | ||
2012 | Serbian White Eagles | 22 | (18) |
2013 | Yadanarbon | ||
2013–2014 | Modriča | ||
2014–2015 | Orašje | 22 | (8) |
2015 | Mladost Antin | 4 | (0) |
2016 | Orašje | 7 | (2) |
2018–2020 | Scarborough SC | 22 | (8) |
2021 | Serbian White Eagles | ||
International career | |||
1997 | FR Yugoslavia U18 | 1 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2018–2020 | Scarborough SC (player-coach) | ||
2021–2022 | Serbian White Eagles | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Born in Vinkovci, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia, Rajović moved to Vojvodina at an early age. He was later sent on loan to Vrbas on two separate occasions.[1] In the summer of 1999, Rajović moved to Bulgaria and joined Beroe Stara Zagora.[2] He scored four league goals in 19 appearances, as the club avoided relegation from the top flight.[2] In 2001, he played in Asia with Dalian Shide in the Chinese Super League.[3] After a season in East Asia, he returned to the First League of FR Yugoslavia with Vojvodina.
In 2002, Rajović played in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Glasinac Sokolac.[4][5][6] After the relegation of Sokolac, he secured a contract with league rivals Zrinjski Mostar.[7][8] In his debut season with the club, he finished as the Premier League top scorer with 17 goals.[9] He also helped the club secure their first Premier League title.[10]
After his championship season, he originally ventured out to the Middle East to play in the Israeli Premier League with Ashdod.[11] Throughout his time with Ashdod, he made his first appearance in a continental tournament by participating in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup.[12] He completed the season with league rivals Hapoel Kfar Saba.[13][11]
In 2006, he returned to Europe to play in the Beta Ethniki with Ethnikos Piraeus.[11]
Following his spells throughout Europe, Rajović returned to his former club Zrinjski Mostar in the winter of 2008.[14] During his second tenure with Zrinjski, he featured in his second continental tournament in matches against Partizan, and FK Rabotnički.[15] He also assisted the club in securing the Bosnian Cup.[14] He spent the next season in the Serbian SuperLiga with Hajduk Kula.[16]
In the summer of 2009, he was originally linked with a move to Borac Banja Luka but he ultimately secured a deal with Bosnian side Olimpik Sarajevo.[17][18] After a short stint in the country's capital, he departed during the winter transfer market.[19] He returned to Greece to play in the second division with Diagoras.[20] Shortly after his contract was terminated by the club.[21]
After a brief stint in Greece, he returned to the Bosnian premier league in the summer of 2010 to sign with Leotar.[22] His tenure with Leotar was short-lived as his contract was mutually terminated in the winter of 2011.[23] League rivals Rudar Prijedor acquired Rajović for the remainder of the season.[24][25] He left Rudar after the conclusion of the season.[26]
In 2011, Rajović returned to Asia to play with BEC Tero Sasana in the Thai Premier League.[27]
In 2012, he played in the Canadian Soccer League with the Serbian White Eagles.[28][29] In his debut season in the inter-provincial league, he finished the campaign as the club's top goal scorer with 18 goals from 22 appearances.[28] On the club side, he helped the team secure a playoff berth by finishing sixth in the league's first division.[30] In the opening round of the postseason, the western Toronto side defeated SC Toronto.[31] Ultimately, the Serbs were eliminated from the competition in the semifinal round by rivals Toronto Croatia.[32]
In early 2013, Rajović returned to the Indochina region, where he played in the Myanmar National League with Yadanarbon.[33] For the remainder of the 2013–14 season, he returned to the Bosnian second-tier to sign with Modriča.[34] Following a season with Modriča, he was transferred to Orašje.[35] He had a brief stint in the regional Croatian circuit with Mladost Antin for the first portion of the 2015–16 season.[36] Rajović returned for the remainder of the campaign to his former club Orašje.[37]
In 2018, he returned to the Canadian circuit to become a player-coach for Scarborough SC.[38] Where he won the league championship in 2019.[39]
At the international level, Rajović was capped for FR Yugoslavia at under-18 level.[40] He also featured in two unofficial matches for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2018, he was appointed as a player-coach for Scarborough SC in the Canadian Soccer League.[41] In his debut season as a manager, he led the Toronto side to a playoff berth by finishing fourth in the first division. They would defeat Hamilton City in the opening round of the postseason.[42] In the next round, Scarborough successfully defeated FC Ukraine United to qualify for the CSL Championship final.[43] Scarborough would face Vorkuta in the championship finals, where they were defeated in a penalty shootout.[44]
The following season the club finished as runners-up in the division and secured a postseason berth.[45] In the playoffs, Rajović led the eastern Toronto team to the championship finals for the second consecutive season where they defeated Ukraine United.[46][47] In 2020, he secured the club's first divisional title.[48] For the third consecutive time, he led the club to the championship finals where they were defeated by Vorkuta.[49][39]
In 2021, Rajović became the assistant coach for the Serbian White Eagles, and shortly after was promoted to head coach.[50] He helped the team clinch a playoff berth and was eliminated in the first round by his former club Scarborough.[50] He held this position until April 2022.[51]
He holds Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian-Herzegovinian passports. His father is former Dinamo Vinkovci player Milorad Rajović. Rajović was the agent of footballer Stefan Mitrović.[52][5]
Zrinjski Mostar
Individual
Scarborough SC
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