Goran Bunjevčević

Goran Bunjevčević (Serbian Cyrillic: Горан Буњевчевић, pronounced [ɡǒran buɲêʋtʃeʋitɕ]; 17 February 1973 – 28 June 2018) was a Serbian footballer who played as a defender in Serbia, England and the Netherlands.

Goran Bunjevčević
Personal information
Full name Goran Bunjevčević
Date of birth (1973-02-17)17 February 1973
Place of birth Karlovac, SFR Yugoslavia
Date of death 28 June 2018(2018-06-28) (aged 45)
Place of death Belgrade, Serbia
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1992 BASK 14 (0)
1992–1994 Grafičar Belgrade 25 (1)
1994–1997 Rad Belgrade 76 (5)
1997–2001 Red Star Belgrade 125 (16)
2001–2006 Tottenham Hotspur 51 (0)
2006–2007 ADO Den Haag 23 (1)
Total 314 (23)
International career
1998–2003 FR Yugoslavia /
Serbia and Montenegro		 16 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Tottenham Hotspur

Bunjevčević joined Tottenham Hotspur in May 2001 from Red Star Belgrade for a reported fee of £5 million.[1][2] He made his Premier League debut on 18 August against Aston Villa in a 0–0 draw.[3] In September of the 2001–02 season Tottenham played Chelsea in the league and Bunjevčević suffered a fractured cheekbone which left him out of the squad till December.[2][4]

Starting only in League Cup matches, during the 2004–05 season he scored his only goals (two) for the club (in the 6–0 away defeat of Oldham Athletic on 22 September in the competition,[5] and a late equaliser in the 4–3 away win against Bolton Wanderers on 29 October that took the game into extra time).[6] He was released on 26 May 2006 after five years at White Hart Lane and making a total of 58 appearances in all competitions.[2]

ADO Den Haag

After release by Tottenham, Bunjevčević joined Dutch outfit ADO Den Haag. He played at the club for one season before retiring.[2]

International career

Bunjevčević was a member of the FR Yugoslavia side at the UEFA Euro 2000 but he did not appear in any matches. In total, he collected sixteen caps between 1998 and 2003 for the national side.

Administrative career

At the beginning of March 2008 he was named as Red Star Belgrade's sporting director, replacing Stevan Stojanović in the position.[7] Bunjevčević worked at the post under club president Toplica Spasojević. On 2 September 2008 Bunjevčević left Red Star Belgrade along with club president Spasojević.[8]

By December 2014, it had been 3 years since he became the chairman of FK Zemun.[9]

In May 2016, Bunjevčević was elected into an executive board of the Football Association of Serbia under a new president, Slaviša Kokeza.[10]

He became sport director of the association, managing among others the appointment of the national team coach.[11]

Personal life

His younger brother Mirko was also a footballer.

Death

On 20 May 2018, Bunjevčević suffered an aneurysm followed by a stroke and had to undergo emergency surgery.[12] While in hospital care, the Serbia national team at the FIFA World Cup beat Costa Rica 1–0, and the team captain and only scorer Aleksandar Kolarov dedicated the goal and the win to Bunjevčević.[13] On 28 June 2018, Bunjevčević died at the age of 45 after over a month in a coma.[14][15][2]

Career statistics

International
National teamYearAppsGoals
FR Yugoslavia 199810
199900
200090
200130
200210
Serbia and Montenegro 200320
Total160

Honours
Red Star Belgrade[2]

References
  1. "Spurs sign Bunjevcevic". BBC Sport. 29 June 2001. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  2. "Obituary – Goran Bunjevcevic". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  3. "Spurs held by Villa". BBC Sport. 18 August 2001. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  4. "Desailly sinks Spurs". BBC Sport. 16 September 2001. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  5. "Oldham 0–6 Tottenham". BBC Sport. 22 September 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  6. "Bolton 3–4 Tottenham (aet)". BBC Sport. 27 October 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  7. B92-Bunjevčević named as general manager of FC Red Star, 3 March 2008.
  8. Toplica i Bunja pobegli, Tana v.d. predsednik Archived 6 September 2012 at archive.today;mondo.rs, 2 September 2008.
  9. Bunjevčević: Ne sme da se zarađuje 100.000, a troši sedam miliona at Večernje novosti, 20 December 2014.(in Serbian)
  10. "Football Association of Serbia has new president". B92.net. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  11. Milosavljevic, Zoran. "Serbia name caretaker Krstajic as permanent coach". U.K. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  12. "Goran Bunjevcevic: Former Tottenham defender dies aged 45". BBC Sport. 29 June 2018.
  13. "Serbia captain dedicates World Cup goal to ailing official". Associated Press. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  14. "Preminuo Goran Bunjevčević". sport.blic.rs. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  15. "FOOTBALL MOURNS Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Goran Bunjevcevic dies, aged 45". TalkSport. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
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