Dejan Milovanović
Serbian footballer (1984–2025)
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Dejan Milovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Миловановић; 21 January 1984 – 16 September 2025) was a Serbian professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
|
Milovanović with Lens in 2009 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dejan Milovanović | ||
| Date of birth | 21 January 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Date of death | 16 September 2025 (aged 41) | ||
| Place of death | Belgrade, Serbia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Red Star Belgrade | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2008 | Red Star Belgrade | 155 | (17) |
| 2008–2011 | Lens | 40 | (2) |
| 2010–2011 | → Red Star Belgrade (loan) | 18 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Panionios | 16 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Voždovac | 23 | (0) |
| Total | 252 | (22) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2007 | Serbia U21 | 23 | (6) |
| 2008 | Serbia | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Red Star Belgrade
Milovanović was a member of the talented 1984 generation, and was the first to become a first team player from that group. He made his debut for Red Star Belgrade on 17 November 2001 when he was 17. In that match Zvezda won against FK Zemun, the score finishing 2–0. He gathered the attention of the public on his debut, in a derby game against Partizan in which he worked his way past three players in fantastic style, scoring a goal that wrapped up the 3–0 victory.
Milovanović played for the Red Star Belgrade first team from 2001, becoming the captain of the club in 2006. He was also team captain of the Serbian under-21 team who finished second at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Netherlands. Milovanović played over 200 games for Red Star Belgrade and won three doubles.
Lens
On 4 July 2008, Milovanović officially signed a four-year contract with Lens for an undisclosed fee. Milovanović has been announced as one of the main new signings in the club's effort to return to the top French league. In the summer of 2010, Lens allowed Milovanović to return to his former club, Red Star, on a season-long loan with an option for a permanent deal.
Voždovac
Milovanović signed with newly promoted Serbian side FK Voždovac in August 2013.[1]
International career
Milovanović was capped twice for Serbia in 2008.[2] With Serbia U21 he played in three UEFA European Under-21 Championships, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. He has won two silver medals in these competitions. He was also part of the Serbia and Montenegro squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
He especially made a good impression in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Netherlands, carrying the captain's armband, on the way to the finals; in the first match he scored a winning goal against Italy.
Personal life
Dejan Milovanović was the son of Đorđe Milovanović, a member of Red Star Belgrade in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. Dejan was also the cousin of former Serbian international Branislav Ivanović.[3]
Death
Milovanović died from a heart attack on 16 September 2025, at the age of 41, after collapsing on the pitch during his veteran team football match in Belgrade.[4]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Red Star Belgrade | 2001–02 | Serbian SuperLiga | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | 26 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 34 | 5 | ||
| 2007–08 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 11 | ||
| Total | 155 | 17 | 27 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 207 | 24 | ||
| Lens | 2008–09 | Ligue 2 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
| Red Star Belgrade (loan) | 2010–11 | Serbian SuperLiga | 18 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| Panionios | 2011–12 | Super League Greece | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Voždovac | 2013–14 | Serbian SuperLiga | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Career total | 252 | 22 | 34 | 6 | 27 | 2 | 313 | 30 | ||
Honours
Red Star Belgrade
- First League of Serbia and Montenegro: 2003–04, 2005–06
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2006–07
- Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06
- Serbian Cup: 2006–07
Lens
Notes
- Includes Serbian Cup, Coupe de France, Greek Cup.
