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Danilo Dončić

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Danilo Dončić
Dončić in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-08-20)20 August 1969
Place of birth Vranje, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Date of death 1 May 2024(2024-05-01) (aged 54)
Place of death Sofia, Bulgaria
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1981–1989 Beograd
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1990 Rudar Ljubija 23 (1)
1990–1992 Napredak Kruševac
1992–1993 Čukarički
1993–1994 Beograd
1994–1997 Valletta 63 (58)
1997–1999 Lokomotiv Sofia 49 (17)
1999–2001 Imortal DC 43 (6)
2001–2006 Sliema Wanderers 133 (93)
2006–2007 San Ġwann 6 (2)
Managerial career
2006–2007 San Ġwann
2007–2008 Floriana
2008–2010 Lokomotiv Sofia (assistant)
2010–2011 Kavala (assistant)
2011–2012 Sliema Wanderers
2012–2013 Tarxien Rainbows
2013–2014 Mosta
2014 St. Andrews
2014–2015 Al-Najma
2015–2016 Ethnikos Achnas
2016–2017 St. Andrews
2017–2019 Valletta
2022 Valletta
2023–2024 Lokomotiv Sofia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Danilo Dončić (Serbian Cyrillic: Данило Дончић; 20 August 1969 – 1 May 2024) was a Serbian football player and manager.

Early life

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Dončić was born in Vranje but spent most of his early life in Belgrade.[1] He started his youth football career with FK Beograd before joining his first professional football team, FK Rudar Ljubija playing back then in the Yugoslav Second League.

Playing career

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Dončić continued his professional career with famous Serbian football clubs FK Napredak Kruševac, FK Čukarički before returning to FK Beograd.[2] Having spent the majority of his early football career in Serbia, Dončić decided to try the international waters by joining Valletta where he won all possible Maltese Cups in one season 2006–07 and was the top scorer[3] in Malta by breaking the record of scoring 32 league goals in one season. He left Malta for one of the top Bulgarian clubs Lokomotiv Sofia and continued his career by moving to Portugal playing for Imortal DC. After that he spent five years playing for Sliema Wanderers where he won three league campaigns in a row and one trophy. In those years of his most success Dončić was three times top scorer of the Maltese Premier League. In total, he played eight years in Malta with a record of 196 games played and 151 goals scored. In May 2006 at the age of 37, Dončić retired from playing football.

Coaching career

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Dončić decided to concentrate on coaching and soon after he finished his career as a player, he started coaching the First Division Maltese team San Ġwann in 2006. In the consecutive season, he signed with Floriana as a head coach of this premier Maltese team. Floriana, a team with a successful football history placed fifth in the Premier league and was a semi-finalist in the Trophy for the same year.

Following this achievement, Dončić got invited by one of the best Serbian coaches, Dragan Okuka, where he accepted to become his first assistant coach in Dončić's ex-club Lokomotiv Sofia.[4][5][6] Subsequently, Dončić moved on to a top Greek league team Kavala together with Dragan Okuka. After some time, Okuka resigned and Dončić continued working with Henryk Kasperczak till the year 2011. At the same time, Dončić was contacted by Sliema Wanderers for the post of a head coach and he returned to Malta to take over his ex-team Sliema Wanderers from February 2011 till May 2012. For the remainder of 2012, Dončić coached Premier League team Tarxien Rainbows. His career continued with Mosta (2013–2014) and St. Andrews (2014 – autumn 2014) as a club manager.[7] With the start of the new football season Dončić decided to accept the offer of Al-Najma (2014–2015) on position of club manager.[8] Following a successful year at Al-Najma Dončić took the contract with Ethnikos Achnas (2015–2016). He was back to the Maltese Premier League after reaching an agreement with St. Andrews.[9][10]

In February 2022 Dončić came back to Valetta for a second spell as a manager, signing a contract until the end of the season.[11]

Death

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Dončić died of a heart attack in Sofia, on 1 May 2024, at the age of 54.[12]

Honours

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Valletta

Sliema Wanderers

References

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  1. ^ "Official website". Danilodoncic.com. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  2. ^ "UEFA Champions League – Danilo Doncic – UEFA.com". 2000.uefa.com. 20 August 1969. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  3. ^ Maltese Top Scorers List, The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation – archive
  4. ^ Doncic as Lokomotiv hit top gear, The Times of Malta – archive
  5. ^ Danilo Doncic to Take Up Coaching Role at Lokоmotiv Sofia, News.bg – archive
  6. ^ Сърбин поема Локомотив (Сф), Blitz.bg – archive
  7. ^ Danilo takes over as St. Andrews coach. Article Times of Malta
  8. ^ Danilo Lands Coaching Position in Bahrain Article Times of Malta Sep. 2014
  9. ^ Danilo Replaces Borg as Coach of St. Andrews Article Times of Malta Oct. 2016
  10. ^ Danilo Doncic Kowc Gdid Ta St.Andrews Article Esklussiva Oct. 2016
  11. ^ Camilleri, Valhmor (3 February 2022). "BOV PREMIER LEAGUEUpdated: Doncic starts his work at Valletta FC as Toze Mendes departs". SportsDesk. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  12. ^ Camilleri, Valhmor (1 May 2024). "Watch: Former Valletta FC and Sliema Wanderers legend Danilo Doncic dies, aged 54". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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