Antonio Milić

Antonio Milić (Croatian pronunciation: [mǐlitɕ];[1] born 10 March 1994) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Belgian club R.S.C. Anderlecht.

Antonio Milić
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-03-10) 10 March 1994
Place of birth Split, Croatia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position(s) Defender, defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Anderlecht
Youth career
2002–2011 Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2015 Hajduk Split 57 (7)
2015–2018 KV Oostende 79 (7)
2018– Anderlecht 19 (0)
2019– → Rayo Vallecano (loan) 18 (0)
National team‡
2009–2010 Croatia U16 8 (1)
2010–2011 Croatia U17 11 (1)
2013 Croatia U19 1 (0)
2014–2015 Croatia U21 15 (3)
2018– Croatia 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 July 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 September 2018

Club career

Hajduk Split

A product of Hajduk Split academy, Krasimir Balakov handed Milić his first team minutes in the Croatian Cup match against Jadran Gunja but his first league appearance came off the bench on 26 November 2011, in a 2–1 won over Šibenik, aged just 17 years, 8 months and 16 days. He made only one other league appearances that season, also off the bench, but he made another two Cup appearances against Zagreb also. After manager Balakov left Hajduk, new manager Mišo Krstičević came to the Hajduk bench. Since Krstičević managed the Hajduk U-19 team before he knew how to use Milić for the next season. In June 2012 Antonio won the Croatian U-19 championship.

In the 2012–13 Prva HNL, he started as a first team regular. The team's manager, Mišo Krstičević, made Milić a much more stable member of the first team, often playing in the holding midfield role, but also playing as either a central defender or a central midfielder. He played a significant role in defeating Inter Milan 2–0 on San Siro in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. He showed great talent while playing in the Prva HNL, and many people consider him on becoming the leading Croatian defender. Antonio Milić and Josip Radošević together created the best double pivot couple in Prva HNL. During Hajduk's winter preparations, he suffered an injury, which kept him off the pitch for nearly two months but he returned and helped his team to reach the 2012–13 Croatian Cup final by scoring the equalizer goal in the away match against Slaven Belupo on Poljud. In May 2013 Antonio signed a new contract with Hajduk that would keep him with the club until 2015. In May 2013 he won the Croatian Cup.

Under new manager Igor Tudor, Antonio's role in the team changed and was somewhat reduced. He was deployed either at left back or at center back and made 22 appearances in all competitions.

Oostende

On 20 December 2014, it was announced that Milić will join the Belgian club K.V. Oostende for a fee of 500 thousand euros.

Anderlecht

After a great three-year display at Oostende, Milić was about to join Anderlecht at the end of January 2018, but failed to sign with them as the transfer could not be completed due to the end of the transfer window. On 22 May 2018, it was announced that Milić has signed a three-year contract with Anderlecht, along with his teammate Knowledge Musona.

Rayo Vallecano (loan)

On 30 August 2019, Milić joined Spanish Segunda División side Rayo Vallecano on a one-year loan deal.[2]

International career

He was called up to the senior Croatia squad for the first time for a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in October 2017.[3]

In August 2018 he was called up as a part of Croatia's UEFA Nations League squad for matches against Spain and England. On 6 September 2018, Milić earned his first cap for Croatia in an international friendly against Portugal.

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 30 July 2017
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hajduk Split 2011–12 Prva HNL 2030000050
2012–13 263422[lower-alpha 1]000325
2013–14 182202[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 2]0232
2014–15 112105[lower-alpha 1]000172
Total 5771029010779
Oostende 2014–15 Pro League 8100000081
2015–16 312100000322
2016–17 First Division A 28540001[lower-alpha 3]0335
2017–18 10001[lower-alpha 1]00020
Total 688501010758
Career total 125151521002015217
  1. Appearances in the Europa League
  2. Appearance in the Croatian Super Cup
  3. Appearance in the First Division A 'Europa League' play-offs

Honours

Hajduk Split

gollark: It's too javous.
gollark: `Clonotjvm`?
gollark: Or `PORTAL Obviously Really Terrible Acronym LISP`.
gollark: `PORTAL hOnestly Really Terrible Acronym LISP`
gollark: You could make `PORTAL` that.

References
  1. "mȉo". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 17 March 2018. Mìlić
  2. "Antonio Milic nuevo jugador del Rayo Vallecano" [Antonio Milic new player of Rayo Vallecano] (in Spanish). Rayo Vallecano. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  3. "Ukraine 0-2 Croatia". BBC. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
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