Dejan Meleg

Dejan Meleg (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Мелег, born 1 October 1994 in Bački Jarak) is a Serbian footballer who plays for FK Radnički Niš on loan from Red Star Belgrade.

Dejan Meleg

Personal information
Full name	Dejan Meleg
Date of birth	(1994-10-01) 1 October 1994
Place of birth	Bački Jarak, FR Yugoslavia
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
–2012	Vojvodina
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2013	Vojvodina	7	(0)
2013–2015	Ajax	0	(0)
2013–2014	→ Jong Ajax	27	(12)
2014–2015	→ SC Cambuur (loan)	10	(1)
2015	→ Jong Ajax	3	(0)
2016–2017	Vojvodina	47	(14)
2017–2018	Kayserispor	0	(0)
2018– 2020	Red Star Belgrade	5	(0)
2019	→ Levadiakos (loan)	8	(0)
2019	→ Radnički Niš (loan)	21	(0)
National team^‡
2010–2011	Serbia U17	18	(9)
2011–2013	Serbia U19	5	(1)
2016–2017	Serbia U21	3	(0)
Honours UEFA Under-19 Championship 2013
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 February 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 March 2017

Club career

Vojvodina

Meleg made his professional debut with FK Vojvodina in a 0-3 loss against FK Partizan on September 29, 2012 at the age of 17. He was invited by Ajax to pass medical tests in Amsterdam as a precondition to signing with the Dutch powerhouse; the transfer, however, was up in the air as of December 19, 2012 since FK Vojvodina's president Ratko Butorović had a rift with the Swiss agency which has a certain share in Meleg's professional contract.[1]

Ajax

On January 16, 2013, Dutch media began reporting an agreement had been reached between Ajax and FK Vojvodina and Meleg signing a contract until 2016.[2] Just a week later, on January 23, 2013, it was finally announced by FK Vojvodina that Meleg signed for Ajax.[3] He made his debut for Ajax on 29 June 2013 in a 2013–14 pre-season friendly encounter against SDC Putten. Meleg scored the opening goal in the 17' minute to help Ajax to a 1–4 victory at the Sportpark Puttereng in Putten.[4]

Starting the 2013/14 season, left footed Dejan Meleg was enlisted with the reserves team Jong Ajax, who were newly promoted to the Dutch Eerste Divisie the second tier of professional football in the Netherlands. He made his debut on 16 August 2013 in a 1–0 loss to MVV Maastricht. On 3 September 2013 he scored both his first and second professional goal in the Netherlands playing for Jong Ajax against Jong PSV in a 4–2 away win.[5]

On 21 December 2015, 6 months before expiration, Ajax and Meleg reached an agreement for mutual termination of contract.[6]

SC Cambuur

On 10 July 2014, it was announced that Meleg would be sent on loan to SC Cambuur until the end of the season.[7] He made his Eredivisie debut on 9 August 2014 in a 1–1 draw against FC Twente at home.[8] He made his first appearance in the Dutch Cup on 24 September 2014 in a 4–0 away win against FC Den Bosch. On 6 March 2015 it was announced that Meleg's loan spell was terminated with immediate effect, seeing Meleg return to Amsterdam, having fallen out of favor in Leeuwarden.[9]

Return to Vojvodina

On 2 January 2016, Dejan re-signed for Vojvodina until June 2018.[10]

Kayserispor

On 28 June 2017, Meleg signed for Turkish side Kayserispor.[11]

Red Star Belgrade

On 12 June 2018, Meleg signed for Red Star Belgrade on a 3-year deal.

International career

Dejan Meleg has represented Serbia on various youth levels and currently plays for Serbia U19. He played for the Serbia U19 side that won the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[12]

Honours

International

Serbia under-19

• UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship (1): 2013

References

1. Sportski Zurnal (Serbian): Ајакс зове Дејана Мелега, Бутуровић суспендује 20 December 2012
2. - Ajax versterkt zich met Serviër Meleg 16 January 2013
3. FK Vojvodina (Serbian): DEJAN MELEG POTPISAO ZA AJAKS Archived 2013-02-13 at WebCite 23 January 2013
4. - Ajax wint magertjes in Putten
5. - 62' DOELPUNT DEJAN MELEG, JONG PSV- JONG AAX, 2-3
6. Ajax ontbindt contract met Meleg at nos.nl, 21-12-2015 (in Dutch)
7. - 'Ajax leent Servisch toptalent jaar uit aan Cambuur'
8. - Meleg mag dit seizoen alleen nog trainen bij Ajax
9. - Ook Meleg keert per direct terug naar Ajax
10. STEPANOV I MELEG PONOVO KOD KUĆE Archived 2017-11-10 at the Wayback Machine at FK Vojvodina official website, 2-1-2016 (in Serbian)
11. Dejan MELEG Kayserispor'umuzda Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine at Kayserispor official website, 28-6-2017 (in Turkish)
12. UEFA: Luković strike seals first Serbia triumph - August 1, 2013