Zoran Tošić

Zoran Tošić (Serbian Cyrillic: Зоран Тошић; born 28 April 1987) is a Serbian footballer who plays for CSKA Moscow and the Serbia national team, primarily as a left winger. He has built a reputation as a free-kick specialist and a tricky dribbler.^[1]

Tošić began his career with his local side Proleter Zrenjanin. He then joined Budućnost Banatski Dvor, who then merged with Proleter to form Banat Zrenjanin. A year later, he signed for Serbian giants Partizan, for whom he played for two years before a high-profile move to Manchester United of England. After he struggled to break into the Red Devils first-team, he was sent on a six-month loan to German side 1. FC Köln in January 2010, and was then transferred to CSKA Moscow of Russia that summer.

A full international since 2007, Tošić has earned over 70 caps for Serbia. He was part of their teams at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Born in Zrenjanin, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, Tošić began his football career with Budućnost Banatski Dvor, before joining Banat Zrenjanin. In 25 appearances for Banat, Tošić scored two goals, and in doing so helped his team avoid relegation.

Tošić's performances both on the domestic scene with Banat and on the international scene with Serbia earned him glances from many clubs across Europe.^[2] On 6 August 2007, Tošić signed a four-year professional contract with Partizan. He made his Partizan debut in a 1–0 league win against Vojvodina at Stadion Karađorđe on 11 August, coming on as a 15th-minute substitute for injured Almami Moreira.

Manchester United

On 22 November 2008, the Daily Mail claimed that a deal had been agreed with his club for the midfielder to join Manchester United in the January 2009 transfer window.^[3] The deal was also subject to a successful work permit application as the player had not played the required 75% of his country's matches in the last year. On 28 November, there were reports that Tošić had been granted a work permit, with the transfer expected to go through at the start of the transfer window.^[4][5][6] Despite claims that negotiations had stalled over Tošić's personal terms, the transfer was finalised on 2 January 2009, with both Tošić and his Partizan teammate Adem Ljajić joining United. Tošić was given the number 14 shirt.^[7]

Tošić received his first taste of first team football on 20 January 2009, when he was named on the bench for United's League Cup semi-final second leg at home to Derby County.^[8] He made his debut in an FA Cup Fourth round match against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 January 2009, when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo.^[9] Tošić's league debut came three days later, on 27 January 2009, when he came on as a 77th-minute substitute for his friend Dimitar Berbatov in United's 5–0 win over West Bromwich Albion.^[10] Although he did not make many first team appearances in his first season at Manchester United, Tošić became a regular in the club's reserve team, helping the team to a second-place finish in the Premier Reserve League before scoring the winning goal in the final of the 2009 Manchester Senior Cup against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.^[11]

He scored his first senior goal for the club on 26 July 2009 in an 8–2 victory over Hangzhou Greentown during United's pre-season campaign in Asia.^[12]

In a Scottish newspaper interview in September 2012, Tošić stated that he regretted walking out on United.^[13]

Loan to Köln

On 27 January 2010, Tošić joined 1. FC Köln on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season.^[14] He made his debut three days later, coming on as a substitute for Taner Yalçın in the 54th minute of Köln's 2–1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt on 30 January.^[15] On 27 March 2010, Tošić scored his first two goals for Köln in his eighth appearance for them, in a 4–1 away win over Hannover.^[16] However, in his next league match a week later, he was sent off after two bookable offences in the space of 45 seconds, coming in a 3–0 home defeat at the hands of Hertha BSC.^[17] On 17 April 2010, after his one-game ban was over, Tošić returned to the squad and scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over VfL Bochum.^[18] After five months with Köln, he returned to Manchester United in June 2010.^[19]

CSKA Moscow

On 15 June 2010, Tošić was signed on a five-year contract by CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed fee,^[20] believed to be in the region of £8 million.^[21] On 15 August 2010, he scored his first goal for CSKA in a home match against Anzhi Makhachkala in the Premier League. Four days later, in his European debut for the Russian side, he scored two goals in a UEFA Europa League match at home to Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus, CSKA winning 4–0.^[22]

The Serbian midfielder started CSKA's match on 22 May 2011, helping the club to a 2–1 win over Alania Vladikavkaz in the 2011 Russian Cup Final, before being substituted in the 83rd minute for Lithuanian defender Deividas Šemberas.^[23] Three days later, he netted the final goal of a 3–0 victory over Krylia Sovetov Samara after Keisuke Honda had given the visitors a 2–0 lead.^[24]

Tošić opened the scoring against Spartak on 19 March 2012 as his side claimed a 2–1 victory thanks to a late Seydou Doumbia goal.^[25] He scored both goals on 28 April against city rivals Spartak Moscow, as CSKA again won 2–1 in front of 50,000 fans at the Luzhniki Stadium.^[26] He then scored two late goals against their other local rivals Lokomotiv Moscow on 2 May, propelling CSKA to a 3–1 victory on the penultimate matchday of the Championship Group of the Premier League season.^[27]

On 27 October 2013, Tošić scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 league victory for CSKA. Tošić scored the game's only goal as CSKA defeated rivals Lokomotiv on 15 May 2014 to secure a second successive Russian Premier League title.^[28]

International career

On the international scene, Tošić made his debut for the Serbia under-21 team on 23 March 2007, against Belgium. Four days later, against Portugal, he scored his first international goal. He also took part in Serbia's 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship campaign, in which they reached the final before losing out to the Netherlands.

On 31 August 2007, Tošić received his first call-up to the senior Serbia squad for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Finland and Portugal by national team manager Javier Clemente, and made his international debut in the Finland game. Tošić scored his first international goal on 12 August 2009 against South Africa in a friendly match. He scored twice in a 3–1 victory. He represented Serbia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and played a crucial role in Serbia's unsuccessful UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

On 11 October 2014, Tošić scored an added-time equaliser for a 1–1 draw away to Armenia in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.^[29]

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 December 2016^[30]

International

As of match played 15 November 2016

International goals

Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first.^[32]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	12 August 2009	Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa	South Africa	1–0	3–1	Friendly
2.				3–0
3.	14 October 2009	Sūduva Stadium, Marijampolė, Lithuania	Lithuania	1–1	1–2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.	3 March 2010	Stade du 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria	Algeria	3–0	3–0	Friendly
5.	9 February 2011	Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel	Israel	1–0	2–0	Friendly
6.	25 March 2011	Stadion Rajko Mitić, Belgrade, Serbia	Northern Ireland	2'–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
7.	6 September 2011	Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Faroe Islands	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
8.	11 September 2012	Karađorđe Stadium, Novi Sad, Serbia	Wales	2–0	6–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.	11 October 2014	Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
10.	14 November 2014	Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Denmark	1–0	1–3	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
11.	11 October 2015	Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	Portugal	1–1	1–2	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification

Honours

Club

Partizan

• Serbian SuperLiga (1): 2007–08
• Serbian Cup (1): 2007–08

CSKA Moscow

• Russian Premier League (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
• Russian Cup (2): 2010–11, 2012–13
• Russian Super Cup (1): 2013

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zoran Tošić.

• Zoran Tošić career statistics at Soccerbase
  
• Zoran Tošić at reprezentacija.rs
• Zoran Tošić profile at CSKA website

Serbia squads
Serbia squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Stojković (c) 2 Jovanović 3 Kolarov 4 Kačar 5 Rajković 6 Pavlović 7 Smiljanić 8 Gulan 9 Rakić 11 D. Tošić 12 Tadić 13 Fejsa 14 Mrdaković 15 Živković 16 Tomović 17 Z. Tošić 18 Stamenković 19 Kaluđerović Coach: Đukić Serbia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Stojković 2 Rukavina 3 Kolarov 4 Kačar 5 Vidić 6 Ivanović 7 Tošić 8 Lazović 9 Pantelić 10 Stanković (c) 11 Milijaš 12 Isailović 13 Luković 14 Jovanović 15 Žigić 16 Obradović 17 Krasić 18 Ninković 19 Petrović 20 Subotić 21 Mrđa 22 Kuzmanović 23 Đuričić Coach: Antić