Stanković began his career atRed Star Belgrade before joiningLazio in 1998. He spent more than five years with the latter club before joiningInter Milan, where he remained until his retirement in 2013. Stanković is the only man to represent three differently named nations atFIFA World Cups –Yugoslavia,Serbia and Montenegro andSerbia.[4]
Stanković grew up inZemun, a municipality ofBelgrade.[5] Both of his parents, Borislav and Dragica, have strong football backgrounds.[6][7] Stanković began playing football forFK Teleoptik, based in his neighbourhood of Zemun.[5] When spotted by Red Star cadet squad coachBranko Radović, however, 14-year-old Dejan transferred toRed Star Belgrade's youth system.[8] Stanković then passed every age category at his hometown club.[9][2] In the youth teams, he was coached byVladimir Petrović,[7] playing alongside future professionalsNikola Lazetić andNenad Lalatović.[10]
During the1994–95 season, Stanković's debut opportunity for first-team action came under head coachLjupko Petrović against crosstown rivalsOFK Beograd on 11 February 1995, becoming the youngest player to debut with Red Star at senior level.[10][7] Fighting for a spot on the team led by, among others,Rambo Petković,Darko Kovačević, andNebojša Krupniković,[11] 16-year-old Stanković made seven league appearances that season as the team won theleague title.[5] He scored his first goal againstBudućnost Podgorica, becoming the youngest goalscorer in Red Star history as well as a first-team regular and a fan favourite.[5][7]
During the early 1990s, Red Star was under an international ban because of aUnited Nations sanction imposed onFR Yugoslavia, meaning that the team could not compete in any European competition.[12][13] The ban was lifted ahead of the 1995–96 season,[13] and just a year later Stanković debuted in a European competition in two-leg victory over1. FC Kaiserslautern in theCup Winners' Cup.[5]
Before the start of the 1997–98 season, he was made squad captain at the age of 19, the youngest ever in the club's history.[7] Despite not winning the league, he captained the team to two domestic cup victories.
Although Lazio had suffered from financial issues since 2001 and had been forced to sell some of its best players,[17][18][19] Stanković began the 2003–04 season at Lazio. In January 2004,Juventus were favorites in the chase for the Serb's signature, with even some preliminary paperwork reportedly signed between the two parties in early January 2004,[20] but the player eventually chose Inter. He was signed as part of a deal worth €4 million, that also sent Macedonian internationalGoran Pandev in the opposite direction.[21][22]
In early February 2004, Stanković played his debut for Inter under head coachAlberto Zaccheroni, a Serie A clash at home againstSiena that ended 4–0.[23] On 21 February 2004, he scored a spectacular goal directly from a corner kick to put Inter 1–0 up in theDerby della Madonnina versus fierce rivalsMilan.[24] Inter finished the league season in fourth place, thus qualifying for Champions League.[25] Still, Inter presidentMassimo Moratti was not convinced with Zaccheroni, who quit at the end of the season because of a feeling of distrust;[26][27]Mancini was then brought in by Moratti from the financial shipwreck at Lazio.[28][26][27] In the summer of 2004, Stanković reunited with another familiar face from Lazio:Siniša Mihajlović.[29]
On 7 May 2006, Stanković played his 100th match for Inter.[30] Coming off the summer appearance at the2006 World Cup,[31] he carried excellent form right from the start of the2006–07 Serie A campaign, scoring some decisive goals. His double againstCatania[32] and his memorable goal against city rivals Milan[33] only further enhanced his central role in a team that will win the league in a record-breaking season.[5] He renewed his contract on 2 February 2007, with Inter securing his services until at least 2010.[31]
With the June 2008 arrival ofJosé Mourinho to replace Mancini as Inter's head coach, there was much press speculation about Stanković's exit from theNerazzuri (along withAdriano,David Suazo andNicolás Burdisso) being imminent, due to reportedly not being held in high regard by the newly arrived Portuguese coach as well as the strong connection the Serbian midfielder had with the previous coach.[34][2][5][7] Then in late June, after reports that Stanković was told by Mourinho that he would not be allowed to show up for the pre-season training inSouth Tyrol,[35] and more reports on the interest of Juventus, it seemed that Stanković was definitely on his way out.[35][34][5] The press reports of Stanković's pending arrival to Juventus, sparked the club's fans into protests and online petitions, as they would neither forgive his turning down the club back in January 2004, nor his exuberant public celebrations after the 2005–06 Serie A title that was stripped from Juventus and handed to Inter following theCalciopoli scandal.[36] The Juve deal fell through within days for a variety of other reasons,[37] and Stanković was suddenly reported to be happy to stay at Inter.[38] However, the transfer talk was temporarily reignited again by Mourinho's suggestion in mid-July 2008 that "Stanković was not the same player that he was at Lazio".[39][40]
Stanković, however, remained with the club to fight for a spot on Mourinho's team.[7] On 19 October 2008, Stanković scored a superb goal in Inter's 4–0 hammering ofLuciano Spalletti'sRoma away at theStadio Olimpico. After receiving a pass fromSulley Muntari, he drove the ball past the Roma goalkeeper into the net, his 24th goal in all competitions for theNerazzuri, thus ending a year-long goal drought.[41] In the interviews after the match, Stanković talked of his joy to be fully back on form following the injury-prone previous season, also thanking Mourinho for giving him an opportunity, even after the two did not get off on the right foot during the summer pre-season.[42] In December 2008, Stanković, by now an irreplaceable part of Mourinho's midfield,[7] gave another display of his rediscovered form versusChievo at home: first with a through-pass toMaxwell for the game's opening goal, followed by a goal of his own for 2–0 with a first time shot from the edge of the penalty area, and finally an assist from the right wing toZlatan Ibrahimović as Inter recorded a 4–2 win.[43][44]
On 7 February 2009, Stanković celebrated his 200th appearance for Inter in all competitions at the away game versusLecce.[45] Inter hammered the newly promoted team 3–0, with Stanković heading in the third goal, following a slick free-kick cross fromMaicon.[45] Stanković's season-long good form continued, as he scored Inter's second goal against Milan in the 270th Milan Derby on 15 February.[46] This turned out to be the winning goal, afterAlexandre Pato had pulled one back.[46] Inter went on to win a fourth consecutive title.[47]
In the Champions League, Inter limped into the second round, after losing their final twogroup stage matches againstPanathinaikos andWerder Bremen.[48][49] In the first elimination round (round of 16), they lost to Manchester United in a hard-fought tie.[50] Stanković played the full 90 minutes in the first leg at San Siro, putting in a very active display.[51][52] In the return atOld Trafford, Stanković started the match and had a lively first half, with two missed opportunities to score.[53] In the 58th minute, with United leading 2–0, and Inter forced to chase the result, Mourinho took Stanković off and inserted strikerAdriano.[54]
The 2009–10 season began well for Stanković. In the Milan derby on 29 August, he played in a deeper role to replace the injuredEsteban Cambiasso.[55][56] Nevertheless, he scored Inter's fourth goal and his second in consecutive Milan derbies in a 4–0 thrashing, a spectacular 30-yard strike after quickly collecting Sulley Muntari's pass.[57][58] He subsequently scored againstRubin Kazan andUdinese to continue his rich vein of form under José Mourinho.[59][60]
He also scored a wonder goal from 54 metres out in a 5–0 thrashing againstGenoa, volleying the ball straight in fromMarco Amelia's clearance.[61][62] At the end of the season, Stanković won an historicaltreble with Inter, conquering the 2009–10Serie A,Coppa Italia andChampions League.[63][7]
Playing under new head coachRafael Benítez, Stanković continued his usual midfield role. On 28 November 2010, Stanković netted a hat-trick in an emphatic 5–2 victory overParma at the San Siro.[64]
At the2010 FIFA Club World Cup inAbu Dhabi in mid-December, Stanković played an excellent semi-final againstSeongnam, scoring the opening goal and performing well.[65] Despite this, however, Benítez decided to bench the midfielder for thefinal versusTP Mazembe, only bringing him on forChristian Chivu in the 54th minute.[66] Benítez was soon sacked despite winning the trophy, and a couple of weeks later, Stanković expressed his dismay at Spaniard's decision to leave him on the bench for the final.[67] On the same occasion, despite publicly backing the beleaguered coach months earlier,[68] Stanković stated that Benítez simply "didn't work" at Inter.[69]
Under newly arrived head coachLeonardo,[70] Stanković continued his role in midfield. Stanković scored his first goal under the new coach at home versus Bologna in mid-January,[71] and then continued with the same form away at Udinese, scoring the opening goal in a match that Inter lost 3–1.[72] InCoppa Italia quarter-final atNapoli on 26 January, Stanković injured his thigh muscle.[73] He returned for a Serie A match atSampdoria on 27 February, as Inter won 2–0.[74] Inter made good recovery chasing the league-leaders Milan, getting within two points of them ahead of Milan derby,[75] but lost disastrously 0–3.[76]
Stanković scored a spectacular volley from the halfway line againstSchalke 04 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on 5 April 2011, as goalkeeperManuel Neuer ran out of the box to make a daring header clearance that made it up to the halfway line, leaving an open goal as a target for Stanković's firm first-time volley. Inter, however, would lose that match 2–5 at home.[77][78] On 19 April, in theCoppa Italia semi-final first leg, Stanković scored the winning goal with another spectacular long-range effort, hitting a sweet outside foot volley past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper.[79] Stanković played the full 90 in the2011 Coppa Italia Final,[80] winning his last trophy with Inter.[81]
Stanković played two additional seasons at Inter without reaching the same heights.[5] On 6 July 2013, he announced his goodbye to Inter fans via a letter published on the club's official website.[82] He made a total of 326 appearances with Inter, scoring 42 goals.[81] In 2019, he was inducted intoInter Milan Hall of Fame.[83]
Stanković made his international debut for theFR Yugoslavia team againstSouth Korea on 22 April 1998, scoring two goals in a 6–1 victory.[84] He represented the FR Yugoslavia national team at the1998 World Cup andEuro 2000,[31] soon establishing himself as an important player.[7]
The Yugoslav team was renamed Serbia and Montenegro by the time2006 World Cup qualifying started.[85] Stanković played all games but last one, scoring two goals.[31][86] At the2006 FIFA World Cup, he was given the number 10 shirt andSavo Milošević captained the new Serbia and Montenegro team in their first World Cup,[87][88] but they failed to progress to the knock-out rounds after losing all their group matches to theIvory Coast,Argentina and theNetherlands.[89] After Milošević retired, the midfielder took over ascaptain of the reformedSerbia national team, following the breakup of Serbia and Montenegro.
In June 2010, Stanković was selected in Serbia's squad for the2010 FIFA World Cup,[92] where he played every minute ingroup stage. Their second match was a shocking 1–0 victory againstGermany,[93][94] but they failed to progress to the next round due to narrow losses againstGhana andAustralia.[95][96]
After captaining the team in a 1–0 loss in the final match of theUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying phase againstSlovenia,[97] Stanković announced his retirement from international football after 13 years since his debut against South Korea in 1998.[31][98] He played a testimonial match two years later, becoming the most capped player in the history of Serbia (103),[99] playing one more match thanSavo Milošević.[100] The match was played against Japan, in which he played until the tenth minute, making room forIvan Radovanović.[101][102] He received a standing ovation as he said his final goodbye to football.[102] Serbia went on to win the match 2–0.[101]
A talented player,[84] A formerdefender,[103] Stanković usually played as anattacking midfielder;[84] however, he was a versatile and well-rounded player who was capable of operating in many different positions,[84][103] and made a name for himself as a player who could also play out wide on thewings or track back in adefensive midfield role.[104] He was also capable of playing in thecentre of the pitch in abox-to-box role.[105][106] A tenacious and hard-working player, "Deki", as he is nicknamed,[107][108] was best known for his efficient, accurate passing, versatility and creativity, as well as his ability to score goals, in particular from long distance, courtesy of his striking ability with his right foot;[84][106][109][110][111][112] he was also effective in the air,[84][111] and was capable making late runs into the box.[113] He was also known for his pace, skill, and influence on the pitch,[84][114] as well as his composure.[115] In his prime, he was considered to be one of the best players in European football.[103] Despite his ability, however, he was occasionally criticised in the media for being inconsistent.[116]
In 2020–21, Red Star Belgrade went unbeaten through the whole league season, winning 35 of 38 fixtures, while scoring a record-breaking 114 goals.[120] On 25 May, the club also won theSerbian Cup through a 4–3 win on penalties (0–0 after full time) against Partizan in the final.[121] Together withHoffenheim, they advanced through the group stage of the2020–21 UEFA Europa League, eliminatingSlovan Liberec andGent in the process.[citation needed] The club was knocked out in the round of 32 by Italian clubMilan on away goals after the tie ended 3–3 on aggregate.[122]
On 6 October 2022, Stanković signed a contract until the end of the season with strugglingSerie A clubSampdoria.[124][125] He left Sampdoria by the end of season, after failing to save the team from relegation in a situation aggravated by financial struggles.
In an interview withLa Gazzetta dello Sport, it was a big achievement to draw twice withACF Fiorentina and being the coach of Ferencváros teaches him to handle stress as a football manager.[129]
On 16 May 2024,Russian Premier League clubSpartak Moscow announced they signed a two-year contract with Stanković, beginning in the 2024–25 season, he would not be coaching the remaining 2023–24 games.[134] On 11 November 2025, Stanković left Spartak by mutual consent, with the club in 6th place.[135]
Stanković was born in Belgrade, present day Serbia, to Borislav and Dragica and has a brother Siniša.[136][137] He was married to Ana Ačimovič, whom he met at the age of 19, and who is a sister of former professional footballerMilenko Ačimovič, Stanković's former teammate at Red Star.[136][137] The pair has three sons; Stefan (b. 2000),Filip (b. 2002) andAleksandar (b. 2005).[136][137] All of his three sons were members ofInter Milan football academy.[136][137]
Stanković is married to Slovene journalist Anita Bojanić.[138] On 19 January 2025, their daughter Anđela was born.[139]
^abc"Serbia: Dejan Stankovic".Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (in Italian). 30 April 2010.Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved12 May 2019.