 Iličić withSlovenia in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Josip Iličić[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-01-29)29 January 1988 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Prijedor, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Koper | ||
| Number | 72 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2006 | Triglav Kranj | ||
| 2006–2007 | Britof | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Bonifika | 24 | (3) |
| 2008–2010 | Interblock | 55 | (12) |
| 2010 | Maribor | 5 | (1) |
| 2010–2013 | Palermo | 98 | (20) |
| 2013–2017 | Fiorentina | 105 | (29) |
| 2017–2022 | Atalanta | 136 | (47) |
| 2022–2025 | Maribor | 62 | (11) |
| 2025– | Koper | 2 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2008–2010 | Slovenia U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Slovenia U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2024 | Slovenia | 86 | (17) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 August 2025 | |||
Josip Iličić (Croatian pronunciation:[jǒsipǐlitʃitɕ];[3][4] born 29 January 1988) is a Slovenian professionalfootballer who plays forSlovenian PrvaLiga clubKoper. Primarily anattacking midfielder, he can also play as awinger orforward.
Iličić began his professional career with Slovenian clubBonifika, later also playing forInterblock andMaribor in his home country, before moving to Italy in 2010 to joinPalermo. In 2013, he signed forFiorentina, and subsequently forAtalanta in 2017. After spending twelve years in Italy, Iličić returned to Maribor in 2022.
Iličić enjoyed his best time as a professional footballer with Atalanta, scoring eleven or more league goals in each of his first three years at the club, and was awarded a spot in the 2018–19Serie A Team of the Year. He became the first player to ever score four away goals in aUEFA Champions League knockout match, doing so againstValencia in 2020, which also made him the oldest player to score four goals at this stage of the competition.
Iličić made his senior debut for theSlovenia national team in August 2010, in afriendly match againstAustralia. Three years after his debut, in September 2013, he scored his first international goal againstCyprus. Overall, he earned 86caps for Slovenia, and represented the side atUEFA Euro 2024.
Born inPrijedor,SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iličić started his career playing in the youth teams ofTriglav Kranj and later Britof.[5] At the age of 19, he moved toSC Bonifika, where he played for a season in theSlovenian Second League. It was there when his talent was spotted byInterblock, where he stayed for two seasons playing in theSlovenian top division. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Interblock was relegated to the Second League after losing the relegation play-offs against Triglav. Despite being one of the best players of his club and one of the top prospects of Slovenian football Iličić finished the season as a reserve.[6]
Aged 21, Iličić contemplated an idea of finishing his playing career altogether. He wanted to return tofutsal, his passion, and to find a job, however, a few weeks later he received a phone call fromZlatko Zahovič, the director of football atMaribor, who proposed he should sign for the club.[7] In a life changing decision, Iličić took the offer immediately and moved to Slovenia's second largest city, where he made a big impact from the start as he scored twice in theUEFA Europa League qualifying match againstScottish Premier League clubHibernian in July 2010.[8] He then scored again, in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff round against SicilianPalermo, which ended in a 3–2 win for the Slovenian side. On the very next day, it was confirmed that Palermo had acquired Iličić and teammateArmin Bačinović from Maribor for a permanent move.[9] The transfer fee paid by Palermo was undisclosed, but it was reported to be around €2.3 million.[10]
Iličić debuted for Palermo in theSerie A on 12 September 2010 againstBrescia, replacingGiulio Migliaccio in the second half.[11] In the next round, he was already a starter and scored his first goal for Palermo at home against reigning championsInternazionale.[12] Only four days later, on 23 September 2010, he scored his second goal of the season, this time against another Italian giantJuventus.[13] His good performances against top Italian teams continued when he scored a goal againstFiorentina on 3 October 2010,[14][15] and againstRoma on 28 November 2010.[16]
On 20 June 2011, Iličić signed a new five-year contract.[17] He changed his shirt number to 27 on 16 August 2011.[18] However, in the 2011–12 season Iličić struggled to make an impact mostly due toJavier Pastore – Iličić's attacking midfield partner – being sold in a record bid toParis Saint-Germain, and Iličić provided only two goals as a result. Despite that, he was confirmed for the 2012–13 season as well, being paired with new signingFranco Brienza in a 3–4–2–1 formation by new head coachGian Piero Gasperini. Iličić's top moment of the season came on 24 November 2012, when he scored a winning brace in a 3–1 home win for a struggling Palermo side against Catania in theSicilian derby.
On 23 July 2013, Palermo officially confirmed the sale of Iličić to Serie A rivals Fiorentina on their website. Later, the deal was officially announced by Fiorentina on their website.[19] The transfer fee was undisclosed, reported to be in the sum of €9 million including add-ons.[20] He scored six goals in his first season at Fiorentina. The 2014–15 season was more successful for him, finishing as the club's top scorer with ten goals in all competitions, along withMario Gómez.
.jpg)
On 5 July 2017,Atalanta signed Iličić from Fiorentina for a reported fee of €5.5 million after Fiorentina declined to offer him a contract extension.[21][22] Iličić made an immediate impact in his first year at Atalanta, scoring 11 times in a seventh-place finish.
The following year, he scored twelve times in a historic season as Atalanta finished third in the Serie A, earning them a spot in the2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time.[23] He was also awarded a spot in the 2018–19Serie A Team of the Year along with teammateDuván Zapata.[24]
On 25 January 2020, Iličić scored ahat-trick, which included a free kick goal from the halfway line, in a 7–0 victory overTorino.[25] Two months later, on 10 March, he scored all four of Atalanta's goals in the2019–20 UEFA Champions league round of 16 match againstValencia, to secure a 4–3 win and help Atalanta progress to the quarter-finals. He became the first player in the history of the competition to score four goals in an away tie of a knockout stage match, and the oldest player at the time to score four goals in a single match in the competition at the age of 32 years and 41 days, surpassingZlatan Ibrahimović.[26][27] Iličić also received UEFA's Player of the Week award after the Champions League round of 16 matches.[28] Later in 2020, Iličić was nominated for the UEFA 50 Men's Team of the Year.[29]
After spending five years with the club, his contract with Atalanta was terminated by mutual consent on 31 August 2022.[30] Overall, Iličić made 173 appearances for Atalanta and scored 60 goals.[30]
After twelve years of playing in Serie A, Iličić returned to Slovenia and joined his former club Maribor on 5 October 2022, signing a contract until June 2025.[31] He made his second debut for Maribor a month later, on 6 November, in a 5–1 home win overMura, where he also scored Maribor's fifth goal from the penalty spot.[32]
In June 2025, after his contract with Maribor expired, Iličić signed for fellow Slovenian top division sideKoper.[33]
Iličić made his international debut with the Slovenia under-20 team in October 2008 in a match againstCroatia. Overall, he made four appearances for the team, all of them in the Mirop Cup.[34] He also played for theunder-21 team between 2009 and 2010, including two appearances in thequalifiers for the2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[35]
Iličić missed out on the2010 FIFA World Cup but made his debut for thesenior team in afriendly match againstAustralia on 11 August 2010.[36] He scored his first international goal on 10 September 2013 againstCyprus.[37]
In May 2024, Iličić was included in the preliminary squad forUEFA Euro 2024, ending his two-and-a-half years absence from the national team.[38] The following month, he was selected in the final 26-man squad for the tournament.[39][40] Iličić made his European Championship debut on 25 June, coming off the bench in the last group stage match againstEngland, which ended in a goalless draw as Slovenia advanced from the group stage for the first time.[41]
A predominantly left-footed player,[42][43] Iličić is capable of playing as asecond striker,[43][44] as awide midfielder orwinger on either flank,[45] or even in a central role as an attacking midfielder in a4–2–3–1 or4–3–1–2 system.[42][46][47] His former Palermo coach,Bortolo Mutti, believed that the4–3–3 system was the perfect formation for his characteristics, as it allowed him to be deployed on the right flank, a position from which he could cut inside and strike on goal with his stronger left foot.[48] He has also been deployed as acentral midfielder on occasion, although this is not his preferred position.[49] During his time at Atalanta, he has often been used in a freeadvanced role in a fluid3–4–3 formation under manager Gian Piero Gasperini.[50][51]
A powerful and accurate striker of the ball with either foot, in particular from distance, he is highly regarded for his touch on the ball, technique,dribbling skills, and creativity, as well as his physical strength, leadership, strong personality, and instinctive play on the pitch;[43][52][53][54][55][56][57] he is also known for his use offeints, in particular the back-heel move,[58][59][60] and is an accurateset piece andpenalty taker.[61][62][63] While he is known for his composure, ability to find space, and eye for goal, he is also an excellentplaymaker andassist provider, courtesy of his vision,crossing, and precise passing ability, in particular with the outside of his boot, which enables him to contribute to his team's offensive plays effectively by creating goalscoring chances for himself or his teammates.[54][64][65][66][67][68] Moreover, he is a hard-working player, who possesses quick feet, poise, and elegance in possession, despite his tall stature, athletic build, and lack of significant pace or acceleration.[52][53][69] Despite his talent and ability, he has been accused by certain pundits of being inconsistent at times, and has also drawn criticism over his difficult character, defensive positioning, and tactical awareness, in particular in his youth, although he was able to improve on the mental aspect of his game as he matured and his career progressed, which saw him reach his prime and maintain a consistent level of performance into his early 30s.[50][53][54][68][69] His playing style and speed of thought has earned him the nicknameIl Professore ("The Professor") in the Italian media.[70]
Josip Iličić was born inPrijedor, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and moved toKranj, present-day Slovenia when he was only one year old, together with his mother Ana and brother Igor, after his father was killed.[71] Iličić was once asked in an interview if he would be interested in playing forCroatia national team, due to hisCroatian ancestry, but he replied that he would have never accepted the offer due to the fact he had lived in Slovenia his whole life.[72] Later, he made a similar comment regardingBosnia and Herzegovina, the country where he was born.[73]
In 2020 he suffered fromdepression due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[74][75][76] In early 2022, Iličić suffered again frommental health problems and was absent from the Atalanta squad.[77]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bonifika | 2007–08 | 2. SNL | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| Interblock | 2008–09 | 1. SNL | 27 | 9 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 10 | |
| 2009–10 | 1. SNL | 28 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| Total | 55 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 66 | 14 | ||
| Maribor | 2010–11 | 1. SNL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 3 | — | 11 | 4 | |
| Palermo | 2010–11 | Serie A | 34 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 39 | 8 | |
| 2011–12 | Serie A | 33 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 36 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 31 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 11 | |||
| Total | 98 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 107 | 25 | |||
| Fiorentina | 2013–14 | Serie A | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8[b] | 2 | — | 31 | 6 | |
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 25 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7[b] | 2 | — | 34 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 30 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 2 | — | 37 | 15 | ||
| 2016–17 | Serie A | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| Total | 105 | 29 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 7 | — | 137 | 37 | |||
| Atalanta | 2017–18 | Serie A | 31 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 6[b] | 4 | — | 41 | 15 | |
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 31 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 13 | ||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 26 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 7[d] | 5 | — | 34 | 21 | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 28 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 6[d] | 1 | — | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 1 | — | 24 | 4 | ||
| Total | 136 | 47 | 14 | 2 | 23 | 11 | — | 173 | 60 | |||
| Maribor | 2022–23 | 1. SNL | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | 1. SNL | 31 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3[e] | 1 | — | 36 | 9 | ||
| 2024–25 | 1. SNL | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8[f] | 2 | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| Total | 62 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 3 | — | 78 | 14 | |||
| Career total | 485 | 123 | 40 | 9 | 69 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 596 | 157 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | 2010 | 6 | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 86 | 17 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2013 | GSP Stadium,Nicosia, Cyprus | 23 |  Cyprus | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 27 March 2015 | Stožice Stadium,Ljubljana, Slovenia | 28 |  San Marino | 1–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 3 | 10 June 2017 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 46 |  Malta | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 4 September 2017 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 48 |  Lithuania | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 6 | 10 June 2019 | Daugava Stadium,Riga, Latvia | 59 |  Latvia | 3–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 7 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 8 | 10 October 2019 | Toše Proeski Arena,Skopje, North Macedonia | 62 |  North Macedonia | 1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 9 | 19 November 2019 | Stadion Narodowy,Warsaw, Poland | 65 |  Poland | 2–2 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 10 | 15 November 2020 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 67 |  Kosovo | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C |
| 11 | 27 March 2021 | Fisht Olympic Stadium,Sochi, Russia | 70 |  Russia | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 4 June 2021 | Bonifika Stadium,Koper, Slovenia | 73 |  Gibraltar | 2–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 13 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 14 | 8 October 2021 | National Stadium,Ta' Qali, Malta | 76 | Malta | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 16 | 11 October 2021 | Ljudski vrt,Maribor, Slovenia | 77 | Russia | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 4 June 2024 | Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia | 80 |  Armenia | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Interblock
Maribor
Palermo
Fiorentina
Atalanta
Individual
Ìličić
