Zlatan Ljubijankić

Zlatan Ljubijankič (2009)

Zlatan Ljubijankič (* 15 December 1983 in Ljubljana, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Slovenian football player. Since the summer of 2008, the striker is in the Belgian first division club KAA Gent under contract.

• 2.1 club
• 2.2 Custom

Career

Association

Ljubijankič learned the ABC football in his hometown at ND Slovan. Later he moved to the junior level of division club NK Domžale, where he then in 2002 came into the professional squad. In 2005 and 2006 he celebrated with the team's runner-up, before they could win the national championship in the club's history for the season 2006 /07 for the first time. This success is Ljubijankič could also prove for the first time on the international stage. In the same season he also won the award as player of the year in the Slovenian league. 2007/ 08 the team was back on championship course, but the attacker still goodbye before the season ends and sold abroad for Belgian team KAA Gent. There he came on 10 February 2008 on his debut in the Jupiler Pro League. After Ljubijankič came only brief appearances in the first half year, and remained without a goal, it was in fact better. Now he was more often in the starting lineup and was on Matchday 1 of the 2008 /09 score his first goal for the new team. By the end of the season was followed by eight more goals. Due to an ankle injury in the first round he had to pause in the meantime. 2010 celebrated the center forward his first title with Ghent than could the Beker van België win. In the final game against Cercle Bruges from Slovenia had to wait until the 72nd minute, before substitute for Yassine El Ghanassy was the score at 1-0. The match was decided 3-0 for Ghent. In the league they managed a place in the championship round without winning this though.

National

Since 2006 Ljubijankič heard regularly in the squad of the Slovenian national team. His first goal is scored in the dress of his country, the striker came on 28 February 2006 in a friendly match against the selection of Cyprus. It was also the only goal of the game, so that Ljubijankič team won 1-0. In May 2010, Matjaž Kek coach him nominated for the squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after the team had qualified through group stage and relegation. In the ten crucial games to qualify Ljubijankič was used seven times, but said he was only once in the starting XI. With a total of two hits he was with Valter Birsa, Robert Koren and Zlatko Dedič second best scorer behind Milivoje Novakovič. In the second group match against the USA, he scored the 2-0, the game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Achievements

Association

• Slovenian champions NK Domžale: 2007
• Slovenian Supercup with NK Domžale: 2007
• Beker van België with KAA Gent: 2010

Individually

• Footballer of the Year in the Slovenian League 2006/ 07