Adem Ljajić

2.1. Youth career and Partizan

Ljajić began his football journey at the Serbian lower-tier club FK Jošanica. In 2005, at the age of 14, he joined the youth academy of Partizan, one of Serbia's major football clubs. He quickly distinguished himself as a talented player within his age group.

He made his professional debut for Partizan's senior team on July 29, 2008, at the age of 17, coming on as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League. He also made substitute appearances in the second leg of the second qualifying round and the second leg of the third qualifying round. Ljajić scored his first competitive goal for Partizan on November 23, 2008, in a league match against OFK Beograd. He was the first player to wear the number 22 jersey for Partizan after Saša Ilić transferred to Galatasaray in 2005.

In October 2008, Manchester United offered Ljajić a trial. On January 2, 2009, Manchester United officially announced the signings of both Ljajić and his Partizan teammate, Zoran Tošić. The agreement stipulated that Tošić would join the English club immediately, while Ljajić would remain at Partizan for the remainder of 2009, with a planned move to United in January 2010. Throughout 2009, despite not being able to officially join, Ljajić made regular trips to Manchester to train with the United first team, allowing the club's coaches to monitor his progress. However, in December 2009, Manchester United decided not to exercise their option to sign Ljajić, citing issues related to the club's application for a work permit. Following the collapse of the transfer, Partizan manager Goran Stevanović stated that the situation had caused Ljajić "psychological shock" but noted that he was "handling the situation well." Partizan's director of football, Ivan Tomić, expressed regret over United's decision, believing they would regret it in the future.

3.1. Partizan

After his youth development and early professional appearances, Ljajić continued to play for Partizan until January 2010. During his tenure with the club, he made a total of 57 appearances across all competitions, scoring 12 goals. This included 38 league appearances with 9 goals, 7 cup appearances with 1 goal, and 12 continental appearances with 2 goals. His time at Partizan culminated in winning the Serbian SuperLiga and the Serbian Cup in the 2008-09 season.

3.2. Fiorentina

On January 13, 2010, Italian Serie A club Fiorentina officially announced the signing of Ljajić. After successfully passing a medical examination, Ljajić signed a five-year contract. Partizan reportedly received a transfer fee of around 8.00 M EUR for the player. Ljajić made his Serie A debut on January 31, 2010, in Fiorentina's 2-2 away draw against Cagliari, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Manuel Pasqual. His initial half-season at the club, under head coach Cesare Prandelli, was primarily spent adapting to his new environment.

The arrival of Ljajić's compatriot, Siniša Mihajlović, as head coach led to increased first-team opportunities for Ljajić. He scored his first goal for Fiorentina from the penalty spot against Lazio on September 18, 2010, in a match Fiorentina ultimately lost 1-2.

On May 2, 2012, an on-field incident occurred during a match against Novara. Ljajić was substituted and reacted by sarcastically applauding the manager, Delio Rossi. In response, Rossi grabbed and attempted to punch Ljajić. Following the match, Fiorentina announced that Rossi had been dismissed as manager and that they would take appropriate measures against Ljajić. Ljajić's teammate, Valon Behrami, who was on the substitutes' bench at the time, stated that no one, including himself, had heard Ljajić insult Rossi, contradicting Rossi's claims that Ljajić had insulted his family. Behrami added that Rossi should be ashamed of his actions and for lying to the media.

On February 17, 2013, Ljajić scored a brace as Fiorentina defeated Internazionale 4-1. Overall, he made 88 appearances for Fiorentina, scoring 16 goals.

3.3. Roma

Ljajić signed with Roma on August 28, 2013, for a fee of 11.00 M EUR, with potential additional payments of up to 4.00 M EUR based on the club's success, signing a four-year contract. He chose the number 8 jersey, which had been left vacant by Erik Lamela and was also the number he used for the Serbia national team. Ljajić made his Roma debut on September 1, 2013, in a match against Hellas Verona, replacing Alessandro Florenzi. He scored the final goal in Roma's 3-0 victory. In his first season in Rome, Ljajić scored 6 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions.

On August 30, 2014, Ljajić made his debut for the 2014-15 season in a 2-0 win for Roma over Fiorentina. On September 24, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2-1 Roma victory over Parma. On December 6, he scored his first brace for Roma, contributing to a 2-2 home draw against Sassuolo. On February 26, 2015, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Europa League for the club, which was the opening goal in a 2-1 away win against Feyenoord. He concluded the season with 41 appearances and 9 goals, making him the club's second-highest goalscorer of the season, after Francesco Totti. In total, Ljajić made 75 appearances for Roma, scoring 15 goals.

3.4. Torino

After Inter Milan decided not to make his loan permanent, Ljajić was sold to Torino on July 18, 2016, for a fee of 8.50 M EUR, with an additional 500.00 K EUR in potential bonuses. He joined Torino along with Iago Falque from Roma. During his time at Torino, Ljajić made 65 appearances and scored 18 goals in Serie A.

3.5. Beşiktaş

On August 31, 2018, Ljajić moved to Turkish Süper Lig club Beşiktaş on a season-long loan. On May 29, 2019, Beşiktaş signed Ljajić on a permanent deal for a reported fee of 6.50 M EUR. He remained with the club until the end of the 2021-22 season when his contract expired. With Beşiktaş, Ljajić made 85 appearances across all competitions, scoring 18 goals. He won the Turkish Super League and the Türkiye Kupası in the 2020-21 season.

3.6. Fatih Karagümrük

On September 28, 2022, Ljajić joined Fatih Karagümrük on a one-and-a-half-year contract. He became available for the team's official matches starting in January 2023. During his short tenure, he made 11 appearances for the club.

3.7. Novi Pazar

On September 14, 2023, Ljajić returned to his hometown and signed with Novi Pazar. It was reported that Ljajić had a specific condition regarding his salary: he requested to play for the club for free. Just three days later, he scored the winning goal on his debut for Novi Pazar in a 2-1 victory over Napredak, having come on as a substitute in the 58th minute for Adetunji Adeshina. As of February 2025, he has made 48 appearances for Novi Pazar, scoring 16 goals.

4.1. Youth international career

Ljajić represented the Serbian under-17 and under-19 teams. On September 7, 2008, he made his international debut for the under-21 squad in a European Championship qualification match against Hungary. His youth career contributed significantly to his development as a promising young player.

4.2. Senior international career

On October 26, 2010, Serbia coach Vladimir Petrović announced that Ljajić would receive his first call-up to the senior squad for a friendly match against Bulgaria on November 17, 2010, where he made his debut.

He earned a total of 47 caps for the senior national team, scoring 9 goals. His final international appearance was an October 2020 Nations League match against Hungary. Ljajić scored his first goal for the senior side on June 7, 2015, in a 4-1 friendly win against Azerbaijan. He also scored in a friendly match against South Korea on November 14, 2017.

4.3. Anthem controversy

On May 28, 2012, Ljajić was removed from the Serbian national team squad by head coach Siniša Mihajlović after refusing to sing the Serbian national anthem, "Bože pravde" (God of Justice), before a 2-0 friendly loss against Spain. Ljajić stated that his refusal was due to "personal reasons." Prior to this incident, Ljajić had signed a code of conduct established by Mihajlović, which included the requirement to sing the national anthem. Ljajić confirmed Mihajlović's statement, asserting his love for Serbia and his desire to play for the national team, but added that he "must respect himself," implying that he would not play under Mihajlović's management given the circumstances.

On February 17, 2014, the new head coach of the Serbia national team, Ljubinko Drulović, stated that he would not require players to sing the national anthem, emphasizing that their commitment on the field was paramount. This change in policy allowed Ljajić to return to the national team.

4.4. 2018 FIFA World Cup

In June 2018, Ljajić was included in the 23-man Serbian squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.

He played in all three of Serbia's group matches during the tournament. Serbia was ultimately eliminated during the group stage after matches against Costa Rica (1-0 win), Switzerland (1-2 loss), and Brazil (0-2 loss).

7.1. Club statistics

7.2. International statistics

:Scores and results list Serbia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ljajić goal.

8.1. Club honours

• Partizan
  • Serbian SuperLiga: 2008-09
  • Serbian Cup: 2008-09
• Beşiktaş
  • Turkish Super League: 2020-21
  • Türkiye Kupası: 2020-21

8.2. Individual honours

• Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2023-24