1. Overview
Bojan Jokić (born 17 May 1986) is a retired Slovenian professional footballer who primarily played as a centre-back or left-back. Jokić had a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades, playing for several clubs across Europe's top leagues, including Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga, the EFL Championship, and the Russian Premier League. He is notably one of the few Slovenian players to reach 100 caps for the Slovenia national team, representing his country from 2006 to 2019 and participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2. Early life and youth career
Bojan Jokić was born on 17 May 1986 in Kranj, then part of the Yugoslavia. His football journey began at a young age, starting his youth career in 1994 with NK Kranj, also known as NK Zarica. He continued his development within the Slovenian youth football system, joining NK Triglav Kranj in 2002. He spent a year in their youth ranks before making his senior professional debut.
3. Club career
Bojan Jokić's professional club career spanned several European leagues, demonstrating his versatility and adaptability as a defender. He began his senior career in Slovenia before moving to France, Italy, Spain, England, and Russia.
3.1. Early professional clubs (2003-2007)
Jokić made his senior debut in 2003 with his local club, NK Triglav Kranj, where he started his professional journey. He played for Triglav Kranj until 2005, making 57 appearances.
In 2005, he transferred to ND Gorica. During his two-year spell with Gorica, Jokić became a regular fixture in the team. He was part of the squad that famously won the 2005-06 Slovenian PrvaLiga championship, marking an early significant achievement in his professional career. He made 76 appearances for Gorica.
3.2. European club career (2007-2022)
On 5 July 2007, Bojan Jokić moved abroad for the first time, signing a four-year contract with French Ligue 1 club FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. His debut in the French top flight came on 11 August 2007, where he started in a 3-1 home loss against Le Mans FC. During his time at Sochaux, he made 50 appearances across all competitions.
On 30 January 2010, Jokić joined Italian Serie A club A.C. ChievoVerona on a loan deal until June of that year. Following a period of regular appearances, Chievo made the move permanent on 22 May 2010. He remained with the Gialloblu for a further three seasons, making a total of 69 appearances for the club.
After his contract with Chievo expired, Jokić moved to Spanish La Liga side Villarreal CF on 5 July 2013, signing a four-year deal. He made his La Liga debut on 29 September, starting in a 1-0 away loss against Real Betis. He played 33 matches for Villarreal.
On 8 January 2016, Jokić was loaned to English EFL Championship club Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. He made his debut on 9 January as a substitute in an FA Cup Third Round victory over Queens Park Rangers. He featured in 21 matches for Nottingham Forest.
On 21 January 2017, Jokić signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Russian Premier League side FC Ufa. A notable moment during his tenure with Ufa occurred on 2 August 2018, when he scored a late equalizer in a UEFA Europa League qualifier against Slovenian club NK Domžale, making the score 1-1. As the first leg had ended 0-0, this crucial goal allowed Ufa to advance on the away goals rule. It was also the club's first goal in European competition, marking a significant milestone for Ufa in their continental debut. He played for Ufa until 2022, making 137 appearances and scoring 4 goals.
4. International career
Bojan Jokić was a long-serving and prominent member of the Slovenia national football team. He made his international debut for Slovenia on 28 February 2006, in a 1-0 victory against Cyprus.
He scored his first international goal on 3 March 2010, contributing the final goal in a 4-1 friendly victory over Qatar.
On 1 June 2010, Jokić was included in Slovenia's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. He featured in all three of Slovenia's group stage matches during the tournament, though the team was ultimately knocked out in the group stage.
Jokić achieved a significant milestone in his international career on 16 November 2019, when he earned his 100th cap for Slovenia in a match against Latvia. This achievement placed him among an elite group of Slovenian footballers with 100 or more international appearances.
In his youth career, Jokić also represented Slovenia at various age levels:
- Slovenia U-18: 2004 (1 appearance, 0 goals)
- Slovenia U-20: 2005 (1 appearance, 0 goals)
- Slovenia U-21: 2005-2006 (8 appearances, 0 goals)
5. Career statistics
Bojan Jokić's professional football career spanned numerous clubs and competitions, contributing significantly to his teams as a defender.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Triglav Kranj | 2003-04 | Slovenian Second League | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2004-05 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | ||
| Gorica | 2005-06 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 35 | 1 | |
| 2006-07 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 41 | 0 | |||
| Total | 65 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 1 | ||
| Sochaux | 2007-08 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2008-09 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2009-10 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| Chievo | 2009-10 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2010-11 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2011-12 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||||
| 2012-13 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 64 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal | 2013-14 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2015-16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 2015-16 | EFL Championship | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||
| Ufa | 2016-17 | Russian Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 2 | ||||
| 2018-19 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2019-20 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2020-21 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 1 | ||||
| 2021-22 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |||
| Total | 122 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 137 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 393 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 443 | 5 | ||
5.2. International
Bojan Jokić scored one international goal during his career with Slovenia:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 March 2010 | Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia | Qatar | 4-1 | 4-1 | Friendly |
His appearances for the Slovenia national team by year are as follows:
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 7 | 0 |
| 2007 | 10 | 0 |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 |
| 2010 | 11 | 1 |
| 2011 | 9 | 0 |
| 2012 | 7 | 0 |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 100 | 1 |
6. Honours
Bojan Jokić achieved one significant team honour during his playing career:
- Gorica
- Slovenian PrvaLiga: 2005-06
7. Retirement
Bojan Jokić retired from professional football. His final club was FC Ufa, where he played until 2022. He announced his retirement in May 2022.
8. Legacy and impact
Bojan Jokić's career is marked by his longevity and significant contributions, particularly to Slovenian football. His achievement of earning 100 caps for the Slovenia national football team solidifies his place as one of the most dedicated and enduring players in the nation's football history. This milestone reflects his consistent performance and importance to the national side over more than a decade. His extensive club career across multiple top European leagues also highlights his adaptability and professional endurance, showcasing his ability to compete at a high level in different footballing environments.