1. Overview
Bojan Šaranov (Бојан ШарановSerbian; born October 22, 1987) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serbian League Belgrade club Brodarac. Born in Vršac, Šaranov began his senior career at OFK Beograd at the age of 17 in the 2004-05 season. He gained recognition for his performances, notably being named in the Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season for the 2010-11 campaign. His international career includes representing Serbia U-21 and making his senior national team debut in June 2011. Throughout his career, Šaranov has played for several clubs across Serbia, Israel, Greece, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, winning the Serbian Cup with FK Partizan and achieving a domestic double (Azerbaijan Premier League and Azerbaijan Cup) with Qarabağ FK.
2. Club career
Bojan Šaranov's professional football journey began in Serbia, leading him through several clubs in various countries before returning to Serbian football later in his career.
2.1. OFK Beograd
Šaranov began his career at OFK Beograd, making his senior debut at the age of 17 during the 2004-05 season. To gain more first-team experience, he was loaned out to several clubs, including Mačva Šabac, Bežanija, and Rudar Pljevlja. After these loan spells, Šaranov returned to OFK Beograd and established himself as the primary goalkeeper following Radiša Ilić's departure in the 2009 winter transfer window.
In the 2009-10 Serbian SuperLiga season, Šaranov was a key player, missing only two games and contributing significantly to the team's third-place finish, which secured a spot in the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League. His impressive performances continued into the 2010-11 campaign, where he was recognized for his outstanding goalkeeping by being named in the league's Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season.
2.2. Maccabi Haifa
In June 2011, Šaranov made an international move, signing with Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa. He made his official debut for the club on July 27, 2011, during a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Slovenian side NK Maribor. Although he was substituted at half-time by Nir Davidovich, Maccabi Haifa went on to win the match 2-1 at home. His first league appearance for Maccabi Haifa came on August 20, 2011, in a dominant 4-1 away victory against Maccabi Netanya. During the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League group stage, he made five appearances for the club.

A notable moment occurred on October 24, 2013, when Šaranov saved two penalties taken by Miroslav Stoch in a Europa League Group L match away at PAOK FC. Despite his efforts, Maccabi Haifa suffered a 3-2 loss. He was again a consistent presence in the group stage, missing only one game as the team finished third. In his third season with Maccabi Haifa, the 2013-14 Maccabi Haifa F.C. season, Šaranov achieved a career high of 38 appearances across all competitions, demonstrating his consistent contribution to the team.
2.3. Ergotelis
On December 30, 2014, Šaranov joined Greek club Ergotelis. During his time there, he made a crucial save on a penalty from Alejandro Domínguez in a league match against Olympiacos on February 14, 2015. Although Ergotelis ultimately lost the match 3-0, Šaranov's save was a highlight. He recorded 13 appearances in the 2014-15 Superleague Greece season before departing the club following their relegation from the top flight.
2.4. Partizan
In the 2016 winter transfer window, Šaranov returned to Serbian football, joining Partizan. He quickly contributed to the team's success, helping them win the Serbian Cup in May 2016. However, his tenure at Partizan was relatively short, as his contract was terminated by mutual consent on August 31, 2016.
2.5. Qarabağ
Shortly after leaving Partizan, Šaranov moved to Azerbaijan to join Qarabağ. During the 2016-17 season, he primarily served as the team's third-choice goalkeeper, behind Ibrahim Šehić and Şahruddin Məhəmmədəliyev. Despite limited appearances, he was part of the squad that achieved a significant milestone for Qarabağ, winning the domestic double by securing both the Azerbaijan Premier League title and the Azerbaijan Cup.
2.6. Later career
In September 2017, Šaranov returned to Serbia once more, joining Serbian SuperLiga newcomers Zemun on a free transfer. He quickly established himself as a first-team regular, making 12 league appearances in the first half of the 2017-18 Serbian SuperLiga season under manager Milan Milanović. In January of the following year, Šaranov transferred to fellow SuperLiga club Radnički Niš.
On July 13, 2018, Šaranov signed a one-year contract with Superleague Greece club Lamia for an undisclosed fee. A particularly memorable moment came on February 28, 2019, when he saved a penalty from Kostas Fortounis just five minutes before the final whistle in a Greek Cup match. This crucial save helped Lamia secure a shocking 1-0 away victory against giants Olympiakos and ultimately advance to the semi-finals of the Greek Cup with a 4-3 aggregate win. After his stint at Lamia, he joined Fatih Karagümrük for the 2019-20 TFF First League season, making 11 league appearances and one cup appearance. He later had a second spell with Lamia from 2021 to 2023, where he played in 37 matches. Since 2024, he has been playing for FK Brodarac.
3. International career
Šaranov's international career began with Serbia's youth teams. In March 2008, he was included in the preliminary squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics, though he did not make the final roster for the tournament. He was subsequently selected to represent Serbia at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Serving as a backup goalkeeper for Željko Brkić, Šaranov did not make any appearances during the championship.
In March 2011, Šaranov received his first call-up to the Serbia national team from manager Vladimir Petrović, ahead of a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Northern Ireland. He officially made his full international debut for Serbia on June 3, 2011, playing the entire 90 minutes in a 2-1 friendly loss away against South Korea at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club
Club | Season | National League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
OFK Beograd | 2004-05 | First League of Serbia and Montenegro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
2005-06 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
2006-07 | Serbian SuperLiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2007-08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
2008-09 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |||
2009-10 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 0 | ||||
2010-11 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
Total | 72 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 83 | 0 | |||
Mačva Šabac (loan) | 2005-06 | Serbian First League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
2006-07 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 0 | ||||
Total | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 0 | ||||
Bežanija (loan) | 2007-08 | Serbian SuperLiga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Rudar Pljevlja (loan) | 2007-08 | Montenegrin First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Maccabi Haifa | 2011-12 | Israeli Premier League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
2012-13 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 32 | 0 | |||
2013-14 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
Total | 76 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 100 | 0 | ||
Ergotelis | 2014-15 | Super League Greece | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 0 | ||
Partizan | 2015-16 | Serbian SuperLiga | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
2016-17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||
Total | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |||
Qarabağ | 2016-17 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Zemun | 2017-18 | Serbian SuperLiga | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
Radnički Niš | 2017-18 | Serbian SuperLiga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 0 | ||
Lamia | 2018-19 | Super League Greece | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||
Fatih Karagümrük | 2019-20 | TFF First League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||
Career total | 251 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 296 | 0 |
4.2. International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Serbia | 2011 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 0 |
5. Honours
Bojan Šaranov has achieved several team and individual honors throughout his career.
5.1. Club
- OFK Beograd
- Serbia and Montenegro Cup: Runner-up 2005-06
- Partizan
- Serbian Cup: 2015-16
- Qarabağ
- Azerbaijan Premier League: 2016-17
- Azerbaijan Cup: 2016-17
5.2. Individual
- Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2010-11