1. Overview
Danilo Pantić (Данило ПантићDanilo PantićSerbian), born on October 26, 1996, in Ruma, Yugoslavia, is a Serbian professional footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder. He has represented Serbia at various youth levels, including the U-17, U-19, and U-21 national teams. Pantić is known for his technical abilities and has spent a significant portion of his career at Partizan, his boyhood club, alongside a stint with Chelsea F.C. and several loan spells at other European clubs. His career highlights include winning multiple Serbian SuperLiga and Serbian Cup titles with Partizan, and being recognized in the Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season.
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Danilo Pantić began his football journey at a young age, developing his skills within the Serbian youth football system.
2.1. Youth Career and Early Development
Pantić joined the youth academy of Partizan in 2007, where he spent six years honing his abilities and progressing through the ranks. His dedication and talent during this period laid the foundation for his professional career, preparing him for the demands of senior football.
2.2. First Stint at Partizan
Pantić made his senior debut for Partizan on May 26, 2013, in a league fixture against Spartak Subotica, coming on as a substitute for Vladimir Volkov in the 70th minute. Despite some initial disagreements with the club regarding contract extension proposals, he signed a one-and-a-half-year professional contract with Partizan on December 5, 2013. His performances attracted attention from major European clubs, including Juventus, which reportedly scouted him in early 2014. Despite the interest from Juventus, Pantić publicly expressed his desire to extend his contract with Partizan before considering a move away from Serbia, aiming to compete in the UEFA Champions League with his boyhood club. During his first permanent spell at Partizan, he made 18 league appearances and scored 2 goals.
3. Club Career
Danilo Pantić's professional club career has seen him move between several teams, including a notable period under contract with Chelsea F.C. and multiple loan spells, before ultimately returning to his formative club.
3.1. Chelsea and Loan Spells
On July 13, 2015, Pantić signed a four-year deal with Chelsea F.C. for a reported fee of 1.25 M GBP. Immediately after his transfer, he was loaned out to Eredivisie side Vitesse.
3.1.1. Loan to Vitesse
Pantić made his debut for Vitesse on July 30, 2015, just 17 days after signing with Chelsea. This appearance came in the first leg of a UEFA Europa League third qualifying round match against Southampton F.C. at St. Mary's Stadium, where he replaced Valeri Qazaishvili for the final 23 minutes of a 3-0 defeat. On August 9, 2015, he made his league debut in a 1-1 draw against Willem II, again coming on as a substitute for Valeri Qazaishvili in the 71st minute. By March 3, 2016, Pantić publicly voiced his dissatisfaction, stating that he felt 'frozen' out of the Vitesse starting eleven and expressing a strong desire to return to Chelsea, even if just for training. He questioned his presence at Vitesse if he was not deemed good enough to play, suggesting a potential bias against Serbian players, citing the experiences of Nemanja Matić and Uroš Đurđević at the club. Following this interview, Vitesse's first-team manager Rob Maas indefinitely suspended Pantić. He made 6 league appearances for Vitesse.
3.1.2. Loan to Excelsior
On August 12, 2016, Pantić joined Excelsior on loan for the 2016-17 season. He made his debut on September 17, 2016, against Willem II, entering as a substitute after half-time in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. His first full 90-minute appearance came shortly after, on September 20, in a KNVB Cup match against BVV Barendrecht, which Excelsior won 1-0. During his loan spell at Excelsior, Pantić played in 9 league matches.
3.1.3. First Loan to Partizan
On June 18, 2017, Pantić returned to his boyhood club, Partizan, on a season-long loan from Chelsea. His return was impactful, as he scored a goal against Mačva Šabac in the opening fixture of the 2017-18 Serbian SuperLiga season, contributing to a significant 6-1 home victory. A pivotal moment occurred on November 5, when, coming on as a substitute for Marko Janković in the 72nd minute against Mačva, Pantić provided two crucial assists that helped Partizan secure a 3-1 away victory. This performance marked a turning point for him, leading to consistent starts in almost every match for the remainder of the season. On November 23, 2017, he started in a 2017-18 UEFA Europa League group stage match against Young Boys, delivering an assist and being recognized as one of Partizan's top performers, contributing to the club's advancement to the knockout stage after a 13-year hiatus. In the second half of the season, Pantić continued to impress, scoring several impressive goals and registering multiple assists. His consistent high-level performances throughout the 2017-18 season earned him a spot in the league's best eleven. His loan at Partizan was extended for another season on July 5, 2018. Across these two loan seasons, he made 63 league appearances and scored 10 goals.
3.1.4. Loan to Fehérvár
On September 1, 2019, Pantić moved to Hungary, joining Fehérvár on loan until the end of the 2019-20 season. During his time there, he played in 8 league matches.
3.1.5. Loan to Čukarički
Pantić returned to Serbia for another loan spell on August 13, 2020, joining Čukarički for the 2020-21 campaign. He made his league debut for the club two days later, on August 15, 2020, as a substitute in a comprehensive 5-1 away victory against Zlatibor Čajetina. He featured in 28 league matches for Čukarički, scoring 1 goal.
3.2. Permanent Return to Partizan
After his contract with Chelsea expired, Danilo Pantić made a permanent return to Partizan on June 16, 2021. In the 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League Second qualifying round, Pantić scored a crucial goal against Dunajská Streda. Following a corner kick from the right side, Bibras Natcho made an excellent save for Pantić, who then struck an equally impressive shot to give the Belgrade side the lead. Since his permanent return, he has continued to be a regular presence for the club, making 36 league appearances and scoring 4 goals by 2024.
4. International Career
Danilo Pantić has been a consistent representative for Serbia at various youth national team levels, showcasing his potential on the international stage from a young age.
4.1. Youth National Teams
Pantić has proudly represented Serbia at the U-17, U-19, and U-21 levels. For the U-17 team, he made 4 appearances and scored 1 goal between 2012 and 2013. For the U-19 team, he played 12 matches and scored 2 goals between 2013 and 2015. On October 10, 2014, Pantić notably scored his first and second goals for the U-19 side within the opening twenty minutes of their match against San Marino U-19, contributing to a 4-0 victory in their opening game of the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Qualifiers. He also took on leadership responsibilities, captaining the U-19 team for the first time on October 12, 2014, in a UEFA European Under-19 Championship Qualifier against Armenia U-19, which Serbia won 1-0. More recently, Pantić played for the U-21 national team, making 13 appearances and scoring 3 goals between 2017 and 2019.
5. Career Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive overview of Danilo Pantić's club and international career statistics.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Partizan | 2012-13 | Serbian SuperLiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | Serbian SuperLiga | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 1 | |||
| 2014-15 | Serbian SuperLiga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | - | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | - | 24 | 2 | ||||
| Chelsea | 2015-16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2015-16 | Eredivisie | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | ||
| Excelsior (loan) | 2016-17 | Eredivisie | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 11 | 0 | |||
| Partizan (loan) | 2017-18 | Serbian SuperLiga | 31 | 4 | 4 | 1 | - | 11 | 0 | - | 46 | 5 | ||
| 2018-19 | Serbian SuperLiga | 32 | 6 | 5 | 1 | - | 8 | 1 | - | 45 | 8 | |||
| Total | 63 | 10 | 9 | 2 | - | 19 | 1 | - | 91 | 13 | ||||
| Fehérvár (loan) | 2019-20 | NB I | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 11 | 0 | |||
| Čukarički (loan) | 2020-21 | Serbian SuperLiga | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 29 | 1 | |||
| Partizan | 2021-22 | Serbian SuperLiga | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 8 | 1 | - | 26 | 4 | ||
| 2022-23 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2023-24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 10 | 1 | - | 48 | 5 | ||||
| Career total | 168 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 21 | ||
6. Honours
Danilo Pantić has accumulated several team and individual honors throughout his career, primarily with his long-standing club, Partizan.
6.1. Club Honours
- Partizan
- Serbian SuperLiga: 2012-13, 2014-15
- Serbian Cup: 2017-18, 2018-19
6.2. Individual Honours
- Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season: 2017-18