Zoran Mirković

1.1. Club career

Mirković began his professional career at FK Radnički Svilajnac in 1989, where he made 15 appearances without scoring a goal. He then moved to FK Rad in 1990, making his first appearance for the club during the 1990-91 season. Even before his professional debut, Mirković and his teammates achieved a significant success for Rad by winning the Yugoslav title in the under-21 category. He spent three seasons as a professional player at Rad, playing a total of 62 matches and scoring one goal.

His talent attracted the attention of Partizan officials, and Mirković signed with the club, stepping in to replace the injured Blažo Pešikan. During his initial three-year stint with Partizan, he solidified his position as a key player, becoming a regular starter for both his club and the national team. He was a part of the Partizan squad that won the double in the 1993-94 season, followed by another league title in the 1994-95 season. Mirković, who wore the number 2 shirt, became a beloved figure among Partizan fans, known as the Grobari, due to his fierce fighting spirit, particularly in the intense derby matches against Red Star Belgrade. His popularity was further cemented by his loyalty to the club during the challenging period of the Yugoslav Wars and sanctions, as he honored his three-year contract. He played 82 matches for Partizan during this period, scoring one goal.

In 1996, Mirković moved to Italy to join Atalanta, where he spent two seasons. His time there began with an injury in his first Serie A match, leading to a three-month recovery period. Despite this setback, he performed admirably in a midfielder/defender role, catching the eye of then-Juventus coach Marcello Lippi, who invited him to sign for the Turin giants. Mirković was highly popular among Atalanta fans, who actively tried to prevent his transfer to Fiorentina when it seemed imminent.

Mirković's career at Juventus unfolded in two distinct phases. Under coach Lippi, he played 19 Serie A matches, scoring one goal, and also featured in UEFA Champions League matches. However, when Carlo Ancelotti took over as coach in the spring of 1999, Mirković's role diminished, and he primarily played in Italian Cup matches.

In the summer of 2000, Mirković signed a three-year contract with Turkish club Fenerbahçe. In his debut season in Istanbul, he helped the club win the Turkish League title and reach the final of the Turkish Cup. The following season, he participated in the Champions League and Fenerbahçe finished second in the Turkish League. His third season was less successful, marked by changes in coaching staff and club issues, leading Fenerbahçe to a sixth-place finish.

After a six-month break from football, Mirković returned to Partizan in January 2004, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. On 6 March 2006, at the age of 34, Mirković announced his retirement from professional football due to a persistent back injury.

1.2. International career

Zoran Mirković was a key player for the national team of FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro, typically playing as a right-back and wearing the number 2 shirt. He earned 59 caps for the senior national team between 1995 and 2003.

He was part of the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he made two appearances. However, he missed Euro 2000 due to a three-match ban. This ban resulted from an incident in the final qualifying match against Croatia in Zagreb, where he was sent off after grabbing Robert Jarni. Mirković's final international appearance was in June 2003, during a European Championship qualification match away against Azerbaijan.

2.1. Administrative career

On 24 April 2007, the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) appointed Mirković as the sporting director for the national team, overseeing both the A-squad and the under-21 squad. However, he resigned from this position in early December 2007, citing a lack of professional cooperation with the FSS leadership, then headed by Zvezdan Terzić. Terzić, who was later indicted on embezzlement charges, commented on Mirković's resignation, stating that Mirković, despite being a wonderful person, "couldn't manage to be a part of the system."

On 18 August 2008, Mirković was chosen as the vice-president of FK Partizan. He served in this capacity for approximately one year before resigning after Partizan's early exit in the qualifying rounds of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League.

2.2. Managerial career

Mirković began his coaching career in 2015 as an assistant coach for Sinđelić Belgrade. He was subsequently promoted to head coach in July 2015, a position he held until December 2015. In February 2016, he became the assistant coach for the Montenegro national football team, working directly under his former coach, Ljubiša Tumbaković.

On 4 August 2018, Mirković took over as the head coach of Partizan, replacing Miroslav Đukić. His tenure as head coach of Partizan concluded abruptly on 10 March 2019, when he resigned following a 1-0 loss to Voždovac.

4.1. Club

4.2. International

4.3. Managerial