Luka Jović

Luka Jović (Serbian Cyrillic: Лука Јовић; born 23 December 1997) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Serbia national team.

Luka Jović
Jović with Serbia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Luka Jović[1]
Date of birth (1997-12-23) 23 December 1997
Place of birth Loznica, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 AC Milan
Number 15
Youth career
2005–2014 Red Star Belgrade
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Red Star Belgrade 42 (12)
2016–2019 Benfica 2 (0)
2016–2017 → Benfica B (loan) 18 (4)
2017–2019 → Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) 54 (25)
2019–2022 Real Madrid 36 (3)
2021 → Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) 18 (4)
2022–2023 Fiorentina 31 (6)
2023– AC Milan 4 (0)
International career‡
2013–2014 Serbia U17 8 (5)
2014–2016 Serbia U19 13 (9)
2015–2019 Serbia U21 13 (7)
2018– Serbia 31 (10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:08, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:59, 7 September 2023 (UTC)

Early life

Jović was born in Loznica, FR Yugoslavia.[3] He was raised in the small village of Batar near Bijeljina, to Bosnian Serb parents Milan and Svetlana Jović.[4] At the age of five, he started playing football in Loznica, where he was spotted in 2004 and offered to play in Mini Maxi, a development league for kids aged between 4 and 12 in Belgrade. After just one game where Jović scored three goals his father was offered €50 for each game he played and 2,000 dinars for travelling costs from Batar to Belgrade. At one of those games he was scouted by Toma Milićević, Red Star's scout who invited him to trial with Red Star Belgrade.[5] His playing style attracted comparisons to Darko Pančev and Radamel Falcao, who is also his idol.[6][7]

Club career

Youth

Jović was offered the chance to play for Red Star Belgrade in 2005. Before he committed, his father took him to train with Partizan, who had been trying to sign Jović for some time. They offered his father €200 per month for Jović to play with them, but he insisted on staying with Red Star.[5]

2013–14 season

On 28 May 2014, at the age of 16 years, five months and five days, Jović made his professional debut against FK Vojvodina in Novi Sad, where he broke Dejan Stanković's record as the youngest goalscorer in a competitive match in the club's history.[8][9] He scored the goal only two minutes[8] after he was brought on as substitute, and the final score of 3–3 was enough to give Red Star the 2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga title.

2014–15 season

On 18 October 2014, Jović became the youngest player ever to play in Eternal derby at the age of 16 years, 9 months and 25 days, breaking the previous record of Dejan Milovanović who was 17 years and 6 months old at the time.[10] Jović missed some crucial chances, but in spring half of the season scored six goals. His first goal of the season came against Vojvodina, in a match where Red Star celebrated its 70th birthday. He then scored against Spartak, a double against Borac and a decisive goal against Voždovac, ahead of the Eternal derby clash.[11] He missed the end of the season and the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand due to injury. On 17 May 2015, he signed a three-year contract with Red Star to last until 2018.

2015–16 season

From the beginning of the 2015–16 season, Jović started as a first choice in Red Star attack along with Hugo Vieira and scored 3 goals in first 5 games. He scored again against Voždovac a winning goal and brought another win to Red Star at Stadion na Vračaru. He scored another game winner in Subotica, against Spartak. In November 2015, a racketeer from Loznica threatened him and his family that if they did not pay money to him, that he would "break Jović's legs".[12] A suspect was apprehended immediately afterwards.[12]

Benfica

In February 2016, Jović signed with Portuguese champions Benfica until 2021.[13] On 9 March, he debuted for the club's reserve team in a 2–2 home draw against Sporting da Covilhã in the Segunda Liga.[14] He debuted for the first-team on 20 March, as a substitute, in a 1–0 away victory against Boavista in the Primeira Liga.

On 30 January 2017, Jović made his only appearance for the first team when he came on as a substitute in the 81st minute against Vitória de Setúbal.[15]

2017–18 season

In June 2017, Jović joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a two-season loan while his new club secured an option to sign him on a permanent basis.[16][17] He made five appearances as they won the 2017–18 DFB-Pokal, and scored the only goal of the win at Schalke 04 in the semi-finals on 18 April 2018,[18] but was an unused substitute in the 3–1 final win over Bayern Munich.

2018–19 season

20-year-old Jović became the youngest player to score five goals in a Bundesliga game when he did so in a 7–1 home win over Fortuna Düsseldorf on 19 October 2018.[19] On 14 March 2019, he scored the only goal, his seventh for the campaign, in a 1–0 win over Inter Milan to secure the club's progression to the quarter finals of the Europa League. In doing so, he helped Eintracht become the first German club ever to record eight wins in a single season in the competition.[20]

On 17 April 2019, Eintracht Frankfurt exercised a clause in Jović's contract to make his loan move permanent until 30 June 2023.[21] In May 2019, he scored in both semi-final legs against Chelsea, yet Eintracht Frankfurt lost 4–3 on penalties after drawing 1–1 in both matches.[22] However, Jović managed to score ten goals in total in the Europa League season.[23]

2019–20 season
Jović playing for Real Madrid in 2019

On 4 June 2019, Jović signed for Real Madrid for a reported €60 million, on a six-year contract.[24][25] He made his debut on 17 August 2019, coming in as a substitute in a 3–1 win over Celta Vigo.[26] On 30 October 2019, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory over CD Leganés.[27]

Jović started both semi-final and final match of 2019–20 Supercopa de España against Valencia and Atlético Madrid, respectively. Real won the final 4–1 on penalties on 12 January 2020, earning Jović his first trophy as a Real Madrid player.[28] During an injury riddled season, he made 17 appearances during the league season, while scoring two goals, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga title.[29]

Loan to Eintracht Frankfurt

On 14 January 2021, Jović was loaned back to his former club Eintracht Frankfurt until the end of the 2020–21 season.[30][31] On 17 January, in his first match back with his former club, Jović came off the bench and scored two goals within half an hour as Frankfurt defeated Schalke 3–1.[32]

Fiorentina

On 8 July 2022, Serie A club Fiorentina announced the signing of Jović on a free transfer.[33]

AC Milan

On 1 September 2023, Jović signed for AC Milan on a season-long contract.[34]

International career

On 11 December 2013, Jović scored a hat-trick for Serbia U-17 in a 4–1 win against Croatia U-17.[35] In July 2014, he was called up by youth coach Veljko Paunović to Serbia's U-19 squad for the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[36]

In May 2018, Jović was named in Serbia's preliminary squad for the FIFA World Cup in Russia.[37] On 4 June, he made his international debut in a friendly match against Chile, coming on as a substitute for Aleksandar Mitrović in the 84th minute.[38] Later in June, Jović was included in the final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup,[39] where he appeared as a late substitute against Brazil.[40]

On 20 March 2019, Jović scored his debut goal for the national team in a friendly against Germany.[41]

In November, 2022 he was selected in Serbia's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[42] He played in group stage matches against Cameroon[43] and Switzerland.[44] Serbia finished fourth in the group.[45]

Personal life

When Jović was 10 years old, his older sister survived leukemia. He stated that period had "left a mark on their lives" and had motivated him to become a "fighter like her".[46]

On 25 February 2019, Jović became a father of a baby boy, David, with his former girlfriend Anđela Manitašević, whom he split up with in 2016.[47][48] As of summer 2019, he is in a relationship with Serbian model Sofija Milošević.[49] They have two children: Aleksej Jović (born 2020)[50][51] and Teodor Jović (born 2022).[52]

On 18 March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Jović broke Serbia's self-isolation protocol by flying from Madrid to Belgrade to attend Milošević's birthday party, drawing criticism from Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabić herself and facing possible charges.[53] On 30 December 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19.[54]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 22 October 2023[55][56]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Red Star Belgrade 2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga 1100—00—11
2014–15 Serbian SuperLiga 22620—00—246
2015–16 Serbian SuperLiga 19521—2[lower-alpha 3]0—236
Total 421241—20—4813
Benfica B 2015–16 LigaPro 72————72
2016–17 LigaPro 112————112
Total 184————184
Benfica 2015–16 Primeira Liga 1000001[lower-alpha 4]00020
2016–17 Primeira Liga 100010000020
Total 200010100040
Eintracht Frankfurt 2017–18 Bundesliga 22851———279
2018–19 Bundesliga 321710—14[lower-alpha 3]101[lower-alpha 5]04827
Total 542561—1410107536
Real Madrid 2019–20 La Liga 17230—5[lower-alpha 4]02[lower-alpha 6]0272
2020–21 La Liga 4000—1[lower-alpha 4]00050
2021–22 La Liga 15110—3[lower-alpha 4]000191
Total 36340—9020513
Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) 2020–21 Bundesliga 18400———184
Fiorentina 2022–23 Serie A 31641—15[lower-alpha 7]6—5013
AC Milan 2023–24 Serie A 4000—0[lower-alpha 4]0—40
Career total 205541831041163026873
  1. Includes Serbian Cup, Taça de Portugal, DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia
  2. Includes Taça da Liga
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. Appearance in DFL-Supercup
  6. Appearances in Supercopa de España
  7. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International
As of match played 7 September 2023[56][57]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Serbia 201830
201942
202043
202192
2022103
202310
Total3110
Serbia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Jović goal.[58]
List of international goals scored by Luka Jović
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 20 March 2019Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany Germany
1–0
1–1
Friendly
2 10 June 2019Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia Lithuania
3–0
4–1
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
3 12 November 2020Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia Scotland
1–1
1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
4 18 November 2020Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia Russia
2–0
5–0
2020–21 UEFA Nations League B
5
4–0
6 1 September 2021Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary Qatar
2–0
4–0
Friendly
7 11 November 2021Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia Qatar
2–0
4–0
Friendly
8 5 June 2022 Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia Slovenia
3–1
4–1
2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
9 9 June 2022Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden Sweden
1–0
1–0
2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
10 18 November 2022Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain  Bahrain
5–1
5–1
Friendly

Honours

Red Star Belgrade

Benfica

Eintracht Frankfurt

Real Madrid

Fiorentina

Individual

References
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  2. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: List of Players: Serbia" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
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