Dragan Mrđa

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Dragan Mrđa

| image = Dragan mrdja.JPG

| image_size =

| caption = Dragan Mrdja before friendly match Serbia v. Bulgaria on 17 November 2010

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|1|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Vršac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia

| height = {{height|m=1.87|precision=0}}

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2000–2001 | youthclubs1 = Red Star Belgrade

| years1 = 2001–2005 | clubs1 = Red Star Belgrade | caps1 = 39 | goals1 = 7

| years2 = 2003–2005 | clubs2 = → Jedinstvo Ub (loan) | caps2 = 27 | goals2 = 10

| years3 = 2005–2007 | clubs3 = Lierse | caps3 = 30 | goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2006 | clubs4 = → Zulte Waregem (loan) | caps4 = 5 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2007–2008 | clubs5 = Khimki | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2008–2010 | clubs6 = Vojvodina | caps6 = 56 | goals6 = 35

| years7 = 2010–2013 | clubs7 = Sion | caps7 = 32 | goals7 = 9

| years8 = 2013–2014 | clubs8 = Red Star Belgrade | caps8 = 27 | goals8 = 19

| years9 = 2014–2017 | clubs9 = Omiya Ardija | caps9 =89 | goals9 = 34

| years10 = 2017–2018 | clubs10 = Shonan Bellmare | caps10 =10 | goals10 = 1

| years11 = 2018 | clubs11 = Olimpija Ljubljana | caps11 =1 | goals11 = 0

| totalcaps = 325 | totalgoals = 119

| nationalyears1 = 2008–2014 | nationalteam1 = Serbia | nationalcaps1 = 14 | nationalgoals1 = 2

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Silver|UEFA Under-21 Championship|2007}}

| manageryears1 = 2022 | managerclubs1 = Kashima Antlers (assistant)

| pcupdate =

| ntupdate =

}}

Dragan Mrđa ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Драган Мрђа}}; born 23 January 1984) is a Serbian football coach and a former forward. At international level, he has represented Serbia 14 times.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=27159|title=Dragan Mrđa, international football player|access-date=25 January 2025|website=EU-football.info}}

Club career

=Early career=

After spending many years of his youth playing with Red Star Belgrade, during which he was loaned to FK Jedinstvo Ub, he decided to accept a challenge that came from Belgium and moved to Lierse S.K. in August 2005. In the summer of 2006, he was loaned to another Belgian First Division club, S.V. Zulte Waregem before moving to Russia to play with Premier League club FC Khimki.

=Vojvodina=

After one season in Russia, he returned to Serbia to join FK Vojvodina in the Serbian SuperLiga. In spite of arriving to the club off of dry spells in Belgium and Russia, he became Vojvodina's captain after a remarkably short period of time due to a spontaneous explosion of good form. His prolific goal-scoring with Vojvodina earned him calls from the Serbia national team from 2008, having been called up for a friendly against Bulgaria and another friendly match against Austria which took place the same year.{{cite web |url=http://www.reprezentacija.rs/cgi-bin/index.pl?str%3Digraci%26strana%3DMrdja_Dragan |title=Orlovi ::: Srbija ::: Fudbalska reprezentacija Srbije ::: FSS ::: Mrdja Dragan |access-date=2010-03-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530101516/http://www.reprezentacija.rs/cgi-bin/index.pl?str=igraci&strana=Mrdja_Dragan |archive-date=2010-05-30 }} By the end of the 2009–10 season, Mrđa had scored 22 goals in 29 league games and was named SuperLiga Player of the Year.

=Sion=

After two seasons spent in Novi Sad, in summer 2010, he signed a 3-year contract with Swiss side FC Sion.{{Cite web|url=http://www.b92.net/sport/fudbal/vesti.php?yyyy=2010&mm=08&dd=12&nav_id=451427|title = Kraj "španske serije": Mrđa u Sionu}} In March 2011 in a match against FC Zürich he suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out of football for six months.{{cite web |url=http://www.sportal.rs/news.php?id%3D46937 |title=Sportal.rs - Evropski fudbal - "Orlovi" bez jednog napadača protiv Irske i Estonije |access-date=2013-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910001907/http://sportal.rs/news.php?id=46937 |archive-date=2011-09-10 }} Sportal: "Orlovi" bez jednog napadača protiv Irske i Estonije {{in lang|sr}} - March 13, 2011

=Return to Red Star Belgrade=

After seasons spent in Sion, Mrđa returned to the club at which he debuted professionally, signing a two-year contract with Red Star Belgrade.[http://www.b92.net/sport/fudbal/vesti.php?yyyy=2013&mm=08&dd=13&nav_id=742361] B92: Dragan Mrđa u Zvezdi - August 13, 2013 On 29 September 2013 he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 win against FK Spartak Subotica.{{cite web|url=http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Domaci-fudbal/240577/Petarda-Zvezde-hettrik-Mrdje-i-sjajni-golovi-Daude-i-Milijasa-protiv-Spartaka |title=Blic Sport | Petarda Zvezde: Het-trik Mrđe i sjajni golovi Daude i Milijaša protiv Spartaka |access-date=2013-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211181733/http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Domaci-fudbal/240577/Petarda-Zvezde-hettrik-Mrdje-i-sjajni-golovi-Daude-i-Milijasa-protiv-Spartaka |archive-date=2013-12-11 }} Blic Sport: Petarda Zvezde: het-trik Mrđe i sjajni golovi Daude i Milijaša protiv Spartaka {{in lang|sr}} 29 September 2013. By B. Vinulović On 23 November 2013 he scored another hat-trick in a 4–1 win against FK Sloboda Užice, becoming Red Star's highest goal-scorer of the half-season.[http://www.mozzartsport.com/vesti/mrdja-ne-zna-da-da-gol-on-daje-samo-po-dvatri-video/65730] Mozzart Sport: Mrđa ne zna da da gol, on daje samo po dva-tri {{in lang|sr}} 23 November 2013

=Omiya Ardija=

On 1 July 2014, Mrđa joined J. League Division 1 club Omiya Ardija.[http://www.ardija.co.jp/news/detail/5551.html FKレッドスター・ベオグラードムルジャ選手大宮アルディージャ加入のお知らせ (Notice of FK Red Star Belgrade player Murr Ja Omiya Ardija join)] Mrđa scored on his debut on 19 July 2014 helping them to earn a 3–3 draw against Sanfrecce Hiroshima.[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/07/21/soccer/j-league/return-shutdown-helps-forget-world-cup-woes/#.VXF-nUaYi6R Return from shutdown helps to forget World Cup woes]. Japan Times. 21 July 2014. He played 18 times for Omiya in the 2014 as they suffered relegation to the Division 2.

He finished his career at Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzs.si/tekmovanja/?action=igralecStat&id_igralca=208114|title=Dragan Mrđa|website=NZS|language=sl|access-date=25 January 2025}}

International career

Mrđa was a part of the Serbian U21 team that made it to the final of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he scored coming off the bench against the Netherlands U21 side. By the end of the championship he had scored a total of two goals, which was on level with the likes of Ryan Babel. Mrđa scored two goals for the Serbia national team in a 3–0 friendly win against Japan on 7 April 2010.{{cite web|url=http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Svetski-fudbal/176088/Dva-gola-Mrdje-i-slobodnjak-Tomica-za-trijumf-Srbije-u-Japanu-od-30 |title=Blic Sport | Mrđa i slobodnjak Tomića za trijumf Srbije u Japanu! |access-date=2013-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211182052/http://sport.blic.rs/Fudbal/Svetski-fudbal/176088/Dva-gola-Mrdje-i-slobodnjak-Tomica-za-trijumf-Srbije-u-Japanu-od-30 |archive-date=2013-12-11 }} Blic Sport: Mrđa i slobodnjak Tomića za trijumf Srbije u Japanu! {{in lang|sr}} 7 April 2010

In June 2010, he was called up by Radomir Antić to Serbia's squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but didn't make any appearances there.

Career statistics

=Club=

Updated to 23 February 2017.Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, [https://www.amazon.co.jp/2017-J1-J3%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E5%90%8D%E9%91%91-NSK-MOOK/dp/4905411424/ref=pd_sim_14_1/356-9491148-0114816?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BA8BN4Y0F97GNWKQM78H "2017 J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 (NSK MOOK)"], 8 February 2017, Japan, {{ISBN|978-4905411420}} (p. 41 out of 289)

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Season ! Club ! League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \|Japan ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Emperor's Cup ! colspan=2 \| J. League Cup ! colspan=2 \| Total
2014	rowspan=3\|Omiya Ardija	J1 League	18	9	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	19	9
2015	J2 League	36	19	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	37	19
2016	J1 League	27	6	2	0	3	0	32	6
colspan=3\|Total !81\|\|34\|\|4\|\|0\|\|3\|\|0\|\|88\|\|34

=International=

Year	Apps	Goals
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=3 \| Serbia national team
2008	2	0
2009	0	0
2010	7	2
2011	3	0
2012	0	0
2013	0	0
2014	2	0
Total\|\|14\|\|2

==International goals==

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

!Date

!Venue

!Opponent

!Score

!Result

!Competition

{{Ig match

| n =1.

| d=7 April 2010

| st=Nagai Stadium | ci=Osaka| co=Japan

| o=Japan

| sc=0–1

| fr=0–3

| comp=Friendly}}

{{Ig match

| n =2.

| d=7 April 2010

| st=Nagai Stadium | ci=Osaka| co=Japan

| o=Japan

| sc=0–3

| fr=0–3

| comp=Friendly}}

References

External links

{{NFT player|pid=28715}}
{{Soccerway|dragan-mrdja/13316}}
{{J.League player}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100530143826/http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=62926/profile/index.html Dragan Mrđa] at UEFA

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Vršac

Category:Footballers from South Banat District

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers