Milan Gajić (footballer, born 1996)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Milan Gajić

| image = Milan Gajić (footballer, born 1996) 2022.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Gajić with CSKA Moscow in 2022

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|01|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Vukovar, Croatia

| height = 1.76 m{{cite web|url=https://pfc-cska.com/komanda/igroki/gajic-milan/ |title=Milan Gajić |publisher=PFC CSKA Moscow |access-date=12 August 2022|language=ru}}

| position = Right-back/Left-back

| currentclub = CSKA Moscow

| clubnumber = 22

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Dinamo Pančevo

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = OFK Beograd

| years1 = 2013–2015

| clubs1 = OFK Beograd

| caps1 = 46

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2015–2019

| clubs2 = Bordeaux

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2019–2022

| clubs3 = Red Star Belgrade

| caps3 = 92

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2022–

| clubs4 = CSKA Moscow

| caps4 = 74

| goals4 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 2012–2013

| nationalteam1 = Serbia U17Only official UEFA matches included

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam2 = Serbia U19

| nationalcaps2 = 11

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam3 = Serbia U20

| nationalcaps3 = 9

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| nationalyears4 = 2015–2019

| nationalteam4 = Serbia U21

| nationalcaps4 = 27

| nationalgoals4 = 2

| nationalyears5 = 2021–

| nationalteam5 = Serbia

| nationalcaps5 = 2

| nationalgoals5 = 0

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's Football}}

{{MedalCountry|{{SRB}}}}

| pcupdate = 26 April 2025

| ntupdate = 21 March 2024

}}

Milan Gajić ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Милан Гајић}}; born 28 January 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a right-back or left-back for Russian club CSKA Moscow.

Club career

=Early career=

Born in the eastern Slavonian city of Vukovar, Croatia, Gajić spent his childhood in the northern Serbian city of Pančevo where he began practicing football at the age of six with Dinamo Pančevo.{{cite web|url=http://www.mozzartsport.com/vesti/intervju-milan-gajic-bek-je-nacrtan-da-pravi-razliku/170588|title=Mozzart Sport: INTERVJU - Milan Gajić: Bek je nacrtan da pravi razliku|language=Serbian|date=June 19, 2017|accessdate=August 31, 2017}} He was subsequently recruited by OFK Beograd, making his senior debut in the 2013–14 campaign. Afterwards, Gajić was a first team regular for two seasons, collecting 46 league appearances and scoring four goals.

=Bordeaux=

On 22 July 2015, Gajić signed a five-year contract with French club Bordeaux.{{Cite web | url=http://www.girondins.com/transfert-milan-gajic-est-bordelais.html | title=Transfert - Milan Gajić est bordelais ! | language=French | publisher=girondins.com | date=22 July 2015 | accessdate=22 July 2015 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722223309/http://www.girondins.com/transfert-milan-gajic-est-bordelais.html | archivedate=22 July 2015 }} His transfer from OFK Beograd reportedly cost Bordeaux €800,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.butasport.rs/fudbal/milan-gajic-za-butasport-rs-prija-interesovanje-najveceg-srpskog-kluba/|title=Butasport.rs: Milan Gajić za BUTASPORT.RS: Prija interesovanje najvećeg srpskog kluba|language=Serbian|date=November 16, 2016|accessdate=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901065403/http://www.butasport.rs/fudbal/milan-gajic-za-butasport-rs-prija-interesovanje-najveceg-srpskog-kluba/|archive-date=September 1, 2017|url-status=dead}} Initially, Gajić saw little playing time as he was the team's second choice to starting right back Youssouf Sabaly.

=Red Star Belgrade=

On 4 February 2019, Gajić signed a 3.5-year contract with Red Star Belgrade.{{cite web|url=http://www.crvenazvezdafk.com/scc/vest/8090/gajic-potpisao-za-zvezdu|title=Гајић потписао за Звезду|publisher=Red Star Belgrade|date=4 February 2019|accessdate=18 February 2019}} Although Red Star qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, coach Vladan Milojević and Red Star's management opted not to register Gajić in their 23-man Champions League squad, ultimately choosing Marko Gobeljić as the starting right-back.{{cite web|url=https://www.meridian-sport.com/fudbal-crvena-zvezda-liga-sampiona-spisak-igraca-gajic-jevtovic/|author=Nebojša Todorović|work=Meridian Sport|title=SPISAK IZNENAĐENJA ILI NE? Zvezda prijavila igrače za Ligu šampiona|language=Serbian|date=4 September 2019|accessdate=17 November 2019}}

=CSKA Moscow=

On 17 June 2022, Gajić signed a three-year contract with Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow.{{cite web|publisher=PFC CSKA Moscow|url=https://pfc-cska.com/novosti/vse-novosti/novosti-osnovy/milan-gayich-s-nami/|title=Милан Гайич – с нами!|date=17 June 2022|accessdate=17 June 2022|language=ru}} On 8 October 2023, he scored twice in a Main Moscow derby game against FC Spartak Moscow which ended in a 2–2 draw.{{cite web|publisher=Russian Premier League|url=https://eng.premierliga.ru/match/match_15564.html|title=Spartak v CSKA game report|date=8 October 2023}}

International career

Gajić represented Serbia at the 2014 UEFA Under-19 Championship, as the team was eliminated in the semi-final by Portugal. He was also a member of the team that won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.{{Cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/y=2015/m=6/news=ecstasy-in-auckland-as-serbia-make-history-2651306.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620212444/http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/y=2015/m=6/news=ecstasy-in-auckland-as-serbia-make-history-2651306.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 20, 2015 | title=Ecstasy in Auckland as Serbia make history | publisher=fifa.com | date=20 June 2015 | accessdate=11 May 2016}} In May 2017, head coach of the Serbia U21 side Nenad Lalatović included Gajić in the final squad for the 2017 UEFA Under-21 Championship in Poland.{{cite web|url=http://www.zurnal.rs/fudbal/reprezentacija/48359/lalatovic-tim-za-ep-radonjic-na-spisku-nema-ristica|title=Лалатовић тим за ЕП: Радоњић на списку, нема Ристића|website=Sportski žurnal|date=22 June 2017 |accessdate=21 March 2024}}

He made his debut for Serbia national football team on 24 March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Ireland.{{cite web|publisher=UEFA|url=https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/match/2030770/|title=Serbia v Ireland game report|date=24 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=31341|title=Player Database|accessdate=26 July 2022|website=EU-football}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|Cup !colspan="2"\|Europe !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="3"\|OFK Beograd \|2013–14 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|22	2	5	1	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	27	3
2014–15 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|24	2	1	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	25	2
colspan="2"\|Total !46	4	6	1	0	0	0	0	52	5
rowspan="5"\|Bordeaux \|2015–16 \|Ligue 1 \|9	1	0	0	3	0	0	0	12	1
2016–17 \|Ligue 1 \|14	0	4	0	0	0	3	0	21	0
2017–18 \|Ligue 1 \|4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	0
2018–19 \|Ligue 1 \|1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total !28	1	4	0	5	0	3	0	40	1
rowspan="5"\|Red Star Belgrade \|2018–19 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|11	1	1	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	12	1
2019–20 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|15	1	1	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	16	1
2020–21 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|35	2	3	0	11	1	colspan="2"\|—	49	3
2021–22 \|Serbian SuperLiga \|31	1	4	0	8	0	colspan="2"\|—	43	1
colspan="2"\|Total !92	5	9	0	19	1	0	0	120	6
rowspan="4"\|CSKA Moscow \|2022–23 \|Russian Premier League \|29	0	13	1	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	42	1
2023–24 \|Russian Premier League \|26	3	12	2	colspan="2"\|—	1{{efn\|name=RSC\|Appearance in Russian Super Cup}}	0	39	5
2024–25 \|Russian Premier League \|19	0	8	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	27	0
colspan="2"\|Total !74	3	33	3	colspan="2"\|—	1	0	108	6
colspan="3"\|Career total !240	13	52	4	24	1	4	0	320	18

;Notes

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="4"\|Serbia \|2021	1	0
2022	0	0
2023	0	0
2024	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total\|\|2\|\|0

Honours

=Club=

;Red Star Belgrade

Serbian SuperLiga (4): 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
Serbian Cup (2): 2020–21, 2021–22

;CSKA Moscow

Russian Cup: 2022–23{{cite web|publisher=Russian Football Union|url=https://rfs.ru/news/218314|title=Суперфинал LIVE. ЦСКА победил «Краснодар» в серии послематчевых пенальти|date=11 June 2023|language=ru}}