Zdravko KuzmanoviÃÂ (, ; born 22 September 1987) is a former Serbian footballer who played as a defensive or central midfielder. He last played for FC Basel. He represented Serbia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Born in Thun, Switzerland to a family of Bosnian Serb expats (his father hails from the Skugriàvillage near ModriÃÂa), Kuzmanoviàcontinued the family tradition as both his father Ljubo and his grandfather played football for the lower league local club in GradaÃÂacâÂÂFK Zvijezda. KuzmanoviÃÂ's father also played professionally in Berlin, before eventually ending his career at FC Thun of Switzerland, and continuing to live in the country.
Kuzmanoviàstarted his professional career at Basel, having played in the academy for Dürrenast and Young Boys before moving to Basel. He was promoted to first team in 2005âÂÂ06 season and also played for Basel II at 1. Liga that season. Kuzmanoviàscored his first goals for Basel in the second round of the Swiss Cup, in a 6âÂÂ1 win over BSC Old Boys. Kuzmanoviàscored two more goals later in the season. Following his good performance, he was reported by UEFA as one of the most interesting young players in Europe and was awarded with the Swiss Golden Player Award for season 2006.
The 2006âÂÂ07 season started well for KuzmanoviÃÂ. He established himself in the first team and scored his first league goal of the season on 13 August 2006, in a 4âÂÂ1 win over Thun. By the first half of the 2006âÂÂ07 season, Kuzmanoviàhad made twentyâÂÂeight appearances and scored five times in all competitions.
In early 2007, KuzmanoviÃÂ was approached by Palermo, but the negotiations with the Rosaneri stopped abruptly. On 30 January 2007, at the age of 19, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with ACF Fiorentina after learning its midfielder Marco Donadel would be away for about two months because of a calf injury. The move was controversial when Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini and sporting director Rino Foschi accused Fiorentina of 'misconduct' by describing their director of football Pantaleo Corvino as a 'jackal'. In response, Corvino said "better jackal than chicken" before reaffirming the correctness of his actions. In an interview for the club's official website years later, KuzmanoviÃÂ explained how his move to Palermo fell through.
After being on the substitute bench for most of the matches, he played his first Serie A match for Fiorentina in a 5âÂÂ1 win over against Torino on 4 March 2007. In his first half of the season at Fiorentina, Kuzmanoviàwent on to make three more appearances.
In his first full season at Fiorentina, Kuzmanoviàmanaged to established himself in the first team and then scored his first goal for the club against Catania on 17 February 2008. In the UEFA Cup campaign knockout stage in the quarter-final against Everton, Kuzmanoviàscored his first European goal in a 2âÂÂ0 win in the first leg. In the second leg, Everton managed to catch up with a 2âÂÂ0 win, resulting an extra time and the game played on the penalties, which Fiorentina won 4âÂÂ2. Kuzmanoviàended the 2007âÂÂ08 season making fortyâÂÂeight appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
The following season, on 14 October 2008, Kuzmanoviàsigned a contract with the club that would keep him until 2013. Kuzmanoviàended the 2008âÂÂ09 season, making fortyâÂÂone appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.
During his time at the club, KuzmanoviÃÂ went on to become an integral first team player for Fiorentina, notching up over 70 Serie A appearances and featuring in their successful European competition runs.
On 31 August 2009 on the transfer deadline, Kuzmanoviàsigned a four-year contract with VfB Stuttgart worth ã7million.
On 12 September 2009, Kuzmanoviàmade his Stuttgart debut, playing 22 minutes, in a 3âÂÂ1 loss against Hamburg. Kuzmanoviàalso made his Champions League debut for Stuttgart in a 1âÂÂ3 defeat at home to Sevilla on 20 October 2009 and later scored his first Champions League goal in the return leg when Sevilla and Stuttgart played a 1âÂÂ1 draw. Then on 21 November 2009, Kuzmanoviàscored his first goal for Stuttgart in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Hertha BSC, but was sentâÂÂoff later in the game. Kuzmanoviàestablished himself in the starting eleven, taking the first team place from Thomas Hitzlsperger and made thirtyâÂÂfour appearances and scoring five times in all competitions despite injury.
Kuzmanoviàmanaged to regain his first team place and started the 2010âÂÂ11 season well when he scored his first goal of the season, in a 7âÂÂ0 thrash victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach on 18 September 2010, KuzmanoviÃÂâÂÂs performance soon attracted interests from Serie A clubs, but he played down rumours of leaving Stuttgart, insisting he was happy to stay at Stuttgart. In the round of 64, the second leg in the Europa League campaign against Benfica, Kuzmanoviàreceived a straight red card in stoppage time, as Stuttgart would not only lose for the second time against them, but being eliminated from the Europa League campaign. The 2010âÂÂ11 season saw Kuzmanoviàmaking forty-seven appearances and scoring eleven times in all competitions.
In the 2011âÂÂ12 season, transfer speculation to sign Kuzmanoviàcontinued when English side Chelsea had their 23 million bid turned down. Kuzmanoviàstarted the season by making seven appearances, including his first goal of the season as Stuttgart won 3âÂÂ0 against Hannover 96 on 10 September 2011 before suffering a hamstring injury, which caused him to miss two matches. He then returned in mid-October and scored on his return on 22 October 2011, in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Nürnberg. Kuzmanoviàfinished the 2011âÂÂ12 season, making twentyâÂÂnine appearances and scoring six times in all competitions.
In the 2012âÂÂ13 season, Kuzmanoviàhad featured less at the start of the season, having suffered a torn muscle in his right thigh. On 24 September 2012, it was announced that Kuzmanoviàexpected to leave the club at the end of the 2012âÂÂ13 season after there were contract talks between the player and the club. After that, he was often playing out of position, both in substitution and starts. In December 2012, KuzmanoviÃÂ's relationship with the club turned sour and beyond repair when contract talks broke down.
On 31 January 2013, KuzmanoviÃÂ moved to Italian side Internazionale for an undisclosed fee.
Kuzmanoviàmade his Internazionale debut on 3 February 2013, where he made his first start and provided the only goal in the game for Internazionale, as they lost 3âÂÂ1 to AS Siena. Kuzmanoviàwent on to establish himself in the first team, making thirteen appearances for the club.
However, in the 2013âÂÂ14 season, under the new management of Walter Mazzarri, Kuzmanoviàwas deployed only sparingly and spent most of the season on the substitute bench. and injured, making fifteen appearances for the club. With lack of first team opportunities, Kuzmanoviàattracted interests from Roma, but stayed at the club, stating he was happy at the club.
Then in the 2014âÂÂ15 season Roberto Mancini was hired as the new Inter coach and under his management, Kuzmanoviàplayed more frequently. Kuzmanoviàplayed a role in both legs of the Europa League Qualification Round when he provided two assists in both games against Stjarnan. It was not until 29 October 2014 when he made his first league appearance of the 2014âÂÂ15 season and provided the assist in the only goal of the game, in a 1âÂÂ0 win over Sampdoria. Though he was placed on a loan list in January, he was taken off after the transfer window closed. Kuzmanoviàsuffered an injury that kept out for the month. He finished the 2014âÂÂ15 season, making twentyâÂÂfive appearances and scoring once.
Ahead of the 2015âÂÂ16 season, KuzmanoviÃÂ's future at Inter Milan became uncertain after being linked with a move to Serie A clubs and Watford.
On 30 June 2015, Kuzmanoviàreturned to FC Basel on a five-year deal. Upon returning to Basel after spending eight-years away, Kuzmanoviàsaid he wanted to stay at Basel for the rest of his career. After the announcement of MatÃÂas Delgado's captaincy, Kuzmanoviàwas appointed as the club's viceâÂÂcaptain, alongside Marek Suchý.
Kuzmanoviàmade his Basel debut in the opening game of the season, where he came on as a substitute for Delgado in the 63rd minute, in a 2âÂÂ1 win over Vaduz. Kuzmanoviàsuffered an injury when he tore his muscle in his right thigh, in a 3âÂÂ1 win over Thun on 12 August 2015 and was sidelined for four weeks. After his return to the first team, Kuzmanoviàstruggled to regain his first team place, due to strong performance from Taulant Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny and his return to the club became questionable.
With his first team opportunities limited, KuzmanoviÃÂ was linked with a move back to Serie A, with Genoa, Bologna and Sampdoria and was expected to leave the club in the January transfer window. Another factor to leave the club was a dispute with manager Urs Fischer.
On 21 January 2016, Basel announced that they had loaned out KuzmanoviÃÂ to Udinese until the end of the season. This came after KuzmanoviÃÂ was given permission to leave the club's training camp to join Udinese.
Kuzmanoviàmade his Udinese debut in a 0âÂÂ0 draw against Lazio on 31 January 2016. Since his return, Kuzmanoviàbecame a first team regular in midfield position, which he enjoyed playing and went on to make sixteen appearances, for the club. Despite being rumoured to join Udinese on a permanent basis for 5 million euro, Kuzmanoviàreturned to his parent club instead.
On 30 June 2016, Kuzmanoviàwas loaned to La Liga side Málaga for one year. He made his Málaga debut in the opening game of the season, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for goalscorer Juanpi in a 1âÂÂ1 home draw against CA Osasuna.
Under trainer Marcel Koller Basel won the Swiss Cup in the 2018âÂÂ19 season. In the first round, Basel beat FC Montlingen 3âÂÂ0, in the second round Echallens Région 7âÂÂ2 and in the round of 16 Winterthur 1âÂÂ0. In the quarter-finals Sion were defeated 4âÂÂ2 after extra time and in the semi-finals Zürich were defeated 3âÂÂ1. All these games were played away from home. The final was held on 19 May 2019 in the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf Bern against Thun. Striker Albian Ajeti scored the first goal, Fabian Frei the second for Basel, then Dejan Sorgiànetted a goal for Thun, but the end result was 2âÂÂ1 for Basel. Kuzmanoviàplayed in four cup games and scored a goal in the semi-final against Zürich.
On 12 June 2020 the club announced that the contract with Kuzmanovic would not be prolonged. Between the years 2005 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2020 Kuzmanovic played a total of 131 games for Basel scoring a total of 12 goals. 62 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, 12 in the Swiss Cup, two in the Champions League, 14 in the UEFA Europa League and 41 were friendly games. He scored five goals in the domestic league, three in the domestic cup, two in the UEFA Cup and the other two were scored during the test games. After that, KuzmanoviÃÂ announced that he ended his playing career.
In early 2007, Serbian FA began talks with him about the possibility of playing for the Serbia national team and he accepted the call up to the squad against Kazakhstan and Portugal in March 2007. He scored his first two goals for Serbia in the away game versus Belgium, but they weren't enough to get a point, since Serbia lost 3âÂÂ2. Although Kuzmanoviàwas born in Thun and played for Switzerland at youth level, he has decided to play for Serbia on the senior level, stating: "I'm Serbian and I want to give all for my country, it's a matter of what you feel in your heart and I must listen to it."
He played once at 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifying for Switzerland U21 thus being ineligible to play for Serbia at the same campaign, which Serbia lost to the Netherlands in the final. He also played a friendly versus France U21 in February 2007 before he accepted the call-up from Serbia.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Kuzmanoviàwas among twentyâÂÂthree players named in the Serbia squad for the World Cup. Then in a match between Serbia and Ghana, Kuzmanoviàconceded a penalty by handling the ball. Ghana scored and won the match 1âÂÂ0. Despite this, Kuzmanoviàwent on to appear in two more World Cup matches, though Serbia was eliminated in the group stage.
He earned a total of 50 caps (6 goals) and his final international was a November 2014 European Championship qualification match against Denmark.
Basel