Red star defender marko petkovic. Who is Spartak's newcomer Marko Petkovic

Refusal to go to Partizan, love of attacks, unusual running and other things you need to know about Spartak rookie Marko Petkovic.

Who it

It should be noted right away that Marko has nothing to do with Dusan Petkovic, who played for Spartak in 2004. In addition to their surname, they are united only by their performances for the Serbian OFK, where both began their careers. In the same place the young defender was looked after by the scouts of Partizan in 2013. The clubs quickly reached an agreement among themselves, and even announcements of the transition appeared on sports resources. But Petkovich himself blocked the negotiations, arguing that since childhood he was a fan of Crvena Zvezda.

Soon he found himself in the team he dreamed of playing for, tried on the red and white colors that accompanied him for most of his career, quickly made his way to the base, fell in love with the fans and ... at 22 he tore his cruciate ligaments. Having missed six months, Petkovic returned to the base, but could not return to his former level. Constant mistakes in defense gradually brought to naught cheerleader love, and Marco had to prove everything anew.

The next season, Petkovic barely regained his former shape and staked out a place on the right flank of the defense. True, despite the great experience of playing in the youth team, in the first one he is far from being a base player. At 24, he has just two first-team appearances. And then comradely.

Nevertheless, Petkovich's potential is really high. He has good physical characteristics, quickly grasps everything and does not hide that he wants to repeat the path of Nemanja Vidic in Spartak.

How does it play

However, the first thing that suggests itself is an analogy with another Serbian legionnaire in our championship - Branislav Ivanovic in his early years. Fortunately, their position and anthropometric data are similar. However, there are several nuances in his game that are worth paying attention to.

Strengths

Petkovic is not a classic modern nimble high-speed lateral. Marco does not have high speed, therefore he prefers to read the episode, predict where the opponent is going to transfer, or impose a tough fight immediately after the attacking player has received the ball. He is not thrown into more nimble and faster players, keeps his distance, and only when he is convinced that he is backed by a defensive midfielder or a central defender, he enters into single combat. With the selection, by the way, Petkovic is all right - due to dedication and the ability to read the episode, he most often comes out the winner from duels with forwards. With endurance, too, complete order - Marco can calmly rush all 90 minutes from face to face and not even out of breath. Former Main coach Serbia national team Radovan Churchic said that he had not yet met such a hardy and physically strong player.

Moreover, if necessary, Marco can play the role of a central defender - both for positional defense and for safety net. The powerful texture and height for the extreme defender (186 cm) help him to take off the top gears and impose the fight on the oversized forwards.

However, Petkovic looks even more interesting in attack. He is as stubborn as he is on the defensive, has a good command of a pass over short and medium distances, can cool the ball from the flank into the penalty area. In addition, Miodrag Bozovic made good use of Marco's ability to play a pass, playing a combination in which he performed a false fullback - he shifted to the center and gave the pass to the flank of the attacking player. Petkovich also interacts well with partners - playing the wall and rushing along the flank is a pleasure for him.

Weak sides

Marco's main problem is low starting speed. He accelerates well, gaining momentum at a distance, but when jerking a sharp edge he often misses him or fouls. The most effective technique used by Crvena Zvezda's rivals on its flank was a banal throw behind the back at a fast player. This is where Marco really has something to work on.

As well as over concentration. In an attempt to insure his partners in the center of defense, he sometimes exposes his zone. In matches with most opponents in the Serbian championship, where Zvezda acts from a position of strength, this is not punished so often. But in the match with "Spartak" Petkovic's tactical mistake led to a goal.

Speed ​​problems also make themselves felt when playing offensively. Petkovic has a poor technical arsenal - most often he removes the ball under himself or throws it on his move, puts the body and recoups with a partner. He has a very unusual mincing running technique, which sometimes confuses the enemy. But at a high level, this is unlikely to help him regularly. Also, Marco cannot boast of a powerful delivered blow. He prefers crossings and crossfills from the flank, but he doesn’t do well on goal.

At the collection of Russian champions in Austria.

Saturday. Villach. Marko PETKOVICH (center), head coach of Spartak Massimo CARRERA (left) and general director of red-and-white Sergei RODIONOV. Photo by FC "Spartak"

Let's start with the main thing - “Spartak” acquired a really talented football player with crazy potential. At the same time, he was quite mature, having gone through tests, which, however, revealed the weaknesses of the Spartak novice.

CAPTAIN OF A SERBIAN YOUTH

Petkovich is 24 years old. He - two-time champion Serbia as part of Crvena Zvezda, where he moved from OFK in 2013. From the age of 18, he was called up to the youth, then the youth national team of Serbia. He was the captain of the team that kicked Spain out of the 2015 European Championship. He also has matches for the national team, but not enough, his career in the senior national team has not yet worked out, and that's why.

TORNED CROSSES AT 22 YEARS

MOTOR

Nature has awarded Petkovich with excellent data. Fast, powerful, tenacious. "Double heart" and allows him to constantly run forward. Former head coach Radovan Churchic said that he would challenge Petkovic even in bad periods- if only because I have rarely met such an explosive, physically strong and enduring football player.

Marko PETKOVICH (center). Photo by FC "Crvena Zvezda"

KNOWS WHAT IS FAITHFULNESS

For dessert, a story that will undoubtedly immediately win over Spartak fans to Petkovich. In 2013, the management first agreed on the transfer of the defender to. The transition was announced on all resources associated with the club. But the veto on the transfer was imposed by Petkovic himself, who had been rooting for Crvena Zvezda since childhood. He could not move on to his sworn rival. Playing for Zvezda and wearing red and white was his dream.

P. S... PETKOVICH-2

Who it

It should be noted right away that Marko has nothing to do with Dusan Petkovic, who played for Spartak in 2004. In addition to their surname, they are united only by their performances for the Serbian OFK, where both began their careers. In the same place the young defender was looked after by the scouts of Partizan in 2013. The clubs quickly reached an agreement among themselves, and even announcements of the transition appeared on sports resources. But Petkovich himself blocked the negotiations, arguing that since childhood he was a fan of Crvena Zvezda.

Soon he found himself in the team he dreamed of playing for, tried on the red and white colors that accompanied him for most of his career, quickly made his way to the base, fell in love with the fans and ... at 22 he tore his cruciate ligaments. Having missed six months, Petkovic returned to the base, but could not return to his former level. Constant mistakes in defense gradually brought to naught cheerleader love, and Marco had to prove everything anew.

Count's castle. How Miodrag Bozovic works with Crvena Zvezda

But a year ago, Bozovic's career resembled the ruins of the count.

The next season, Petkovic barely regained his former shape and staked out a place on the right flank of the defense. True, despite the great experience of playing in the youth team, in the first one he is far from being a base player. At 24, he has just two first-team appearances. And then comradely.
Nevertheless, Petkovich's potential is really high. He has good physical characteristics, quickly grasps everything and does not hide that he wants to repeat the path of Nemanja Vidic in Spartak.

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How does it play

However, the first thing that suggests itself is an analogy with another Serbian legionnaire in our championship - Branislav Ivanovic in his early years. Fortunately, their position and anthropometric data are similar. However, there are several nuances in his game that are worth paying attention to.

Strengths

Petkovic is not a classic modern nimble high-speed lateral. Marco does not have high speed, therefore he prefers to read the episode, predict where the opponent is going to make the transfer, or impose a tough fight immediately after the attacking player has received the ball. He is not thrown into more nimble and faster players, keeps his distance, and only when he is convinced that he is backed by a defensive midfielder or a central defender, he enters into single combat. With the selection, by the way, Petkovic is all right - due to dedication and the ability to read the episode, he most often comes out the winner from duels with forwards. With endurance, too, complete order - Marco can calmly rush all 90 minutes from face to face and not even out of breath. Former head coach of the Serbian national team Radovan Curchic said that he had not yet met such a hardy and physically strong player.

Moreover, if necessary, Marco can play the role of a central defender - both for positional defense and for safety net. The powerful texture and height for the extreme defender (186 cm) help him to take off the top gears and impose the fight on the oversized forwards.

However, Petkovic looks even more interesting in attack. He is as stubborn as he is on the defensive, has a good command of a pass over short and medium distances, can cool the ball from the flank into the penalty area. In addition, Miodrag Bozovic made good use of Marco's ability to play a pass, playing a combination in which he performed a false fullback - he shifted to the center and gave the pass to the flank of the attacking player. Petkovic also interacts well with partners - play the wall and rush along the flank it is a pleasure for him.

Weak sides

Marco's main problem is low starting speed. He accelerates well, gaining momentum at a distance, but when jerking a sharp edge he often misses him or fouls. The most effective technique used by Crvena Zvezda's rivals on its flank was a banal throw behind the back at a fast player. This is where Marco really has something to work on.

As well as over concentration. In an attempt to insure his partners in the center of defense, he sometimes exposes his zone. In matches with the majority of opponents in the Serbian championship, where Zvezda acts from a position of strength, this is not punished so often. But in the match against Spartak Petkovic's tactical mistake led to a goal.

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Speed ​​problems also make themselves felt when playing offensively. Petkovic has a poor technical arsenal - most often he removes the ball under himself or throws it on his move, puts the body and recoups with a partner. He has a very unusual mincing running technique, which sometimes confuses the enemy. But at a high level, this is unlikely to help him regularly. Also, Marco cannot boast of a powerful delivered blow. He prefers crossings and crossfills from the flank, but he doesn’t do well on goal.

Outcome

Like all young footballers, Petkovic has certain drawbacks that he still has to work on. But Marko's potential is visible, and if he can progress further and prove that he can grow in a championship that is an order of magnitude stronger than the Serbian Super League, then a great future can really await him. So far, he is far from a top-tier player. But under competent leadership it may well become such.

What is known about the new defender of "Spartak"

Spartak have completed their search for a right-back by signing a contract with 24-year-old Serb Marko Petkovic. "Match TV" about a player who will defend the club's championship.

At the end of the championship season, the owner of "Spartak" Leonid Fedun made it clear that his club is planning a point strengthening within the summer transfer window. By the standards Russian Premier League, the red and white look solid in all lanes, but in the context of the upcoming fight in three tournaments, including the Champions League, a number of positions needed to be updated.

The right back is one of them. Until recently, it was unclear whether Spartak would use the option of buying out Georgiy Tigiev from Anji and whether it would prolong cooperation with Andrey Yeshchenko. Thomas Fockett from Ghent, Martin Montoya from Valencia, Emil Salomonsson from Gothenburg - transfer rumors sent many performers to Tarasovka. But the choice of the management and Massimo Carrera eventually settled on the representative Serbian club is the reversal of Crvena Zvezda Marko Petkovic, who liked the Italian coach in the March friendly match between the red and white in Belgrade.

Who is Petkovic?

The pupil of the Belgrade OFK Petkovic has been called up to the national teams of all ages since 2010. In the youth team, he achieved the status of captain, in 2013 he moved to Crvena Zvezda, with which he immediately won the championship title (again - in the 2015/2016 season). Petkovic was watched by several well-known European clubs, he was about to move to a new level. But at 22, a disaster struck - a rupture of the cruciate ligaments. Six months for physical recovery, another year to overcome the psychological barrier after returning to the field. Only along the way last season Petkovich approached his previous condition, tirelessly and fearfully furrowing the right edge from and to.

In the spring, Fiorentina and Olympiacos showed interest in Petkovic's candidacy, later the Serbian edition of Sports Journal reported on negotiations with Crotone, but in the end he moved to Spartak.

How does Petkovic play?

Already from just one statistics of Marco's performance last season, it is obvious that this defender is no stranger to connecting to attacks: 4 goals and 3 assists. Petkovic is a pronounced attacking defender, who often finds it easier to beat one or two opponents than to keep an eye on opponents near his own penalty area throughout the meeting. High speed, good dribbling, enviable endurance and performance are the main trump cards of a football player.

Worse with awnings and gears (accuracy 40 and 77 percent, respectively). As mentioned above, not everything is all right in terms of defense - Petkovic does not always have time to return in time, often creeps in tackles of varying degrees of success. But he has impressive physical data for his position, height - 185 cm, weight - around 77 kg, which do not affect mobility in any way, but help in martial arts.

Petkovic in Spartak

- Firstly, I am very proud, and secondly, this is a very big step forward in my career, - the official website of “Spartak” quotes Petkovich's words on duty. - And it's also great that I came to Spartak from Crvena Zvezda. It was from this Serbian club that Nemanja Vidic moved to Spartak thirteen years ago. And I was told that he also signed a contract in early July.

Noting that he has no right to compare himself with the “legend of European football”, Petkovic also added that he is the first Serb to join the ranks of “Spartak” after Vidic. Arriving at the location of the team, Petkovic got off the ship to the ball, for the second sparring of Carrera's charges during the offseason. While as a spectator. Red-and-white with a score of 3: 2 defeated the Serbian "Vozdovac" in a duel in which there was almost a fight wall to wall.

But the main thing for Petkovich was to observe the actions of competitors in the position, Tigiev and Yeshchenko. It is curious that Carrera released both at the start, and the first played, where it should be, on the right, and the second was located on the opposite flank. In the episode with the first goal of the Serbs, Yeshchenko made a mistake, received a yellow card in the second half, while Tigiev had a high-quality and smooth meeting. This round was left for Georgy, but soon Petkovich will have to make a move.

At the moment, taking into account the difference in class between the Serbian and Russian championships, it cannot be argued that Petkovic will be the first after Vidic, not only on paper, and even ahead of Tigiev and Yeschenko when forming starting line-up... But the competition on the right edge will definitely increase, Carrera will have more tactical options, and Quincy Promes and Alexander Samedov have a partner who is ready to make a rapid run at any time.

Photo of the announcement: Getty Images

After a medical examination in Rome, the Crvena Zvezda defender signed a contract with our club.

On Saturday at 13:30, twenty-four-year-old Marko Petkovic arrived in Villach, at the Hotel Warmbaderhof, where our team is based for the summer training camp abroad. Today the Serbian defender has come a very long way - from Rome, where the footballer recently underwent a medical examination, flew to Munich, from there he again reached Ljubljana by plane, and covered the distance between the capital of Slovenia and the resort town in southern Austria by car.

At the hotel Petkovich was greeted by the general director of Spartak Sergei Rodionov, the technical director of our club Juhan Geraskin and the head coach of the team Massimo Carrera.

- Welcome to Spartak! - said Sergei Yurievich. - I wish you to successfully prove yourself in the new team.

- Glad to meet you! - with a smile greeted Marko Massimo Carrera, firmly shaking hands with the Serbian player.

“The road was not easy, and I, of course, got a little tired of it,” Marco confessed to us before he got the key to his room. “But I'm glad I finally made it to my destination. Spartak is a great club! As great in Russia as Crvena Zvezda in Serbia. It is no coincidence that the fans of these clubs have long been linked not even by friendly, but by fraternal relations. I was convinced of this once again when last spring Spartak played a friendly match against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, which turned into a real holiday for both the players and the fans. By the way, that day on the coaching bridge of our team was Miodrag Bozovic, who worked in Russia for a relatively long time. He talked a lot about Russian football, and when it came to "Spartacus", he used epithets in a superlative degree. It is a great honor to play in such a legendary club. And when such a chance appears, of course, I want to use it.

Marko Petkovic had such a chance when he received an invitation from the management of our club. And, in his own words, he accepted it with pleasure. Otherwise, Marko would not have arrived at the location of our team today and, more importantly, would not have put his autograph under the contract next to the signature of Sergei Rodionov. It happened at 14:30 CET.

- What are your feelings now, after signing the contract?

- Firstly, I am very proud, and secondly, this is a very big step forward in my career. And it's also great that I came to Spartak from Crvena Zvezda. It was from this Serbian club that Nemanja Vidic moved to Spartak thirteen years ago. And I was told that he also signed a contract in early July. Vidic's career in the Spartak T-shirt has developed happily. But I dare not draw an analogy and think ahead. Because Vidic is a legend in European football. And so far I am only in the middle of the journey. But I am the first Serbian footballer to join the ranks of Spartak after Nemanja. And this, too, I will not deny, is a great honor for me!