Slobodan Rajković

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Slobodan Rajković
0Full Name	Slobodan Rajković
0Date of Birth	3 February 1989
0Place of Birth	Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia
0Position	Defender
0Chelsea career	2005 -
0Debut	n/a
0Games (goals)	n/a
0Other clubs	OFK Beograd PSV Eindhoven (loan) FC Twente (loan) Hamburger SV

Slobodan Rajković (born 3 February 1989 in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia, now Serbia) is a Serbian international defender who was previously on the books at Chelsea. He never made a competitive appearance for the Blues, having failed to obtain a work permit, and joined Hamburger SV in August 2011.

Contents 1 Pre-Chelsea career 2 Chelsea Career 3 International 4 Career statistics 5 Career Honours 5.1 FC Twente

Pre-Chelsea career

Rajković came through the junior ranks at his local club side OFK Beograd and was considered so talented that he made his first-team debut at the age of just fifteen. Having begun to establish himself in the team, he attracted much attention, and Chelsea paid a then world record €5m for the teenage centre-half in November 2005.

Chelsea Career

The terms of the deal would ensure that Rajković remained in Belgrade until the end of the 2006-07 season, but in February 2007 he made one of only two appearances in the club's blue shirt in a friendly against the Chinese Olympic Under-23 team at Brentford's Griffin Park.

He would have to wait over three years before appearing for Chelsea again, in a 2010 summer reserve team friendly against Blackburn Rovers at Cobham. In 2007-08 he was loaned to PSV Eindhoven for the season, but played just 13 of a possible 34 league matches. Despite PSV wanting to rewew the arrangement for the following season, Chelsea felt he could play more elsewhere, and struck an arrangement with FC Twente.

He would ultimately play less in 2008-09, but largely due to a worldwide ban which was imposed upon him after accusations of spitting at a referee during an international match. The ban was eventually overturned for club football, meaning he was unable to play for Serbia at either senior or Under-21 level.

In 2009, the loan at FC Twente was extended by another season, where he would work under Steve McClaren. Even fewer appearances followed during an injury-hit season, but Rajković was able to celebrate as the club lifted their first league title in over 80 years.

Slobodan would be on the move again in 2010 though. After a move to Fulham fell through due to a failed work permit application, the defender returned to Holland with a third team, Vitesse Arnhem, joining Chelsea colleagues Nemanja Matić and Matej Delac.

Having appeared on Chelsea's tour of Asia in the summer of 2011 against Kitchee, Rajković's ongoing failure to secure a work permit finally put an end to his Chelsea career in August, the Serbian defender joining Bundesliga club Hamburger SV for an undisclosed fee. [1] He followed former Chelsea Sporting Director Frank Arnesen to Hamburg, the Dane having secured the services of former Blues Michael Mancienne, Gökhan Töre and Jacopo Sala, in addition to Jeffrey Bruma on loan, earlier in the summer.

International

Rajković represented the Serbian Under-21 national team at the age of 16 and made his full senior bow in 2008. He had 7 caps by the time he left Chelsea.

Career statistics

Senior Club Football

Season	Club	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2004-05	OFK Beograd	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
2005-06	OFK Beograd	20	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	22	1
2006-07	OFK Beograd	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	12	0
2007-08	PSV Eindhoven (loan)	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	18	0
2008-09	FC Twente (loan)	13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	16	1
2009-10	FC Twente (loan)	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	13	0
2010-11	Vitesse Arnhem (loan)	9	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
Total		82	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	14	0	98	2

Statistics correct as of November 15th 2010

Career Honours

FC Twente

• Eredivisie: 2009-10