Kristijan Belić

Kristijan Belić
Belić in 2024 with AZ
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-03-25) 25 March 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 AZ Alkmaar
Number 14
Youth career
Serbian White Eagles
OFK Beograd
2015–2019 West Ham United
2019–2021 Olympiacos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Olympiacos 0 (0)
2021–2022 Čukarički 13 (0)
2022–2024 Partizan 40 (3)
2024– AZ Alkmaar 22 (2)
International career‡
2018 Serbia U17 5 (1)
2019 Serbia U19 4 (0)
2022 Serbia U21 2 (0)
2024– Serbia 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 September 2024

Kristijan Belić (Serbian Cyrillic: Кристијан Белић; born 25 March 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar. Born in Belgium, Belić represents the Serbia national team.

Club career

Youth career

Belić was born in Sint-Truiden, where his father, Dušan, played for the club of the same name. He trained with the Serbian White Eagles Academy in Canada when his father was involved with the senior team from 2006 to 2007.[1] In his younger years, he played for OFK Beograd. and then spent four years in West Ham United's academy.

Alkmaar

In the winter of 2024, he was transferred to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.[2] Belić made his debut In the 18th round of the Eredivisie, AZ Alkmaar and PEC Zwolle played 2–2.[3] On 14 September 2024, Belić scored his first goal. AZ Alkmaar broke their record for the biggest win in the Eredivisie on Saturday when they beat SC Heerenveen 9–1 at the AFAS Stadion.[4]

International career

Belić was called up to the senior Serbia national team for the first time for the Nations League games against Spain and Denmark in September 2024.[5] Belić debuted on 5 September 2024 against Spain at the Rajko Mitić Stadium. He substituted Andrija Živković in the 61st minute of a scoreless draw.[6]

Style of play

In his younger years, Belić performed in attack and defense, while in the senior competition he made his mark as a midfielder. It is characterized by an aggressive playing style, often accompanied by sanctions in the form of cards. In the lineup of Partizan's coach, Gordan Petrić, he established himself as a bonus player from the 168th Eternal derby.

After the meeting with his former club, Čukarički, he was recognized in the media as the successor of Saša Zdjelar, and compared to Juca and Everton Luiz, also former Partizan players. Belić then scored a goal, and later caught up and stopped Samuel Owusu in an open counter attack, and due to his remarkable performance, he was selected as a player of the 15th round of the Serbian SuperLiga for the 2022–23 season.

Before the 169th Eternal derby, Igor Duljaj was appointed manager of Partizan. Belić received praise for his combativeness in the match and was rated by reporters as the most committed and dedicated Partizan player in their team's minimal defeat at the hands of Red Star Belgrade at Rajko Mitić Stadium. Belić exited the game in the 75th minute due to a head injury.

Personal life

Belić is the son of former goalkeeper Dušan Belić.[7] His brother Luka is also a footballer.[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 27 October 2024[8]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Olympiacos 2019–20 Super League Greece 0 0 1[a] 0 0 0 1 0
2020–21 Super League Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Čukarički 2021–22 Serbian SuperLiga 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
Partizan 2022–23 Serbian SuperLiga 22 1 1 0 9 0 32 1
2023–24 Serbian SuperLiga 18 2 2 0 3 0 23 2
Total 40 3 3 0 12 0 55 3
AZ Alkmaar 2023–24 Eredivisie 14 0 1 0 0 0 15 0
2024–25 Eredivisie 8 2 0 0 3[b] 0 11 2
Total 22 2 1 0 3 0 26 2
Career total 75 5 5 0 15 0 95 5
Notes
  1. ^ Appearances in the Greek Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 8 September 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Serbia 2024 2 0
Total 2 0

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ Vujcic, Djuradj (4 November 2022). "Serbian White Eagles Academy in the Spotlight With Belgrade's Giants". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. Archived from the original on 11 August 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Kristijan Belić zvanično predstavljen u AZ Alkmaru!" [Kristijan Belic officially presented in AZ Alkmaar!]. Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  3. ^ "AZ VS. PEC ZWOLLE 2 - 2". Soccerway.com. 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ "AZ VS. HEERENVEEN 9 - 1". Soccerway.com. 14 September 2024.
  5. ^ "ШИРИ СПИСАК СЕЛЕКТОРА ДРАГАНА СТОЈКОВИЋА ЗА УТАКМИЦЕ ПРОТИВ ШПАНИЈЕ И ДАНСКЕ" (in Serbian). Football Association of Serbia. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Serbia v Spain game report". ESPN. 5 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b Liberloo, Kristof (2 March 2001). "STVV-keeper Belic was ooit aanvaller én ref" (in Flemish). Gazet van Antwerpen. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  8. ^ Kristijan Belić at Soccerway. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Najbolji igrač 15. kola Mozzart Bet Super lige Srbije – Kristijan Belić". www.superliga.rs. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Najbolji igrač 6. kola Mozzart Bet Super lige Srbije – Kristijan Belić". www.superliga.rs. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.