Andrija Živković

Andrija Živković (Serbian Cyrillic: Андрија Живковић; born 11 July 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Portuguese club Benfica and the Serbia national team. He is the youngest player ever to make a senior appearance for Serbia, as well as the youngest Partizan captain in the club's history. Živković was a vital member of the Serbia national under-20 team who won the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

Partizan

Živković joined Partizan in September 2009. He was a member of the club's promising generation, alongside Danilo Pantić and Nemanja Radonjić, among others. Živković made his competitive debut for their first team in a league fixture against Novi Pazar on 28 April 2013, replacing Darko Brašanac after 65 minutes of the match that ended in a goalless draw. That was his only appearance in the 2012–13 campaign, as the club won its sixth consecutive championship title.

2013–14 season

After a long negotiation, Živković signed his first professional contract with Partizan on 23 August 2013, on a three-year deal. He scored his first competitive goal for the club only two days later, after coming on as a substitute for Nikola Ninković in a 5–1 home victory over Radnički Kragujevac. Afterwards, Živković scored a goal in the next three league games, in a 3–1 home win over Rad, in a 2–1 away win against Sloboda Užice, as well as in a 2–0 home victory over OFK Beograd.

On 4 March 2014, Živković became Partizan's youngest captain of all-time at 17 years, 7 months and 18 days. This honour was previously held by Nikola Ninković, who captained the team at 17 years, 10 months and 12 days. In his first full senior season, Živković made a total of 25 appearances in all competitions and scored five goals.

2014–15 season

In his third senior season, Živković played regularly since the beginning of the campaign, despite being unable to score in any competition. He also appeared in five games of the Europa League group stage. After failing to find the back of the net for several months, Živković scored his first goal of the season in a 5–1 home league win over Borac Čačak on 7 December 2014. He improved his tally after the winter break by scoring four more league goals, including a brace in a 3–1 away victory over OFK Beograd on 13 April 2015. In total, Živković made 40 appearances in all competitions and scored seven goals, as the club won the championship title.

2015–16 season

After missing the majority of the team's preseason schedule due to national team duty, Živković made his first appearance of the season in a 1–0 home win over Dila Gori in the first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round on 14 July 2015. He entered the field as a 60th-minute substitute for Aboubakar Oumarou, managing to earn a free kick in the 81st minute, which would eventually result in the game-winning goal. On 17 July 2014, Živković scored once in the league's opener versus Metalac Gornji Milanovac, as the game ended 4–0. He then scored his first goal for the club in UEFA competitions, finding the back of the net in a 4–2 home victory over Steaua București on 5 August 2015. He also provided an assist in the game and helped Partizan reach the Champions League play-off round.

On 17 September 2015, Živković scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3–2 home victory over AZ in the opening round of the Europa League group stage. He subsequently scored a brace in a 3–1 away win against Augsburg on 1 October 2015. In the fifth round of the group stage, Živković continued his goal scoring form, netting the winning goal against AZ in a 2–1 away victory on 26 November 2015.

On 4 February 2016, Živković was suspended from the first team for refusing to extend his contract with the club.

Benfica

On 5 July 2016, Živković signed a five-year deal with Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica.

Živković was a key member of the Serbia national under-17 team in two UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification cycles, but failed to help them reach the final tournament on both occasions. He subsequently received his first call-up for the senior national team by manager Siniša Mihajlović, following his performances at club level. On 11 October 2013, Živković became the youngest player ever to debut for Serbia, aged 17, after coming on as a substitute for Zoran Tošić in a 2–0 home friendly win over Japan.

Subsequently, Živković took part at the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He appeared in the opening two games of the tournament, before leaving the team upon his club's decision. Serbia were eventually eliminated by Portugal after penalty shoot-out in the semi-final of the competition.

Likewise, Živković was selected to represent his country at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played in all of his team's seven games, as they won the gold medal. Furthermore, Živković managed to score on two occasions, including a direct free kick against Mexico, eventually being voted as the tournament's best goal.

Club

As of match played 14 January 2017

Notes

International

Club

Partizan

• Serbian SuperLiga: 2012–13, 2014–15
• Serbian Cup: 2015–16

Benfica

• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2016

International

Serbia

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2015

Individual

• Sportsperson of the Year of Niš (2015)

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• "Živkoviću nagrada "Sportska ličnost godine Niša"" (in Serbian). novosti.rs. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2016.