Alen Stevanović ( sr-Cyrl, Ален Стевановић, ; born 7 January 1991) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
winger. Born in Switzerland, he represented Serbia at international level.
A product of the
Radnički Obrenovac youth academy, Stevanović made name for himself while playing for
Torino
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. He made his debut with the
Serbia national team in 2012.
Early life
Stevanović's parents separated shortly after his birth in
Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and he never met his biological father. Immediately after the separation, when Alen was only three months old, his mother brought him to
Bečmen,
SR Serbia
The Socialist Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Социјалистичка Република Србија, Socijalistička Republika Srbija), previously known as the People's Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / " ...
to live with his grandmother and uncle
[Alen Stevanović, mladić bez kluba u Srbiji, u Interu: Murinjov dar srpskom tinejdžeru za rođendan](_blank)
; ''Blic'', 12 January 2010 while she returned to
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. He could not reach his mother in
Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
as he was not granted a visa and could only see her once a year. His grandfather, who had worked both in Switzerland and had returned to
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, died a year later at the age of 58 years. Until 2004–2005, as stated by himself, he was angry with life and this hindered the beginning of his playing career. He married Dunja on 17 February 2013 and on 20 November 2013 became the father of his first child Neva.
On 27 July 2018, their son Matej was born.
Club career
Inter Milan
Stevanović started his professional career in Serbia at
FK Radnički Obrenovac
FK Radnički Obrenovac () is a football club based in Obrenovac, Belgrade, Serbia. They compete in the Serbian League Belgrade, the third tier of the national league system.
History
The club was founded as Radnički in 1927 on the initiative of t ...
. In early 2009, a trial was arranged for him at Italian champions
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Since 1 ...
, and after arriving in Milan on 9 January, Stevanović was signed by the club in February.
In November 2009, Stevanović, along with youngster
Giulio Donati
Giulio Donati (born 5 February 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back.
Club career Inter Milan Primavera and first team
Born in Pietrasanta, the Province of Lucca, Donati started his career at hometown club Lucc ...
, was named to the match-day squad against
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
in
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
, but remained an unused sub.
He then traveled with the first team to
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
,
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
and
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
for winter training camp. He played the friendly match against Saudi Arabian side
Al-Hilal as starter.
Due to the injuries incurred by
Esteban Cambiasso,
Sulley Muntari
Suleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari (born 27 August 1984) is a Ghanaian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Italy, playing for clubs such as Udinese Calcio, Udinese, Inter Mil ...
and
Rene Krhin, Stevanović was named in the squad for the first league match after the winter break, against
Chievo, but again didn't get any playing time.
A couple of days later, after
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Paul Vieira (; born 23 June 1976) is a French professional association football, football manager and former player who is the head coach of Serie A club Genoa CFC, Genoa. He was named in the FIFA 100 of the greatest living footballers i ...
left for
Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
on 8 January 2010, Stevanović made his Serie A debut the very next day on 9 January at home versus
Siena
Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
by coming on as a sub for
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta (; ; born 28 August 1982) is a professional Association football, football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of club Juventus FC, Juventus.
A Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder, Mott ...
in the 67th minute. Head coach
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
made the substitution in direct response to Siena taking the 3–2 lead on a goal scored two minutes earlier. By the end, Inter managed to overturn the score 4–3 with an injury time winner.
Torino
On 22 July 2010, Stevanović left for Serie B side
Torino
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
in
co-ownership deal for €2 million.,
[FC Internazionale Milano Report and Accounts on 31 June 2011]
Require purchase in CCIAA
/ref> As part of the deal, Inter signed youngster Simone Benedetti in another co-ownership deal also for €2M.[ He debuted in ]Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
against Cosenza
Cosenza (; Languages of Calabria#Northern Calabrian (Cosentian), Cosentian: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city located in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000, while the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. ...
, earning a penalty kick. Torino coach Franco Lerda played him a further 8 times throughout the season and once more in Coppa Italia.
Toronto FC (loan)
On 24 March 2011, it was officially announced that Stevanović would join MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanctioned by the United ...
club Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...
on loan. Stevanović made his debut for the club on 26 March 2011 in a 2–0 home victory against Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...
. Following a 1–0 home defeat to Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
on 18 June in which Stevanović earned his first start in nearly a month, the Serbian attacking midfielder was recalled by Torino.
Return to Torino
On 21 June 2011 the co-ownership agreement was renewed for the 2011–12 season. On 4 September 2011, he scored his first goal as professional footballer, giving Torino the lead against Varese
Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559.
It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
. He ended the season with 36 appearances and 3 goals. On 22 June 2012, the co-ownership was once again renewed, with Torino renewing his contract until 30 June 2015. On 26 August 2012, Stevanović has played his first match in 2012–13 season against Siena
Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
, playing as a starter. On 30 September 2012, Stevanović has entered in game as a substitute for Mario Santana in 58th minute and score the goal after a cross from Alessio Cerci
Alessio Cerci (; born 23 July 1987) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger.
Cerci started his professional football career at AS Roma, Roma, playing four times for the first t ...
in 1–5 away league win over Atalanta
Atalanta (; ) is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology), Clymene and who is primarily known from the tales of the Caly ...
.
On 19 June 2013, after 15 appearances and 2 goals in Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, the co-ownership agreement was resolved in favour of Torino.
Loans to Palermo, Bari and Spezia
On 11 July 2013, he moved to Palermo on loan with the right of redemption for the co-ownership, finalised the next day. He made his debut in the rosanero jersey, during the second round of Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
won 2–1 against Cremonese
Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
, held on 11 August 2013, playing as a starter. On 3 May 2014, after the victory against Novara
Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...
, 1–0 away, he was promoted to Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
– with five games to spare. He finished the season with 21 appearances and one in Coppa Italia.
On 24 July 2014 he was loaned to Bari
Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
, with the option to redeem his contract. In January 2015 he was recalled by Torino and loaned to Spezia
La Spezia (, or ; ; , in the local ) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
La Spezia is the second-largest city in the Liguri ...
in exchange for the forward Osarimen Ebagua and midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
Pasquale Schiattarella.
Partizan
On 31 August 2015, Stevanović joined Partizan from Torino on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract and was given the number 91 shirt. Two days later he was officially presented at the Partizan Stadium
The Partizan Stadium ( Serbian: Стадион Партизан / ''Stadion Partizan'') is a football and track-and-field stadium in Autokomanda, Belgrade, Serbia. The home ground of FK Partizan, it was formerly known as JNA Stadium (Stadion J ...
. On 12 September 2015, Stevanović made his official debut for the club in an Eternal derby against Red Star Belgrade
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
and scored the equalizer for Partizan. On 1 October 2015, Stevanović played his first match for Partizan in UEFA competitions
UEFA competitions (), referred improperly by the mass media as European football, are the set of tournaments organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur association football and futsal. Th ...
in UEFA Europa League group stage in 1–3 away victory over Augsburg
Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
. He scored the leading goal for Partizan against Radnik Surdulica in 2–2 away draw on 14 October 2015. He has played 3 matches in 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage
The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage was played from 17 September to 10 December 2015. A total of 48 teams competed in the group stage to decide 24 of the 32 places in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League knockout phase, knockout phase of the ...
.
On 2 March 2016, Stevanović scored a goal in Serbian Cup
The Serbian Cup ( Serbian: Куп Србије / Kup Srbije), also known as Mozzart Serbian Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the national football cup of Serbia. The winner of the competition gets a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round. ...
quarter-final against Radnički Niš in 2–0 home win.
Shonan Bellmare
On 29 December he signed two-year contract for Shonan Bellmare
is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuk ...
. On 10 September 2018, he has officially terminated his contract with Bellmare by mutual consent.
Wisła Płock
Stevanović officially joined Polish club Wisła Płock on 12 February 2019 on a 1,5-year contract. On 27 July 2019 it appeared, that Stevanović had been excluded from the first team. A spokesman for the club explained that Stevanovic had broken certain of the club's rules, without further comment on which or what, but his contract wasn't terminated. It was later revealed, that the reason why he had been excluded was that he didn't show up at the rebound before a game against Lech Poznań
Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation's highest division.
...
. The exact same thing had already happened two times earlier in the same club. However, he was back training with the first team less than two weeks later.
On 19 August Wisła confirmed, that they had submitted a request to the Chamber for the Resolution of Sports Disputes for termination of the contract with Stevanović. On 30 August it was reported, that Stevanović had disappeared for the fourth time, he didn't show up for training and nobody had heard from him. The club president then said, that there were no chance for him to return this time and that they just was waiting for the request to terminate the contract was accepted.
Jamshedpur
On 17 July 2023, Stevanović joined Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (; ), also known as Tatanagar, is a major industrial city in eastern India. It is the List of cities in Jharkhand by population, largest city in the state of Jharkhand. With a population of 629,658 in the city limits and 1.3 million ...
on a two-year deal.
International career
On 3 March 2010, he made his debut for the Serbia U-21 team against Macedonia.
On 12 October 2012, he was called up to the senior national team by coach Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Михајловић, ; 20 February 1969 – 16 December 2022) was a Serbian football manager and professional footballer who played as a defender.
Mihajlović had an illustrious playing career, winni ...
, making his debut in the 67th minute as a substitute for Zoran Tošić
Zoran Tošić ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран Тошић, ; born 28 April 1987) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He built a reputation as a free-kick specialist and a tricky dribbler.
Tošić began his career with his l ...
in a defeat against Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. On 22 March 2013, Stevanović was the first time in the starting lineup in the Serbia national team in his career against the Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
on Maksimir
Maksimir () is one of the districts of Zagreb, Croatia, population 48,902 (2011 census). Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named for Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac.
The urban center of the Maksimir district is located a ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Inter Milan
* Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
: 2009–10
Toronto
* Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship () is an annual soccer tournament contested by Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It is contested by Major League Soccer sides Toronto FC, Va ...
: 2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
Palermo
* Serie B
The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
: 2013–14
Partizan
* Serbian SuperLiga
The Serbian Super League (), also known as Mozzart SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Serbia and the highest level of the Serbian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a sys ...
: 2016–17
* Serbian Cup
The Serbian Cup ( Serbian: Куп Србије / Kup Srbije), also known as Mozzart Serbian Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the national football cup of Serbia. The winner of the competition gets a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualifying round. ...
: 2015–16, 2016–17
Shohan Bellmare
* J. League Cup: 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevanovic, Alen
1991 births
Living people
Swiss people of Serbian descent
Footballers from Zurich
Footballers from Belgrade
Serbian men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Serbian expatriate men's footballers
Serbia men's international footballers
Serbia men's under-21 international footballers
FK Radnički Obrenovac players
Inter Milan players
Torino FC players
Toronto FC players
Palermo FC players
SSC Bari players
Spezia Calcio players
FK Partizan players
Shonan Bellmare players
Wisła Płock players
FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia players
FK IMT players
Jamshedpur FC players
Serbian SuperLiga players
Serie A players
Serie B players
Major League Soccer players
J1 League players
Ekstraklasa players
First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
Indian Super League players
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
Expatriate men's footballers in Japan
Expatriate men's footballers in Poland
Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria
Expatriate men's footballers in India
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Japan
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Poland
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria
Serbian expatriate sportspeople in India