Ilija Spasojević
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Ilija Spasojević (born 11 September 1987) 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 striker for Liga 2 club Bhayangkara. Born in Montenegro, he represents the Indonesia national team. Spasojević is known for his goalscoring ability. A prolific goalscorer, Spasojević has won a Liga 1 Golden Boot and a Malaysia Premier League Golden Boot. Spasojević is also the current all-time top scorer for
Bali United Bali United Football Club (; , ''æklub’ sépak bola Bali United'') is a professional football club based in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Bali United emerged in 2015 as the ...
.


Club career


Early career

Born in
Bar, Montenegro Bar (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin: Bar, Бар, , ) is a town and seaport in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is the capital of the Bar Municipality and a center for tourism. According to the 2023 census, the city proper ...
, Spasojević started his career with Serbian club
Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...
. In 2005–06, he played for Montenegrin club Sutjeska Nikšić, where he scored 7 goals in 17 matches. In 2006–07, Spasojević played for ČSK Čelarevo in the
Serbian First League The Serbian First League (), referred to as the Mozzart Bet First League for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier in professional Serbia's football league. The league was formed in 2005, following a reshuffle of the second tier Serbo-Montenegr ...
, where he scored 1 goal in 12 games.


Dinamo Tbilisi

In January 2007, Spasojević signed for former
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European association football, football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The competition's official name was originally the European Cup Winners' Cup; it was renam ...
winner
Dinamo Tbilisi Dinamo Tbilisi is a sports club from Tbilisi, Georgia (country), Georgia. It was founded in 1925. Among its highest honors, is the European trophy earned by its Association football, football team which won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating ...
from Georgia. While he was playing for
Dinamo Tbilisi Dinamo Tbilisi is a sports club from Tbilisi, Georgia (country), Georgia. It was founded in 1925. Among its highest honors, is the European trophy earned by its Association football, football team which won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating ...
he scored 30 goals in 61 matches in the Georgian League and the
Georgian Cup The Georgian Cup ( ka, საქართველოს თასი) is the main annual association football knockout cup competition in Georgia. It is organized by the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and is open to clubs of all divisions. Th ...
. He became the first foreign topscorer in the history of
Dinamo Tbilisi Dinamo Tbilisi is a sports club from Tbilisi, Georgia (country), Georgia. It was founded in 1925. Among its highest honors, is the European trophy earned by its Association football, football team which won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating ...
. During his stay in
Dinamo Tbilisi Dinamo Tbilisi is a sports club from Tbilisi, Georgia (country), Georgia. It was founded in 1925. Among its highest honors, is the European trophy earned by its Association football, football team which won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating ...
, Spasojević won the Georgian League,
Georgian Cup The Georgian Cup ( ka, საქართველოს თასი) is the main annual association football knockout cup competition in Georgia. It is organized by the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and is open to clubs of all divisions. Th ...
and Georgian Super Cup, and made his debut in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
on 30 July 2008 against Panathinaikos.


Borac Čačak

In July 2009, Spasojević was close to sign a contract with
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
club
Arminia Bielefeld DSC Arminia Bielefeld (; full name: ; commonly known as Arminia Bielefeld (), also known as ''Die Arminen'' or ''Die Blauen'' ), or just Arminia (), is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia is most well known as ...
, but the transfer failed due to financial disagreement.
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 ...
also showed interest in signing him, but on 31 August 2009 he finally joined
Borac Čačak Borac may refer to: * FK Borac Banja Luka, a football club from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina ** RK Borac Banja Luka, an affiliated team handball club ** OK Borac, an affiliated volleyball club * FK Borac Čačak, a football club from Čač ...
in the
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 ...
.


Liepājas Metalurgs

On 30 March 2010, Latvian champions Liepājas Metalurgs signed Spasojević. In Latvia he scored 6 goals in 11 matches played in the Latvian League and the
Latvian Football Cup The Latvian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Latvian football. Since 2021, its full name is Responsible Gaming Latvian Football Cup (''Atbildīgas spēles Latvijas kauss'') due to the sponsorship by sports betting company W ...
.


Trikala

On 10 September 2010, only two days before the beginning of the Greek Football League, Spasojević joined
Trikala Trikala () is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala (regional unit), Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios (Thessaly), Pineios. According to the Greek Natio ...
. As he arrived late in Trikala, he was used as a substitute in the first games, and he only collected 203 minutes on the field in the first 13 matches. At the same time, Spasojević received an offer from the Indonesian club Bali Devata. Spasojević accepted the offer and moved to Indonesia.


Bali Devata

On 1 January 2011, Spasojević arrived in Indonesia and signed a contract with Bali Devata, which as a foreign player, where he soon became a key player by scoring 8 goals in the first half-season of the Indonesian league. He also scored two goals in a friendly match played on 23 August 2011 in Surabaya against Indonesia U-23, although Bali Devata was defeated 2:4 in that match.


PSM Makassar

On 1 October 2011, Spasojević signed a contract with
PSM Makassar Persatuan Sepakbola Makassar ( 'Football Association of Makassar') commonly referred to as PSM Makassar, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Makassar, South Sulawesi that competes in Liga 1. PSM was founded in 1915 as , ma ...
in the
Indonesian Premier League Indonesian Premier League (IPL; Indonesian: ''Liga Prima Indonesia'') was the highest level competition for football clubs in Indonesia from 2011 to 2013. This competition was managed by ''PT Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo'', under supervision ...
. On 23 January 2012, it was reported that the Italian
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 ...
club
Brescia Calcio Brescia Calcio, commonly referred to as Brescia (), is an Italian football club based in Brescia, Lombardy. The team currently plays in Serie B, the second tier of Italian football, but will play in Serie C in 2025–26 due to financial contro ...
wanted to sign him, but
PSM Makassar Persatuan Sepakbola Makassar ( 'Football Association of Makassar') commonly referred to as PSM Makassar, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Makassar, South Sulawesi that competes in Liga 1. PSM was founded in 1915 as , ma ...
refused the offer a few days later. His first 2011–12 season with
PSM Makassar Persatuan Sepakbola Makassar ( 'Football Association of Makassar') commonly referred to as PSM Makassar, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Makassar, South Sulawesi that competes in Liga 1. PSM was founded in 1915 as , ma ...
he finished as club topscorer by scoring 14 goals, 10 goals in the
Indonesian Premier League Indonesian Premier League (IPL; Indonesian: ''Liga Prima Indonesia'') was the highest level competition for football clubs in Indonesia from 2011 to 2013. This competition was managed by ''PT Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo'', under supervision ...
and 4 goals in the
Indonesian Cup Piala Indonesia () is the professional annual cup competition for football clubs in Indonesia. Its origins date back to the start of the semi-professional football era in 1985 as Piala Liga, which ran until 1989 under Galatama competition. The Fo ...
. He was also selected by Goal.com in the best team of 2011–12 season in Indonesia. As a reward for the great season, Spasojević was invited by the Indonesian Football Association to play alongside
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
football star
Cesc Fàbregas Francesc Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the head coach of club Como. Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's you ...
in an exhibition game between Indonesian national team and "Fabregas and friends". The game took place in Jakarta on 5 July 2012 and ended in a draw (1:1). Spasojević scored the only goal for "Fabregas and friends" after an assist from
Cesc Fàbregas Francesc Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a central midfielder. He is currently the head coach of club Como. Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's you ...
. During his time in
PSM Makassar Persatuan Sepakbola Makassar ( 'Football Association of Makassar') commonly referred to as PSM Makassar, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Makassar, South Sulawesi that competes in Liga 1. PSM was founded in 1915 as , ma ...
, Spasojević scored 19 goals in 29 matches.


Mitra Kukar

On 15 May 2013, Spasojević joined the
Indonesian Super League Liga 1 (), officially known as BRI Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the men's top professional association football, football division of the Indonesian football league system. Administered by Liga Indonesia Baru, PT Liga Indonesia Baru (), Li ...
club
Mitra Kukar Persatuan Sepakbola Mitra Kutai Kartanegara (simply known as a PS Mitra Kukar) is an Indonesian professional football club based in Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. They currently compete in the Liga 4. History This club was f ...
shortly after that club failed to sign
Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (, ; born 29 September 1976) is a Ukrainian former Manager (association football), football manager and Football player, player. Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest Striker (association football), strik ...
. As Goal.com reported, Mitra Kukar offered $100,000 per match to the Ukrainian superstar but he refused the offer. The next choice was Spasojević, who signed the contract until the end of the 2013 season. Spasojević scored 10 goals in 16 matches, becoming one of the most prolific strikers in the Indonesian Super League by scoring a goal every 119 minutes on average. With his important goals in the finish of the 2013 season he led Mitra Kukar to achieve the biggest success in the club's history, third place in the Indonesian Super League.


Putra Samarinda

In January 2014, Spasojević signed for Putra Samarinda in the
Indonesian Super League Liga 1 (), officially known as BRI Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons, is the men's top professional association football, football division of the Indonesian football league system. Administered by Liga Indonesia Baru, PT Liga Indonesia Baru (), Li ...
. In his 20 matches with Putra Samarinda in the 2014 season he scored 10 goals, becoming the club's top scorer and the third top scorer of the Indonesia Super League. He also scored 2 goals in 3 matches in the 2014 Inter Island Cup.


Persib Bandung

After his good performance in the 2014 season, Spasojević was one of the most wanted players during the transfer window for the 2015 season. City rivals from Bandung showed most interest in signing him, as both Persipasi Bandung Raya (PBR) coach
Dejan Antonić Dejan Antonić (, ; born 22 January 1969) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is the father of Stefan Antonić, who plays football professionally in Hong Kong. Club career In Europe Antonić started his professional football car ...
and
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
coach Djadjang Nurdjaman admitted to media that Spasojević was their main target for the foreign striker spot. After long negotiations with both teams, Spasojević finally joined PBR on 1 December 2014, becoming the most expensive player in the
2015 Indonesia Super League The 2015 Indonesia Super League, also known as QNB League for sponsorship reasons, was the 7th season of the top-flight Indonesian professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 2008. The season was planned to be ...
. Before he played any official match for the new club, Spasojević left PBR due to the club's internal problems and eventually joined Indonesian champions
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
on 23 March 2015. He was named "man of the match" in his league debut against
Semen Padang PT Semen Padang is the state-owned company that became oldest cement plant in Indonesia, having been founded in 1910. The company owns the football club Semen Padang F.C., that competes in the Liga 1 (Indonesia). History PT Semen Padang (P ...
on 4 April 2015, with his header assisting in a 1:0 victory. Spasojević played only two league matches for
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
in 2015 as the
2015 Indonesia Super League The 2015 Indonesia Super League, also known as QNB League for sponsorship reasons, was the 7th season of the top-flight Indonesian professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 2008. The season was planned to be ...
was officially discontinued by the
Football Association of Indonesia The Football Association of Indonesia (; 'All-Indonesian Football Association'; abbreviated as PSSI) is the governing body of Football soccer, football in Indonesia. It was founded on 19 April 1930. The PSSI joined FIFA in 1952 and the Asian F ...
on 2 May 2015 due to a ban by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs. In August 2015, the Indonesian government appointed president of
Inter Milan 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 Association football, football List of football ...
and owner of Mahaka Group
Erick Thohir Erick Thohir (born 30 May 1970) is an Indonesian businessman and politician who served as Minister of State Owned Enterprises since 2019. He has been the chairman of Football Association of Indonesia since 2023 and founder of Mahaka Group, a co ...
to organize the highest level soccer competition in the country, named the President Cup, which started on 30 August in Bali and ended on 18 October 2015 in Jakarta, where the final was held. During the President Cup, Spasojević showed his top performance and played a key role in
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
winning another trophy. During the 6 matches he played, he managed to score 4 goals and add 1 assist, collecting 462 minutes on the pitch. He was named "man of the match" twice during the President Cup, on 3 September in a 4:0 win over
Persiba Balikpapan Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Balikpapan, commonly known as Persiba Balikpapan, is a professional football club based in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The club set to play in the Liga 2 from 2025–26, after promotion from Liga Nusant ...
when he scored 2 early goals, and on 10 October in a 3:1 win over
Mitra Kukar Persatuan Sepakbola Mitra Kutai Kartanegara (simply known as a PS Mitra Kukar) is an Indonesian professional football club based in Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. They currently compete in the Liga 4. History This club was f ...
in the semifinal second leg, when he scored a crucial third goal which secured
Persib Bandung Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung (), also known in acronym as Persib (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in Bandung, West Java. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Founded in 1919 as ...
a place in the final. Spasojević was also named as the best striker in the President Cup by Labbola, leading Indonesian company for Football Statistics Data & Analysis.


Melaka United

In December 2015 Spasojević signed 2-year contract with
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
. He was immediately appointed as team captain due to his experience and leadership abilities. That showed up to be a good decision as he led
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
to win Malaysia Premier League 2016 by scoring 24 goals from total 48 goals scored by
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
in Malaysia Premier League 2016. That was club's first league trophy after 33 years without silverware. Spasojević also won Malaysia Golden Boot 2016 and he was named twice as PFA Malaysia Player of the Month. Due to his superb performance in
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
jersey, he became the first foreigner in club's history to receive Bintang Cemerlang Melaka award from Melaka Governor
Mohd Khalil Yaakob Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob ( Jawi: محمد خليل بن يعقوب; born 29 December 1937) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca from June 2004 to June 2020, 12th Menteri Besar of Pahang from August ...
. After scoring 30 goals in 35 matches played in Malaysia, Spasojević and
Melaka United Melaka United Football Club () was a Malaysian professional football club based in Malacca that competed in the Malaysia Super League. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main nitrile glove producers in Malaysia. The club's hom ...
took sides in June 2017.


Bhayangkara

In August 2017, Spasojević signed for Bhayangkara in Indonesian Liga 1. For short time in the club Spasojević already proved his goalscoring ability. He scored 13 goals in 16 league matches, becoming club's top scorer of season 2017. In decisive match for the league title on 8 November, Spasojević scored hattrick as Bhayangkara beat
Madura United Madura United Football Club is an Indonesian professional football club. The club is based in Pamekasan, Madura, East Java. They currently play in the Liga 1. The current form of the club was established on 10 January 2016; the team's lin ...
3:1 away and became inaugural champion of Indonesian Liga 1.


Bali United

In December 2017, Spasojević signed a three-year contract with
Bali United Bali United Football Club (; , ''æklub’ sépak bola Bali United'') is a professional football club based in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Bali United emerged in 2015 as the ...
. Spasojević scored his debut goal for Bali United in 2018 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs tie against
Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers Football Club (currently known as BG Tampines Rovers due to sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football, football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of t ...
as his team won 3–1. Spasojević finished the 2018 season scoring 14 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions. Entering the 2019 season, Spasojević scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Persebaya. He then scored a brace against Borneo FC in a 2–0 win. He scored another brace against Badak Lampung as his team won 3–0. Spasojević ended the season scoring 19 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions, to help his team win the
2019 Liga 1 The 2019 Liga 1, also known as Shopee Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the 3th season of Liga 1 under its current name and the 10th season of the top-flight Indonesian professional league for association football clubs since its establishment ...
. Spasojević scored his first goal in the 2020 season against
Than Quang Ninh FC Than Quang Ninh Football Club (), simply known as Quang Ninh or TQN, was a professional football club, based in Cẩm Phả, Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam. They last played in the V.League 1 in 2021 and were sponsored by Vinacomin. They were ...
as his team won 4–1 in the 2020 AFC Cup group stage match tie. The following matchday, he scored again against Svay Rieng as his team lost 2–1. Spasojević scored two goals in
2021 Menpora Cup The 2021 Menpora Cup () was a pre-season tournament held by the PSSI ahead of the 2021 Liga 1. The tournament started on 21 March and finished with a two-legged final on 22 and 25 April 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all matches were played ...
as Bali United reached the quarter-final, before losing to
PSS Sleman Perserikatan Sepakbola Sleman ( 'Sleman Football Union'), or mostly known through its abbreviation PSS, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The club dons the nickname Super Elang Ja ...
4–2 on penalties. On 11 September 2021, he scored his first league goal in the
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
season, scoring against Barito Putra helping his team win 2–1. He scored two goals, including a volley, against
Persita Tangerang Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Kabupaten Tangerang ( 'Indonesian Football Association of Tangerang'), commonly known as Persita is an Indonesian professional football club based in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. The club currently competes in the ...
in his team 2–1 win. At the end of the season, Spasojević become the league top-scorer by scoring 23 goals in 34 matches, helping Bali United clinch their second consecutive Liga 1 title. On 10 September 2022, Spasojević scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 home win against Dewa United. On 20 September 2023, Spasojević scored twice in a 2–5 win over Filipino side Stallion Laguna in the
AFC Cup The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...
group stage.


Bhayangkara

On 13 July 2024,Spasojević left Bali United after six years with the club to joined Liga 2 club Bhayangkara. He scored on his debut scoring the only goal against
Persipa Pati Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Pati, commonly known as Persipa Pati or Persipa, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Pati, Central Java. The club plays in Liga Nusantara. History Persipa Pati was established in the early days o ...
on 8 September.


International career

Spasojević was playing for Serbia-Montenegro U17 and Serbia-Montenegro U19. In 2006, Montenegrins voted on an independence referendum and
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
became independent countries. Spasojević decided to play for Montenegro U21. In October 2017, Spasojević officially gained Indonesian citizenship. Spasojević made his official debut on 25 November in a match against
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
, where he scored twice in a 2–1 win. In December 2022, Spasojević was included in the final 23-man squad for the
2022 AFF Championship The 2022 AFF Championship (officially AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 due to sponsorship reasons) was the 14th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of nations affiliated to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and was the 1 ...
by
Shin Tae-Yong Shin Tae-yong (; born 11 October 1970) is a South Korean football manager and former professional player who most recently managed the Indonesian national team from 2020 until 2025. He is the first man to win the AFC Champions League (Asian Cl ...
. He scored a goal against
Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
in a 7–0 win on the group stage.


Personal life

Ilija Spasojević was born in Bar, present day Montenegro, to
Dragutin Dragutin (Cyrillic: Драгутин) is a Croatian and Serbian masculine given name. Those bearing it include: * Stephen Dragutin of Serbia * Dragutin Topić * Dragutin Dimitrijević * Dragutin Mitić * Dragutin Tadijanović * Dragutin Šurb ...
and Leposava and has two brothers Krsto and Mirko. Spasojević is married to Ljiljana from Serbia with whom he has daughter Lara (b. 2022). He also has a son, Dragan (b. 2014) and a daughter, Irina (b. 2017).


Career statistics


International

:''Scores and results list Indonesia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Spasojević goal.''


Honours

Dinamo Tbilisi * Georgian League: 2007–08 *
Georgian Cup The Georgian Cup ( ka, საქართველოს თასი) is the main annual association football knockout cup competition in Georgia. It is organized by the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) and is open to clubs of all divisions. Th ...
:
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
* Georgian Super Cup: 2008 Persib Bandung *
Indonesia President's Cup The Piala Presiden () is an annual pre-season association football tournament held in Indonesia and organized by the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI). Liga 1 clubs are entitled to participate. The inaugural tournament was held in 2015 to ...
:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
Melaka United *
Malaysia Premier League The Malaysia Premier League () was the second-tier professional football league in Malaysia. It replaced the Liga Perdana 2 in the Malaysian football league system. The Malaysia Premier League was contested by 12 clubs. The season usually ra ...
:
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
Bhayangkara * Liga 1:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
* Liga 2 runner-up: 2024–25 Bali United * Liga 1:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, 2021–22 Indonesia * Aceh World Solidarity Cup runner-up:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
Individual * PFAM Player of the Month (Premier League): July 2016, August 2016 *
Malaysia Premier League The Malaysia Premier League () was the second-tier professional football league in Malaysia. It replaced the Liga Perdana 2 in the Malaysian football league system. The Malaysia Premier League was contested by 12 clubs. The season usually ra ...
Golden Boot:
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
(24 goals) * Malaysia All Competitions Golden Boot: 2016 (27 goals) * Liga 1 Team of the Season:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, 2021–22 * Indonesian Soccer Awards: Favorite Footballer 2019 * Liga 1 Player of the Month: September 2021, September 2022 * Liga 1 Top Goalscorer: 2021–22 * APPI Indonesian Football Award Best 11: 2021–22


See also

* List of Indonesia international footballers born outside Indonesia


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spasojevic, Ilija 1987 births Living people Footballers from Bar, Montenegro Montenegrin emigrants to Indonesia Indonesian people of Montenegrin descent Naturalised citizens of Indonesia Men's association football forwards Serbia and Montenegro men's footballers Montenegrin men's footballers Montenegro men's youth international footballers Indonesian men's footballers Indonesia men's international footballers FK Vojvodina players FK Sutjeska Nikšić players FK ČSK Čelarevo players FC Dinamo Tbilisi players FK Borac Čačak players FK Liepājas Metalurgs players Trikala F.C. players Bali Devata F.C. players PSM Makassar players PS Mitra Kukar players Putra Samarinda F.C. players Persib Bandung players Melaka United F.C. players Bhayangkara Presisi Lampung F.C. players 21st-century Indonesian sportsmen Bali United F.C. players Second League of Serbia and Montenegro players Serbian First League players Erovnuli Liga players Serbian SuperLiga players Latvian Higher League players Football League (Greece) players Indonesian Premier League players Liga 1 (Indonesia) players Malaysia Premier League players Liga 2 (Indonesia) players Montenegrin expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Serbia Expatriate men's footballers in Georgia (country) Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Georgia (country) Expatriate men's footballers in Latvia Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Latvia Expatriate men's footballers in Greece Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Greece Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia Expatriate men's footballers in Malaysia Montenegrin expatriate sportspeople in Malaysia Naturalised association football players