Samir Handanović (born 14 July 1984) is a Slovenian former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
er who played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
. Since August 2024, he is the head coach 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 ...
's
under-17 team.
Before moving to Italy, Handanović played in his home country of Slovenia. In 2004, he was acquired by
Udinese
Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
but spent the next few years on loan, playing for teams such as
Treviso
Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
,
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
and
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.
Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...
. Handanović returned to Udinese ahead of the 2007–08 season, where he played as a starter for the next five years. In the next season, he also played European football for the first time, making his debut in
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
. After five years as a starter and more than 200 appearances, Handanović joined Inter Milan in July 2012. In February 2019, he was named
club captain
The captain of a football/soccer team, sometimes known as the skipper, is a team member chosen to be the on-pitch leader of the team; they are often one of the older or more experienced members of the squad, or a player that can heavily influ ...
, while in September, he made his 300th appearance for the club and subsequently went on to reach the
2020 UEFA Europa League final that season. He made his 500th
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 ...
appearance in February 2021, and won his first trophy that May by winning the title.
Having previously represented the
Slovenia under-21 team, Handanović made his senior international debut for
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
in 2004. He went on to earn 81 caps for his country, the most by a goalkeeper and played for them at the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
.
Nicknamed ''Batman'', due to his acrobatic saves,
he is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation,
and is one of only four non-Italian keepers to be named
Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year
The AIC Goalkeeper of the Year () was a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) since 1997 to 2010 as part of the Oscar del Calcio awards, given to the goalkeeper who had been considered to have performed the best ov ...
, winning the honour three times. A penalty saving specialist, during the
2010–11 Serie A
The 2010–11 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 109th season of top-tier Italian football, the 79th in a round-robin tournament, and the 1st since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie B ...
season he saved a total of six penalty kicks, equalling an all-time league record set in the
1948–49 season.
During the 2019–20 season, he equalled
Gianluca Pagliuca
Gianluca Pagliuca (; born 18 December 1966) is an Italian football coach and former professional goalkeeper.
He is regarded by pundits as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, and one of Italy's best keepers ever. Throughout his ...
's
record of most penalties saved in Serie A with his 24th stop.
He broke the record the following season on 17 October 2020.
Club career
Early career
Handanović started his career at local side
Slovan.
He later joined
Domžale
Domžale (; )''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 24. is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Domžale in Slovenia. The town lies ne ...
, where he made his
Slovenian PrvaLiga
The Slovenian PrvaLiga (, ), currently named Prva liga Telemach due to sponsorship reasons, also known by the abbreviation 1. SNL, is the top level of the Slovenian football league system. Contested by ten clubs, it operates on a system of prom ...
debut in the
2003–04 season.
During the same season, he was also loaned to the
Slovenian Second League
The Slovenian Second Football League (), also known by the abbreviation 2. SNL, is the second highest Association football, football league in Slovenia. The league was formed in 1991 and is operated by the Football Association of Slovenia.
Format ...
side
Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian language, Croatian for 'backland' or 'behind the hills') is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica mount ...
.
Udinese
2004–2006: First years as backup and loans
In the summer of 2004, at the age of 20, he was signed by
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 ...
side
Udinese
Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
. However, his first spell with the ''Friuliani'' was short-lived as he was unable to cement his place in the starting line-up.
His debut occurred on 20 November 2004 in a
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 ...
match against
Lecce
Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old.
Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
, where he was sent-off in 91st minute for conceding a penalty after a foul on
Mirko Vučinić
Mirko Vučinić (, ; born 1 October 1983) is a Montenegrin former professional footballer who played as a forward. Quick, versatile, and physically strong, Vučinić was known for his creativity, technique, and intelligence as a footballer, as ...
; since Udinese had used all three substitutions, striker
David Di Michele
David Di Michele (; born 6 January 1976) is an Italian football manager and former player in the role of striker, last in charge as head coach of Serie C club Turris.
Throughout his playing career, he played for several Italian clubs, and also ...
entered in goal in his place. Vučinić, however, failed to score from the penalty spot and Udinese won 5–4. He made his
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 ...
debut on 15 May 2005 in a 1–1 home draw against
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria.
Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
.
Handanović was on loan to
Treviso
Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...
in the summer of 2005,
but in January 2006, he was exchanged with
Matteo Sereni
Matteo Sereni (born 11 February 1975) is an Italian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Career
Born in Parma, Sereni started his career at UC Sampdoria, and was loaned out to A.C. Crevalcore in 1994. He returned to Sampdoria and only ...
to
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
. With Treviso, he received his first ever red card during the match against his next club, Lazio, on 18 September 2005 in an eventual 3–1 away loss. During his time with the ''Biancoceleste'', Handanović played three matches and conceded six goals.
On 14 May 2006, in the last day of
2005–06 season, Handanović, with the number 24, played his first and last match for Lazio, keeping a clean sheet against
Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
in a 1–0 home win.
2006–2007: Loan to Rimini
In July 2006, Handanović was loaned to
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.
Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...
, with a pre-set price of €1.2 million.
Thanks also to his saves, Rimini remained undefeated in both championship games played against
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
. The club finished fifth in
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 ...
and conceded the fourth-fewest goals in the league. Handanović was considered the second best goalkeeper of that Serie B season, after
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is ...
. In June 2007, despite Rimini excising the option, Udinese also excised the option by paying Rimini €250,000 in net.
[
]
2007–2010: Return to Udinese and established first choice
Handanović returned to Udinese in the summer of 2007 after Udinese excised the counter-option to reject the buying, where he replaced Morgan De Sanctis and signed a new and improved contract lasting until 30 June 2012.
Despite the arrival of the Venezuelan goalie Rafael Romo, Handanović retained his spot as the number one goalkeeper. He started his fourth season as a Udinese player by featuring full-90 minutes in team's opening league match of the season, a 2–2 home draw against Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
. He kept his goal intact for the first time this season on 19 September in matchday four against Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
, which ended in a goalless draw.
During the 2009–10 campaign, Handanović was the most used player on the field, collecting a total of 40 appearances, including 37 in the league. In Serie A, he made a total of 130 saves as Udinese ended the season in 15th place.
2010–2012: Most saved penalties in one season and departure
Before the start of the season, Handanović changed the squad number from 22 to 1. The squad started the 2010–11 season with four losses in its first four 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 ...
weeks, leaving Udinese in last place. Handanović kept his first clean sheet of the season on 26 September 2010 during a goalless draw against Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria.
Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
, helping the team to collect its first point of the season.
During a match against Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
in May 2011, he saved a penalty from Mauro Zárate
Mauro Matías Zárate (; born 13 March 1987) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Zárate started his career with Vélez Sarsfield in his native country, playing three years for the team and winning the Pri ...
, his sixth saved penalty during the 2010–11 season that equalled the all-time league record set in the 1948–49 season for most penalties saved during the course of a single season. Due to his performances, he was named to the Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
for 2010–11.
On 16 August 2011, he played his first ever 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 ...
match against Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, in the first leg of the play-off round, being beaten by a Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented England at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2012 and won 47 caps, scoring eight goals. Walcott currently appears as a cl ...
4th-minute goal in a 1–0 away loss at Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
. In the returning leg at Stadio Friuli
The Stadio Friuli (currently known as Bluenergy Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is an all-seater football stadium in Udine, Italy, and the home of Serie A club Udinese.
The stadium was built in 1976 and has a capacity of 25,144.
Structure
The ...
after one week, Udinese was leading after 50 minutes, but Arsenal come back to beat Handanović twice in a span of 14 minutes with ''Bianconeri Friuliani'' being eliminated with the aggregate 3–1.
Handanović kept a clean sheet in team's opening league match against Lecce
Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old.
Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
, helping the team to a 2–0 away win. Udinese and Handanović were unbeaten in their first seven Serie A games, and only conceded one goal in that period, which was the best defensive record in top European leagues at the time.
Inter Milan
Transfer
On 4 July 2012, Gino Pozzo, son of Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo, confirmed that an agreement had been reached for Handanović to join 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 ...
, with Inter paying a reported €11 million plus Davide Faraoni for his services; the transfer was made official by Inter five days later. Handanović was brought in to replace the Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César to take over as first-choice goalkeeper. He signed a contract worth a reported €2 million per season, plus bonuses.
2012–2015: Debut and team struggles
He made his club debut on 2 August 2012, in a 3–0 win over Hajduk Split
Hrvatski Nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 1979, the club's home ...
in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League
The 2012–13 UEFA Europa League was the 42nd season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 4th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.
The final was played at the Amsterdam Are ...
third qualifying round
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system
Places
* 3rd Street (dis ...
, then conceded two goals in the 2–0 return-leg loss at home on 2 August, but Inter advanced on a 3–2 aggregate. On 17 August, Handanović suffered a meniscus injury that delayed the start of his 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 ...
campaign until 16 September, in a 2–0 road win over 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 ...
. Handanović kept crosstown rivals AC Milan
(), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
at bay in his first Derby della Madonnina
The Derby della Madonnina (; named after the ''Madonnina'' statue on top of the Milan Cathedral), also known as the Derby di Milano (), is a derby football match between the two prominent Milanese clubs, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
In the past, ...
appearance on 7 October, won 1–0 by Inter. He made his 200th Serie A appearance in Inter's 2–1 home win over Napoli
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
. Inter were held to a 1–1 draw in the second derby encounter on 25 February 2013, but Handanović was noted for performing several saves against Milan striker Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli Barwuah (; ''Birth name, né'' Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club Genoa CFC, Genoa.
Balotelli started his ...
.
In 2012, Handanović was included for the first time in the top ten IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
Goalkeepers of the World, ranking eighth.[ After the end of 2012–13 season, thanks to his solid performances, Handanović was selected in ]Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
for the second time in his career, being the goalkeeper with most appearances. He played 48 matches throughout the season, including 35 in Serie A and ten in the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
. Inter's season ended in disappointment, however, after failing to finish high in the 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 ...
table and the Europa League, earning a ninth-placed league finish (the worst position since the 1993–94 season), and a quarter-final exit in Europe.
On 19 June 2013, Inter acquired Handanović outright and sold Faraoni to Udinese for undisclosed fees.
In June, it was reported that Spanish side 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 ...
offered to sign Handanović for €23 million, which was rejected by Inter owner Massimo Moratti
Massimo Moratti (born 16 May 1945) is an Italian billionaire petroleum businessman, the former owner of Inter Milan and chairman of the Saras S.p.A., Saras Group, founded in 1962 by his father, industrialist Angelo Moratti. The main production si ...
; Handanović's agent also confirmed that his client will not move to Barcelona after the Catalan club opted instead to retain their incumbent starting goalkeeper Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés Arribas (; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish association football, football coach and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He spent most of his professional career with FC Ba ...
for another year.
On 18 August 2013, in Mazzarri's first match in charge, Handanović was in goal and kept his first clean sheet of the season in the 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 ...
's third round match against Cittadella
Cittadella () is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around . There are fo ...
, where Inter progressed to the next round thanks to a 4–0 home win.
Handanović started the league season in strong fashion, keeping three clean sheets in the first four league matches. On 20 October, during the league encounter against 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 received his second-ever career red card for a foul on 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 the 5th minute; Inter however endured and drew 3–3. On 15 December, Handanović saved his first penalty as a ''Nerazzurri'' keeper in a 4–2 away loss against Napoli, saving a Goran Pandev
Goran Pandev (, ; born 27 July 1983) is a Macedonian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Known for his goal-scoring ability, consistency, and intelligence, he is regarded as one of the best Macedonian footballers of all time. ...
penalty in the second half.
During the 2013–14 season, Inter returned to European competition after a year-long absence, finishing fifth in the league with 60 points. He played as a starter in Javier Zanetti
Javier Adelmar Zanetti (, ; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer. Regarded as one of the greatest right-backs of all time, Zanetti is well known for having dedicated almost his entire career at Inter Milan, having ...
's last competitive match at San Siro, in which Inter defeated Lazio 4–1 to secure a place in Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
play-offs for the next season. Handanović managed 14 clean sheets in 36 appearances during the Serie A season, and conceded 32 goals.
Inter opened the 2014–15 Serie A season with a disappointing goalless draw against 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 ...
, with Handanović stopping a penalty kick from Marcelo Larrondo. After saving his last five Serie A penalties faced, Handanović saved from Yevhen Konoplyanka
Yevhen Olehovych Konoplyanka (; born 29 September 1989) is a Ukrainian former professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger.
Konoplyanka began his professional career at FC Dnipro, Dnipro Dn ...
of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on 27 November 2014 in a game which Inter won to confirm top spot in their Europa League group with one game remaining. That was also his 100th appearance with ''Nerazzurri'' in all competitions.
Handanović played his 100th league match with Inter on 19 April 2015 in the Derby della Madonnina
The Derby della Madonnina (; named after the ''Madonnina'' statue on top of the Milan Cathedral), also known as the Derby di Milano (), is a derby football match between the two prominent Milanese clubs, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
In the past, ...
against Milan, keeping his goal intact as the match ended goalless. He ended his third season with Inter by playing 40 matches in all competitions, including 37 in Serie A, as Inter finished in eighth place, again failing to qualify for European competition. Handanović obtained 11 clean sheets in Serie A, the third-highest total in Serie A. Handanović also managed to have a shot-to-save ratio of better than 67 percent.
At the end of the season, it was reported that Handanović was the target of Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, but his agent turned down this opportunity by saying that his client will not move to the club.
2015–2017: Champions League pursuits
Inter Milan commenced the 2015–16 season with a 1–0 home win against 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 ...
, where Handanović kept his first clean sheet of the season. On 27 September 2015, in his 300th Serie A match, against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
, Handanović made perhaps his worst appearance by giving away a 3rd-minute penalty scored by Josip Iličić, later being beaten three times by Nikola Kalinić in an eventual 1–4 loss. The loss ended Inter's undefeated streak of the 2015–16 season. After the match, Handanović told the reporters that it was his fault for the way the match ended.
On 27 October, during the match against Bologna
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, Handanović made a crucial save by stopping a Mattia Destro shot in 94th minute to help Inter win 1–0 away at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara is a multi-purpose stadium in Bologna, Italy. It is currently used mostly for association football, football matches and the home of Bologna FC 1909, Bologna FC. The stadium was designed by Giulio Ulisse Arata and inaugur ...
. That was his sixth clean sheet in ten matches, and first win since one loss and three consecutive draws. He later dubbed it as his favourite save of the season. Four days later, in a match against Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, Handanović was again decisive for his team, making nine saves, including a quadruple save in the 62nd minute, helping Inter to win the match 1–0 and to take the lead of the league with 24 points. He was selected Man of the Match for his performance.
Handanović ended 2015 with 26 decisive saves, 11 clean sheets, and only 11 goals conceded like no other goalkeeper in Serie A. Inter also ended 2015 at the top of the league.
Handanović agreed a contract extension until 2019, which was confirmed on 5 January 2016. Handanović began the new year with a clean-sheet in the team's 1–0 away win over Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno River, Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Ancient Ro ...
, making several good saves throughout the match. On 16 January 2016, during an away match against 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 ...
, Handanović was awarded the Man of the Match for an "outstanding" performance, as he made some fine saves. His save in the 61st minute, where he managed to stop Luca Cigarini
Luca Cigarini (; born 20 June 1986) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Reggiana.
Club career
Parma
Cigarini was one of the notable youth products in the 2005 Parma squad, alongside Daniele Dessena.
Atal ...
's effort from point-blank range with his trailing foot, was deemed "save of the season" by European media.
Inter ended the 2015–16 season in fourth position, returning to UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
after a one-year absence. Handanović managed 111 saves and 15 clean sheets in 36 appearances during the Serie A season and conceded 34 goals. He called "a shame" the failure to secure a spot in 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 ...
for the next season.
Handanović started his fifth Inter Milan season on 21 August in the 2–0 away lose to Chievo. He made his 150th Serie A appearance for Inter on 25 September in the 1–1 home draw against Bologna
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. On 2 October, during the 2–1 defeat at Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
, Handanović made several saves, including one against Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko (; born 17 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains both Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is the all-time top goalscorer and most capped ...
in the 86th minute which was hailed as the "save of the year" by the media. He captained Inter for the first time on 19 February of the following year in his 193rd appearance, taking the armband following Rodrigo Palacio
Rodrigo Sebastián Palacio Alcalde (; born 5 February 1982) is an Argentine professional basketball player and former association football, footballer who played as a second striker. He is the son of José Ramón Palacio, a historic player of C ...
's substitution and keeping a clean sheet in the 1–0 win over Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara is a multi-purpose stadium in Bologna, Italy. It is currently used mostly for association football, football matches and the home of Bologna FC 1909, Bologna FC. The stadium was designed by Giulio Ulisse Arata and inaugur ...
.
2017–2020: Return to the Champions League and captain's armband
On 1 December 2017, Handanović signed a new contract until June 2021. Eight days later, he was named Man of the Match after an impressive performance at Juventus, helping Inter to earn a goalless draw and to keep them undefeated after 16 Serie A weeks. He played his 200th Serie A match for Inter on 30 December in the goalless draw against Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
which ended the first part of the season. Handanović's 400th overall Serie A match came on 17 April 2018, keeping a clean-sheet, his 7th in last eight matches, in the 4–0 home win versus Cagliari
Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
in round 33. He finished 2017–18 season by being ever-present in league, playing in every minute as Inter finished fourth, meaning they will play in Champions League for the first time in six years. With 17 clean-sheets, Handanović was ranked second along with Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
's Alisson in the clean-sheets list, equaling his personal best set in 2011–12 season. He conceded only 30 goals, his lowest tally since debuting in Serie A (including seasons where he has played 30 or more games).
Handanović made his Champions League debut with Inter in their opening group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
match against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
. This match was also his 250th appearance for the ''Nerazzurri'' in all competitions. In the first part of 2018–19 Serie A
The 2018–19 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 117th season of top-tier Italian football, the 87th in a round-robin tournament, and the 9th since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie B. ...
, he was able to collect ten clean sheets in 19 matches, most than any other goalkeeper in the league, and second only behind Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
's Alisson in Europe top five leagues; in addition, he also had 4th best save success rate.
On 13 February 2019, Inter announced via their official Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account that Handanović has been named new team captain
In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...
, replacing Mauro Icardi
Mauro Emanuel Icardi Rivero (born 19 February 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, whom he captains.
Icardi began his footballing career at the youth teams of Vecindario ...
. On 7 March, in the 0–0 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a German professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German footb ...
in the first leg of 2018–19 UEFA Europa League round of 16, Handanović kept his 100th clean sheet on his 281st official appearance for the Nerazzurri. As the season progressed, Handanović reached another landmark, as the clean sheet he achieved in the 4–0 away win against Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
, the first since December 2011, was his 150th 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 ...
.
In the final match of the championship, he played a vital role in Inter's 2–1 home win over Empoli, making two decisive stoppage-time saves to deny the visitors the equaliser. His saves proved decisive for Inter, who earned another Champions League spot for the next season while Empoli was relegated back to 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 ...
. Before the match, he was awarded the inaugural Lega Serie A Best Goalkeeper award for the first time in his career. Handanović concluded his seventh season at Inter by being ever-present in league, playing in all 38 matches and keeping 17 clean-sheets, more than any other goalkeeper. With 17 clean sheets, he also equalled the club's all-time record for most clean sheets in a single Serie A season, which had previously been set by Júlio César in the 2009–10 Treble-winning season.
Handanović began his first full season as Inter captain on 26 August 2019 by keeping a clean sheet in the 4–0 home win over newly promoted side Lecce
Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old.
Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
; by doing so, he achieved his 200th Serie A victory. On 25 September, he made his 300th appearance for the club in a 1–0 home win against Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
, the fifth in five matches, also making three important saves in the first half. His performance in the match earned the praise of the team's manager Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional Association football, football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Napoli. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the wo ...
, who said that Handanović "made the difference."
In the seventh match-day encounter against rivals and title favourites Juventus, Handanović made his 450th appearance in Serie A (182 for Udinese, 3 for Treviso, 1 for Lazio, and 264 for Inter) as Inter suffered a 2–1 defeat at San Siro, losing the top spot in the league to the Turin side. Later that month, he was nominated for the inaugural Lev Yashin award, the Ballon d'Or of goalkeepers. His first UEFA Champions League clean-sheet of his career came on 23 October, in a 2–0 home win over German side Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
, in the third group match of the competition.
In December, Handanović won the AIC Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award for the third time in his career. On 6 December, in the goalless draw against Roma, Handanović reached another milestone, as his clean-sheet in the match was his 100th in Serie A for Inter. On 11 January 2020, he saved a penalty against Luis Muriel
Luis Fernando Muriel Fruto (born 16 April 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Orlando City.
Having started his professional career with Colombian side Deportivo Cali, Muriel joined ...
in a 1–1 home draw against Atalanta; this was his 24th penalty save in Serie A, which saw him equal Pagluca's record of the most penalties saved in Serie A. On 21 August, he started in Inter's 3–2 defeat to Sevilla
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Seville ...
in the 2020 UEFA Europa League Final.
2020–2023: First trophies, all-time penalty-saving record and retirement
On 17 October 2020, Handanović overtook Pagliuca's record with his 25th penalty save in Serie A when he saved a spot kick from Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Ibrahimović is known for his acrobatic strikes and Volley (association footba ...
, who went on to score from the rebound in a 2–1 defeat against rivals Milan. He made his 500th Serie A appearance on 14 February 2021, in a 3–1 home win over Lazio, which allowed Inter to climb to the top of the league table; he became only the 15th player ever to achieve this milestone. On 2 May the club won the title for the first time since 2010,[ the first trophy of his career. On 23 May, in Inter's final league match of the season against Udinese, he made his 329th Serie A appearance for the club, overtaking ]Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga (; born 28 April 1960) is an Italian professional football manager and former player, currently club manager at Serie C club Siracusa.
He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, and one of Italy's best ...
as the goalkeeper with the most appearances in the Italian top flight for Inter.
On 21 September 2021, Handanović made two decisive first-half saves in the away match against Fiorentina, with Inter winning 3–1 after conceding initially; this was the 1,500th win in the Serie A for the ''Nerazzurri''. Later on, he made his 400th appearance for the club in all competitions in a 3–1 home win over Sheriff Tiraspol
Fotbal Club Sheriff Tiraspol (), commonly known as Sheriff Tiraspol or simply Sheriff, is a professional football club based in Tiraspol, a city located in the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnistria, that plays in the Liga, the top tier o ...
in the Champions League group stage, becoming the only goalkeeper to do so. On 12 January 2022, Handanović won his second career trophy, the Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
, as Inter defeated Juventus 2–1 at San Siro
San Siro is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy. It has a seating capacity of 75,817, making it the largest stadium in Italy and one of the largest stadiums in Europe. It is the home stadium of the city's principal ...
thanks to a 120th-minute winner by Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Udinese and the Chile national team. He is often regarded as the ...
.
Handanović began his eleventh Inter Milan season as a starter, however, he received criticism for his performances. Later on throughout the season, he lost his place in the starting lineup in favor of newly acquired André Onana. On 23 April 2023, in a 3–0 away win over Empoli, Handanović made his 563rd Serie A appearance, tying with Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod (, born 6 April 1959) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and a manager. He represented the Italy national side during his career and was in the Italian squad that won the 1982 FIFA World ...
as the seventh most capped player in the competition.
Inter announced Handanović's departure on 12 July 2023, after his contract was not extended. He played a total of 455 matches for the ''nerazzurri''. Handanović subsequently retired from professional football in September 2023.
International career
Debut and the first years
Handanović made his debut for Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
on 17 November 2004 in a friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, which ended in a goalless draw. He was a regular member of the team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, being used mostly as a backup for the veteran Borut Mavrič
Borut Mavrič (born 27 March 1970) is a former Slovenian footballer. He represented Slovenia internationally.
Club career
Mavrič was born in Šempeter pri Gorici.
Greuther Fürth signed Mavrič in summer 2004 from Olimpija in a one-year d ...
. However, in the second part of the qualifiers, he managed to play four matches, first being the 1–1 home draw against Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
on 30 March 2005, failing to keep a clean sheet, as Slovenia finished the Group 5 Group 5 may refer to:
* Group 5 element, chemical element classification
* Group 5 (motorsport), FIA classification for cars in auto racing See also
* G5 (disambiguation)
{{Disambig ...
in fourth place with twelve points, failing to secure a spot in the final tournament.
On 26 May 2008, Handanović captained Slovenia for the first time in his 23rd cap during the friendly match against Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, which won the game at Gamla Ullevi
Gamla Ullevi (, ) is a association football, football stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, that opened on 5 April 2009. The stadium replaced the city's previous main football stadium, also called Gamla Ullevi (1916), Gamla Ullevi, and is the home gr ...
thanks to a Tobias Linderoth goal.
Ahead of the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan ...
, Handanović was again the second-choice goalkeeper, with Mavrič retaining his spot. He started in Slovenia's fourth game of the qualifying campaign, a goalless draw away against Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
in March 2007. Handanović then played in the remaining eight matches, keeping his goal intact in three of them as Slovenia ended the qualifying campaign in the penultimate place with eleven points.
2010 World Cup, Euro 2016 qualifying and retirement
Handanović was ever-presented in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, playing every single minute of the qualifying campaign. Slovenia began the qualifiers with a 1–1 away draw against Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
, where Handanović was beaten in 17th minute to a Michał Żewłakow
Michał Ryszard Żewłakow (; born 22 April 1976) is a Polish football executive, pundit and former professional player who played as a defender. He is currently the sporting director of Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw.
Żewłakow earned 102 cap ...
penalty kick.
In June 2010, Handanović was named in Slovenia's final list of 23 players to represent the country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
. Slovenia was placed in Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for Touring car racing, touring cars and ''Group B'' for Grand tourer, GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 (motorspor ...
with Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
, England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In the team's opening match against Algeria, Handanović debuted for the first time in a major tournament, keeping a clean sheet as Slovenia managed to win 1–0 at Peter Mokaba Stadium
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football and rugby union stadium in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg), South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity to host 45,500 spectators but for the purposes of the 2010 FIFA World ...
to grab their first three points. In the next match, against the United States at Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by th ...
, Slovenia was leading 2–0 at half time, but in the second half Handanović was beaten by Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional association football, soccer player and coach who was most recently the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Often co ...
and Michael Bradley, with the match finishing 2–2. Slovenia were eliminated from the tournament after finishing third in their group with four points, behind the United States and England, following a 1–0 defeat to the latter in their final match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a association football, soccer and rugby union stadium in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It hosted 2010 FIFA World Cup matches, including the third-place play off. It is the home of Chip ...
on 23 June.
On 18 November 2015, Handanović announced his retirement from the national team after Slovenia failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's association football, football ch ...
, crashing out with a 3–1 aggregate defeat to Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
in the play-offs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. He ended his eleven-year international career with 81 caps for Slovenia, being the most capped goalkeeper and one of the most capped players of all time; his starting position was taken over by Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak (born 7 January 1993) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Atlético Madrid and captains the Slovenia national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Oblak signed ...
.
Style of play
Despite his large stature and imposing physique, which make him effective at handling crosses and a commanding presence inside the box, Handanović is an extremely agile and athletic goalkeeper, who is renowned in particular for his outstanding reflexes, acrobatic saves and excellent shot-stopping abilities, as well as his positional sense, leadership, and ability to organise his defence. Although he was not initially known for being particularly adept with the ball at his feet, during his time under managers Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini (; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team.
As a player, Mancini operated as a deep-lying forward, and was best known for h ...
and Luciano Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti (; born 7 March 1959) is an Italian Association football, football Association football manager, manager and former association footballer, player. He was most recently the manager of the Italy national football team, Italian n ...
, he was also able to improve his ability to play out and start attacks from the back, and successfully adapted to the team's more patient build-up play, while also allowing the team to maintain a high line; his change in playing style also continued under Inter's subsequent manager Antonio Conte, under whom he further developed his control and distribution of the ball, and often acted as a sweeper-keeper
The goalkeeper (sometimes written as goal-keeper, abbreviated as GK, keeper, keeps, or goalie) is a position in association football. It is the most specialised position in the sport. The goalkeeper's main role is to stop the opposing team from ...
.
Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe and Italy due to his performances, he is also known for his speed off his line and anticipation as a goalkeeper, which enables him to clear the ball away from danger, as well as his ability to get to ground quickly to parry or collect the ball, attributes which also make him particularly adept at stopping spot-kicks. As a result, he has developed a reputation as an exceptional penalty-kick-saving specialist, having stopped an Italian record of six consecutive penalties between 2013 and 2015.
With 26 saves, he holds the record for most penalties stopped in Serie A, ahead of Gianluca Pagliuca
Gianluca Pagliuca (; born 18 December 1966) is an Italian football coach and former professional goalkeeper.
He is regarded by pundits as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, and one of Italy's best keepers ever. Throughout his ...
, although Handanović has a superior success rate.[ Former Inter goalkeeper ]Giuliano Sarti
Giuliano Sarti (; 2 October 1933 – 5 June 2017) was an Italian professional football player, who played in the position of goalkeeper. Throughout his successful career, he played for several Italian clubs, although he is mostly remembered for ...
also praised Handanović for his consistency. In a 2016 interview, Handanović stated that his main influences as a goalkeeper were his cousin Jasmin Handanović
Jasmin Handanović (born 28 January 1978) is a Slovenian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the oldest player to ever play in the Slovenian top division.
Club career
In July 2010, Handanović was signed by Empoli, replacing D ...
and Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel (born 18 November 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During eight seasons at English club Manchester United, he won 15 trophies including five Premier League titles, three FA C ...
. In 2020, Pasquale Marino
Pasquale Marino (born 13 July 1962) is an Italian football manager and former player, currently in charge of club Salernitana.
Playing career
A midfielder, Marino started for his home team, Marsala. Marino never played in divisions higher than ...
described Handanović as "one of the best goalkeepers in the world."
Coaching career
After retirement, Handanović stayed at Inter Milan as a technical collaborator. On 1 August 2024, he was appointed in charge of the under-17 team.
Personal life
Born in Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
on 14 July 1984, Handanović is of Bosniak
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
origin. His elder cousin, Jasmin Handanović
Jasmin Handanović (born 28 January 1978) is a Slovenian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the oldest player to ever play in the Slovenian top division.
Club career
In July 2010, Handanović was signed by Empoli, replacing D ...
, is also a former international football goalkeeper. Handanović's first son, Alen, was born in 2011. In May 2012, Handanović married Zoja Trobec, a former KK Olimpija
Košarkarski klub Olimpija () was a men's professional basketball club based in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Olimpija has won 23 National League championships, including eight consecutive titles between 1992 and 1999. They have played in two differen ...
cheerleader. In 2013, she gave birth to the couple's second son, named Ian.
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 ...
: 2020–21
*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 ...
: 2021–22, 2022–23
*Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
: 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 ...
, 2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
*UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
runner-up: 2019–20
*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 ...
runner-up: 2022–23
Individual
* Slovenian Footballer of the Year: 2009, 2011, 2012
* Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
: 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, 2012–13, 2018–19
* AIC Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year
The AIC Goalkeeper of the Year () was a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) since 1997 to 2010 as part of the Oscar del Calcio awards, given to the goalkeeper who had been considered to have performed the best ov ...
: 2011, 2013, 2019
* Lega Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year: 2018–19
* UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2019–20
References
External links
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Player profile
at NZS
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Handanovic, Samir
1984 births
Living people
Footballers from Ljubljana
Slovenian people of Bosniak descent
Slovenian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent
Men's association football goalkeepers
Slovenian men's footballers
21st-century Slovenian sportsmen
Slovenia men's youth international footballers
Slovenia men's under-21 international footballers
Slovenia men's international footballers
2010 FIFA World Cup players
NK Domžale players
NK Zagorje players
Udinese Calcio players
Treviso FBC 1993 players
SS Lazio players
Rimini FC 1912 players
Inter Milan players
Inter Milan non-playing staff
Slovenian PrvaLiga players
Slovenian Second League players
Serie A players
Serie B players
Slovenian expatriate men's footballers
Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy