View source for Milivoje Novaković

{{Short description|Slovenian footballer}}
{{lead too short|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Milivoje Novaković
| image               = Milivoje Novaković 2015.jpg
| upright             = 1.2
| caption             = Novaković in 2015
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=y|1979|5|18}}
| birth_place         = [[Ljubljana]], [[Socialist Republic of Slovenia|SR Slovenia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]
| height              = 1.93 m<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nagoya-grampus.jp/clubteam/players/novakovic.html |title=選手データ ノヴァコヴィッチ &#124; 名古屋グランパス公式サイト |access-date=8 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005144647/http://nagoya-grampus.jp/clubteam/players/novakovic.html |archive-date=5 October 2015 }}</ref>
| currentclub         =
| position            = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| youthyears1         =
| youthclubs1         = [[ND Slovan|Slovan]] 
| youthyears2         = {{0|0000}}–1998
| youthclubs2         = [[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (defunct)|Olimpija]] 
| years1              = 1999–2000
| clubs1              = DSG Klopeinersee
| caps1               = 20
| goals1              = 9
| years2              = 2000–2001
| clubs2              = [[SAK Klagenfurt]]
| caps2               = 16
| goals2              = 7
| years3              = 2001–2004
| clubs3              = [[ASK Voitsberg]]
| caps3               = 14
| goals3              = 8
| years4              = 2004
| clubs4              = → [[SV Mattersburg]] (loan)
| caps4               = 6
| goals4              = 2
| years5              = 2004–2005
| clubs5              = [[LASK]]
| caps5               = 21
| goals5              = 8
| years6              = 2005–2006
| clubs6              = [[PFC Litex Lovech|Litex Lovech]]
| caps6               = 26
| goals6              = 18
| years7              = 2006–2014
| clubs7              = [[1. FC Köln]]
| caps7               = 166
| goals7              = 74
| years8              = 2012–2013
| clubs8              = → [[Omiya Ardija]] (loan)
| caps8               = 38
| goals8              = 17
| years9              = 2014
| clubs9              = [[Shimizu S-Pulse]]
| caps9               = 34
| goals9              = 12
| years10             = 2015
| clubs10             = [[Nagoya Grampus]]
| caps10              = 26
| goals10             = 5
| years11             = 2016–2017
| clubs11             = [[NK Maribor|Maribor]]
| caps11              = 37
| goals11             = 16
| totalcaps           = 404
| totalgoals          = 176
| nationalyears1      = 2006–2017
| nationalteam1       = [[Slovenia national football team|Slovenia]]
| nationalcaps1       = 80
| nationalgoals1      = 32
}}

'''Milivoje Novaković''' ({{IPA|sl|ˈmiːliʋɔjɛ nɔˈʋaːkɔʋitʃ}};{{fix|text=tones?|date=March 2018}} {{lang-sr-Cyrl|Миливоје Новаковић}}, {{IPA|sh|noʋǎːkoʋitɕ|pron}};<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hjp.znanje.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=eFxnXhQ%3D&keyword=nov|title=nȍv|quote=Nováković|website=Hrvatski jezični portal|access-date=18 March 2018|language=sh}}</ref> born 18 May 1979) is a Slovenian retired [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[forward (association football)|forward]].

==Club career==
Novaković spent his youth career at [[NK Olimpija Ljubljana (defunct)|Olimpija]] where he remained until the age of 19, when he was forced to leave and look for the opportunity to play professional football elsewhere as he was written off by the club officials who considered him unpromising and too skinny for a forward.<ref name="7sport">{{cite web | url = http://www.7sport.net/archive7ds/2006/06/02/forum/index.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060723033953/http://www.7sport.net/archive7ds/2006/06/02/forum/index.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 23 July 2006 | title = Новакович скоро ще е №1 в националния | language = bg | date = 2 June 2006 | access-date = 13 May 2011 | publisher = 7sport.net}}</ref><ref name="rtv13102014">{{cite web | url = http://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/pri-35-letih-v-lovu-na-rekord-zlatka-zahovica/348579 | title = Pri 35 letih v lovu na rekord Zlatka Zahoviča |trans-title=At 35 years of age on the hunt for the record of Zlatko Zahovic | publisher = [[RTV Slovenija]] | author = Luka Petrič | language = sl | date = 13 October 2014 | access-date = 13 October 2014}}</ref><ref name="rtv19022016">{{cite web | url = http://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/18-letno-popotovanje-iz-ljubljane-do-maribora/386206 | title = 18-letno popotovanje iz Ljubljane do Maribora |trans-title=An 18-year journey from Ljubljana to Maribor | publisher = [[RTV Slovenija]] | author = Matej Rijavec | language = sl | date = 19 February 2016 | access-date = 19 February 2016}}</ref> Many years later, at the height of his playing career, Novaković revealed that people at Olimpija had demanded money in order to promote him to the main squad.<ref name="rtv19022016"/>

He then went to play football for lower tier Austrian clubs where he rose to prominence, eventually signing with professional sides [[SV Mattersburg]] and [[LASK]].<ref name="7sport"/><ref name="rtv13102014"/> In 2005, he signed with the [[Bulgarian A Football Group|Bulgarian top division]] side [[PFC Litex Lovech|Litex Lovech]] and immediately established himself as one of their top players scoring 16 goals in 24 appearances during the [[2005–06 A PFG|2005–06 season]], earning the title of the league's top goalscorer.<ref>{{cite news |title=Бъдещият нападател на "Литекс": искам да повторя пътя на Миливое Новакович|url=http://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=281352|work=sportal.bg|date=19 January 2011 |access-date=29 April 2016 |language=bg}}</ref> In the same season, Litex qualified for the group stage of the [[2005–06 UEFA Cup]], where Novaković scored two of the clubs's four goals to help the Bulgarian team reach the round of 32, where they were eliminated by France's [[RC Strasbourg Alsace|Strasbourg]] with 2–0 on aggregate.

During the summer of 2006 he was linked with several different clubs (e.g. German team [[1. FC Köln]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sport1.bg/sport1/node/24532 | title= Кьолн иска Миливое Новакович | date = 11 July 2006 | website  = sport1.bg | access-date = 13 May 2011 | language = bg}}</ref> Israeli team [[Beitar Jerusalem F.C.|Beitar Jerusalem]]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sport1.bg/sport1/node/23883 | title = Бейтар Йерусалим иска Новакович | date = 4 July 2006 | website = sport1.bg | access-date = 13 May 2011 | language = bg}}</ref> and Bulgarian champions [[PFC Levski Sofia|Levski Sofia]]<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.standartnews.com/bg/article.php?d=2006-06-06&article=148670 | title =Левски хвърли око на Новакович и Желев | date = 6 June 2006 | website = standartnews.com | access-date = 13 May 2011 | language = bg | first = Rumen | last = Katsarov}}</ref>) but despite his wish to continue his career in a different club he started, with three goals on three league appearances, the 2006–07 season with Litex Lovech who faced [[FC Koper|Koper]] from Slovenia and [[AC Omonia]] from Cyprus in the qualifying rounds of the [[2006–07 UEFA Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actualno.com/news_67937.html |title=? |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312055901/http://www.actualno.com/news_67937.html |archive-date=12 March 2007 }}</ref> However, Novaković's wish to leave the club was granted in late August 2006 when he joined German side 1. FC Köln for around €1.5 million.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://topsport.ibox.bg/news/id_218157950 | title = Новакович подписа с Кьолн за три години | first = Dimitar | last = Popov | date = 30 August 2006 | website = topsport.ibox.bg  |access-date =  13 May 2011 | language = bg}}</ref>

In his first season in Germany Novaković quickly established himself in the first team and eventually finished the season with ten goals in 25 [[2. Bundesliga]] appearances, finishing the season second on the club's top scorers list. During his second season with Köln he scored 20 goals in 33 league appearances<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/mnovakovicdata.html | title = Milivoje Novaković – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 12 December 2019 | access-date = 19 December 2019 | publisher = [[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|RSSSF.com]]}}</ref> and became the top goalscorer of the 2. Bundesliga, helping his side reach the elite [[Bundesliga]]. During the [[2008–09 Bundesliga|2008–09 season]], he was again Köln's top goalscorer with 16 Bundesliga goals to his name. On 12 September 2008, coach [[Christoph Daum]] made him captain of the first team squad, however in late November 2009, he lost his captaincy due to a dispute with Köln's new manager [[Zvonimir Soldo]]. The [[2010–11 Bundesliga|2010–11 season]] was his best season in the Bundesliga as Köln finished 10th on the league table with Novaković scoring 17 goals, finishing the season on third place in the league's top scorer's list. Novaković was Köln's [[List of 1. FC Köln records and statistics|top scorer]] in three of the club's four Bundesliga seasons, during his spell at the club, scoring 44 goals in 108 appearances. After finishing the [[2011–12 Bundesliga|next season]] on 17th place Köln was relegated and during the summer of 2012 the club officials decided to cut costs of the first team before the start of the season in the second tier.

Novaković was one of the players whose contract expenses were too high and on 1 August 2012, he joined [[J1 League]] side [[Omiya Ardija]], on loan until December 2012. After the end of the loan, Novaković returned to [[Cologne]] and stayed fit with an individual training program. On 26 January 2013, the loan was eventually renewed through 31 December 2013. In 2014 Novaković signed a two-year deal with another J League side [[Shimizu S Pulse]]. After one year, he moved to [[Nagoya Grampus]], but he was released after only one season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nagoya-grampus.jp/information/pressrelease/2015/1123post-505.php|title = ニュース｜名古屋グランパス公式サイト}}</ref>

On 18 February 2016, he signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Slovenian club [[NK Maribor|Maribor]].<ref name="novakovic">{{cite news|url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/maribor-potegnil-veliko-potezo-novakovic-se-seli-v-ljudski-vrt/386177|title=Maribor potegnil veliko potezo - Novaković se seli v Ljudski vrt|trans-title=Maribor made a big move - Novakovic is moving to Ljudski vrt|author=A. G.|publisher=[[RTV Slovenija]]|date=18 February 2016|language=sl|access-date=19 February 2016}}</ref>

==International career==
Novaković was a member of the [[Slovenia national football team|Slovenia national team]] between 2006 and 2017, scoring 32 goals in 80 appearances.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/mnovakovic-intlg.html | title = Milivoje Novakovic – Goals in International Matches | first = Roberto | last = Mamrud | date = 12 December 2019 | access-date = 19 December 2019 | publisher = [[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|RSSSF.com]]}}</ref> He scored his first international goals on 31 May 2006 against [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago]], when he scored all three goals for Slovenia in a 3–1 win.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.delo.si/sport/slovenci-nadigrali-trinidad-in-tobago.html|language=sl|publisher=[[Delo (Slovenia)|Delo]]|date=1 June 2006|access-date=10 June 2017|title=Slovenci nadigrali Trinidad in Tobago}}</ref> He initially retired from international football on 13 February 2012, saying he wanted to focus on club football. However, in January 2013 he said that he is ready to play for the national team once again.<ref>{{cite web |title=Novaković sprejel Katančevo povabilo |url=https://www.dnevnik.si/1042572140 |website=[[Dnevnik (Slovenia)|Dnevnik]] |access-date=26 December 2023 |language=sl |date=16 January 2013}}</ref> On 11 October 2013, he scored a [[Hat-trick#Association football|hat-trick]] against [[Norway national football team|Norway]] in the [[2014 FIFA World Cup qualification|2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers]], which Slovenia won 3–0.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Plestenjak |first1=Rok |title=Zgodovinsko: Maestralni Novaković s tremi goli potopil vikinško ladjo |url=https://siol.net/sportal/nogomet/zgodovinsko-maestralni-novakovic-s-tremi-goli-potopil-vikinsko-ladjo-13107 |publisher=[[Siol]] |access-date=26 December 2023 |language=sl |date=11 October 2013}}</ref> He retired from the national team in June 2017 after the match against [[Malta national football team|Malta]], where he also scored Slovenia's second goal in a 2–0 win.<ref>{{cite web |title=Slovenija strla Malto, Novaković odšel "v slogu" |url=https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/slovenija-strla-malto-novakovic-odsel-v-slogu/424694 |publisher=[[RTV Slovenija]] |access-date=26 December 2023 |language=sl |date=10 June 2017}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
=== International ===
:''Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Novaković goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Milivoje Novaković<ref>{{Soccerway|milivoje-novakovic/16285}}</ref>
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1 || rowspan="3"|31 May 2006 || rowspan="3"|[[Arena Petrol]], [[Celje]], Slovenia || rowspan="3"|{{fb|TRI}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|3–1 || rowspan="3"|[[Exhibition game#Association football|Friendly]]
|-
| align="center"|2 || align="center"|2–0
|-
| align="center"|3 || align="center"|3–1
|-
| align="center"|4 || 7 October 2006 || Arena Petrol, Celje, Slovenia || {{fb|LUX}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || [[UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group G|UEFA Euro 2008 qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|5 || 8 September 2007 || [[Stade Josy Barthel]], [[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg City]], Luxembourg || {{fb|LUX}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|3–0 ||UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
|-
| align="center"|6 || 6 February 2008 || [[Nova Gorica Sports Park]], [[Nova Gorica]], Slovenia || {{fb|DEN}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–2 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|7 || rowspan="2"|10 September 2008 || rowspan="2"|[[Ljudski vrt]], [[Maribor]], Slovenia || rowspan="2"|{{fb|SVK}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–1 || rowspan="2"|[[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 3|2010 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|8 || align="center"|2–0
|-
| align="center"|9 || 11 October 2008 || Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || {{fb|NIR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
| align="center"|10 || rowspan="2"|19 November 2008 || rowspan="2"|Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || rowspan="2"|{{fb|BIH}} || align="center"|2–4 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3–4 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|11 || align="center"|3–4
|-
| align="center"|12 || 9 September 2009 || Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || {{fb|POL}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|3–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
| align="center"|13 || 14 October 2009 || [[San Marino Stadium|Stadio Olimpico]], [[Serravalle (San Marino)|Serravalle]], San Marino || {{fb|SMR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|3–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
| align="center"|14 || 3 March 2010 || Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || {{fb|QAT}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|4–1 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|15 || rowspan="2"|4 June 2010 || rowspan="2"|Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || rowspan="2"|{{fb|NZL}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3–1 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|16 || align="center"|2–1
|-
| align="center"|17 || 7 September 2010 || [[Red Star Stadium|Stadion Crvena Zvezda]], [[Belgrade]], Serbia || {{fb|SRB}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–1 || [[UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group C|UEFA Euro 2012 qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|18 || 8 October 2010 || [[Stožice Stadium]], [[Ljubljana]], Slovenia || {{fb|FRO}} || align="center"|4–0 || align="center"|5–1 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
|-
| align="center"|19 || 9 February 2011 || [[Qemal Stafa Stadium]], [[Tirana]], Albania || {{fb|ALB}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|20 || 22 March 2013 || Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia || {{fb|ISL}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–2 || [[2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group E|2014 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|21 || 31 May 2013 || [[Bielefelder Alm|Schüco Arena]], [[Bielefeld]], Germany || {{fb|TUR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|22 || 10 September 2013 || [[GSP Stadium]], [[Nicosia]], Cyprus || {{fb|CYP}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
| align="center"|23 || rowspan="3"|11 October 2013 || rowspan="3"|Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || rowspan="3"|{{fb|NOR}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|3–0 || rowspan="3"|2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
| align="center"|24 || align="center"|2–0
|-
| align="center"|25 || align="center"|3–0
|-
| align="center"|26 || 9 October 2014 || Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia || {{fb|SUI}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–0 || [[UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group E|UEFA Euro 2016 qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|27 || rowspan="2"|12 October 2014 || rowspan="2"|[[LFF Stadium]], [[Vilnius]], Lithuania || rowspan="2"|{{fb|LTU}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–0 || rowspan="2"|UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
|-
| align="center"|28 || align="center"|2–0
|-
| align="center"|29 || 27 March 2015 || Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia || {{fb|SMR}} || align="center"|4–0 || align="center"|6–0 || UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
|-
| align="center"|30 || 14 June 2015 || Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia || {{fb|ENG}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–3 || UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
|-
| align="center"|31 || 5 September 2015 || [[St. Jakob-Park]], [[Basel]], Switzerland || {{fb|SUI}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–3 || UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
|-
| align="center"|32 || 10 June 2017 || Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia || {{fb|Malta}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|2–0 || [[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group F|2018 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|}

==Honours==
'''Maribor'''
*[[Slovenian PrvaLiga]]: [[2016–17 Slovenian PrvaLiga|2016–17]]
*[[Slovenian Football Cup]]: [[2015–16 Slovenian Football Cup|2015–16]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Bulgarian A Professional Football Group|Bulgarian A PFG]] top scorer: [[2005–06 A PFG|2005–06]]
*[[2. Bundesliga]] top scorer: [[2007–08 2. Bundesliga|2007–08]]
*[[Slovenian Footballer of the Year]]: 2008

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.nzs.si/tekmovanja/?action=igralecStat&id_igralca=6677 Milivoje Novaković] at [[Football Association of Slovenia|NZS]] {{in lang|sl}}
* {{sports links}}

{{Navboxes colour
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{Bulgarian A Professional Football Group top scorers}}
{{2. Bundesliga top scorers}}
{{Slovenian Footballer of the Year}}
}}
{{Slovenia Squad 2010 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Novakovic, Milivoje}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ljubljana]]
[[Category:Slovenian people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Slovenian men's footballers]]
[[Category:21st-century Slovenian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Slovenia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:SAK Klagenfurt players]]
[[Category:SV Mattersburg players]]
[[Category:LASK players]]
[[Category:FC Lovech players]]
[[Category:1. FC Köln players]]
[[Category:RB Omiya Ardija players]]
[[Category:Shimizu S-Pulse players]]
[[Category:Nagoya Grampus players]]
[[Category:NK Maribor players]]
[[Category:Austrian Regionalliga players]]
[[Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Liga (Austria) players]]
[[Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:J1 League players]]
[[Category:Slovenian PrvaLiga players]]
[[Category:Slovenian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria]]
[[Category:Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany]]
[[Category:Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Japan]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan]]