Marko Stamenic (Nottingham Forest | England) [Loan: Olympiakos | Greece]

FCK with a 2-0 win. Stamenic taken off at HT (2 subs were made by FCK) when was 0-0

FCK (last in the Group) host Borussia Dortmund (2nd), in the UCL, final group game.

A bit of a dead rubber with Dortmund (8 pts, GD +5) highly unlikely to catch Man City (11 pts, GD +10) in 1st, or get overtaken by Sevilla (5 pts, GD -4) in 3rd. Especially so given Man City are hosting Sevilla in the other game.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/02/europe/uefa-champions-league/fc-kobenhavn/bv-borussia-09-dortmund/3946897/

1-1 draw. Stamenic an unused sub

FCK (6th) host Lyngby (12th & last)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/06/denmark/superliga/fc-kobenhavn/lyngby-boldklub/3795551/

Unused sub in a 3-0 win

FCK travel to 3rd tier Thisted in DBU Pokalen Cup

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/09/denmark/dbu-pokalen/thisted-fc/fc-kobenhavn/3977485/

From this week's Flying Kiwis.

As for Marko Stamenic, he was suspended for Copenhagen’s fifth Champions League game so in came young fella William Clem in his place. Different styles of players, Clem’s more of an attacking midfielder, but the bloke did really well on debut. Therefore in the next SuperLiga game, away to Randers, with the game scoreless after the first half and Stamenic on a yellow card... Clem was brought on in Stamenic’s place. FCK went on to win 2-0 and a few days later 

Clem started ahead of Stamenic against Borussia Dortmund in the final UCL group stage game. It ended 1-1 and Stamenic was an unused sub. Then the same thing happened in a 3-0 win over Lyngby with Clem taking Stamenic’s regular spot alongside Lucas Lerager and Viktor Claesson in the midfield three. So it goes, Stamenic kinda did the same usurping thing himself a couple months earlier. But that’s where we’re at right now in the SuperLiga.

FCK beat 3rd tier Thisted, 3-1 in the DBU Pokalen Cup, after ET (1-1 in NT).

Stamenic not in match day squad.

FCK (3rd) travel to AGF (7th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/13/denmark/superliga/agf-aarhus/fc-kobenhavn/3795557/

Edit - Stamenic misses another match day squad. Presumably injured

2-0 win FCK, who have turned their season around to lie 3rd, 8 pts off 1st at mid way point

This Polish keeper really seems a bit of a Twit. Hopefully for Ryan's sake, and team harmony he leaves FCK in the Jan window.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/300756349/socceroos-skipper-admits-error-as-club-teammate-takes-crude-swipe

coochiee

This Polish keeper really seems a bit of a Twit. Hopefully for Ryan's sake, and team harmony he leaves FCK in the Jan window.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/300756349/socceroos-skipper-admits-error-as-club-teammate-takes-crude-swipe

 
Article doesn’t really mention what Ryan originally said about Grabara, who was first choice from the start and only lost his spot when he broke his nose; as he said that Grabara was only playing because of club politics and wanting to raise his value to sell him. It’s an Australian writer, so not surprised it lacks impartiality. Could’ve kept quiet I suppose, but if Ryan is more than happy to publicly undermine Grabara and call into question the legitimacy of him playing, then he can’t be too surprised when it comes back around.

carlind

coochiee

This Polish keeper really seems a bit of a Twit. Hopefully for Ryan's sake, and team harmony he leaves FCK in the Jan window.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-cup/300756349/socceroos-skipper-admits-error-as-club-teammate-takes-crude-swipe

 
Article doesn’t really mention what Ryan originally said about Grabara, who was first choice from the start and only lost his spot when he broke his nose; as he said that Grabara was only playing because of club politics and wanting to raise his value to sell him. It’s an Australian writer, so not surprised it lacks impartiality. Could’ve kept quiet I suppose, but if Ryan is more than happy to publicly undermine Grabara and call into question the legitimacy of him playing, then he can’t be too surprised when it comes back around.

Yeah gotta conclude that one of them’s leaving before the season restarts in Feb. Shark slinging from everyone involved.

Grabara’s the better player as much as Aussies may not want to hear it, but he’s got immense resale value and Ryan’s not been poor by any stretch for Copenhagen (was a hero in the Trabzonspor qualifying tie). Can think of worse problems to have!

I believe terms have been agreed between Copenhagen and Red Star Belgrade for the transfer of Stamenic. Wow

RSB are definitely another team capable of making it to the CL. Actually almost made it this season but got knocked out on aggregate by Maccabi Haifa in the qualifying playoff round and then unfortunately finished bottom of their group in the EL.

Marko's actually of Serbian descent through his father, though that's probably been mentioned here before. :)

mrsmiis

I believe terms have been agreed between Copenhagen and Red Star Belgrade for the transfer of Stamenic. Wow

I'm always so excited when I see you've posted in the Kiwi's Overseas section of this forum. Yourself and Carlind always coming through with the top notch posts. Keep up the excellent work.

Thats a top move for the lad though, although I will temper this until the move is officially announced. Would be the second Kiwi behind Auckland City's Adam Mitchell to sign for Red Star if I'm not mistaken.

Good to see him moving on up too, based on coefficients that is anyway. 😉

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From Flying Kiwis.

Maxbet Sport RS: “Marko Stamenić from Copenhagen is on the wish list of [Red Star Belgrade]. As revealed by MaxBet sport, an official offer was sent to the club from Denmark, which is financially acceptable, since the midfielder has a contract until June 2023. And not only that but the red and whites are heavily negotiating with the New Zealand national team player, who completely fits into the vision of coach Miloš Milojević.

So far, Stamenić has worn the jersey of New Zealand 11 times. He wears the jersey with number 10 but in Red Star he would have the status of a domestic player, since his father is Serbian. The guy born on February 19, 2002 played 15 matches for Copenhagen in the fall, and spent 973 minutes on the field and played in the Champions League against Manchester City.”

That does not sound like idle gossip. That sounds a lot like a move that could be confirmed imminently. And while he doesn’t strike as an obvious candidate for a January transfer given he’s in the midst of his breakthrough season at senior level... there are a few good reasons for this potential change of scenery.

For one, his father is Serbian. Similar to Marco Rojas moving to Chile in that regard – including the fact that it’s the most storied club in the land after him. 

That’s point number two: FK Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade in English terms) are currently first in the Serbian Superliga as they chase their sixth consecutive league title. It’s a club with enormous history, including winning the Champions League back in 1991.  

Unfortunately their European campaign is over for this season, same as Copenhagen’s, having been knocked out of UCL qualifiers by Maccabi Haifa (Israel) before finishing bottom of a Europa League group that featured Ferencvaros (Hungary), Monaco (France), and Trabzonspor (Turkey). But they’ll be back again next season in some capacity.

Point three: Marko Stamenic had fallen out of the mix at Copenhagen prior to the winter break, not featuring in any of FCK’s past four matches including dropping out of the squad entirely for the two most recent matches. 

On that note, point four is that one or two of the injuries to teammates that had cleared the path for him to feature in the first place will be sorted after the winter break pushing him further down the pecking order. 

And point five is that his current contract expires in July.

Add that all together and a move to a team of a similar European stature where he gets to connect with some family heritage and potentially play more regularly whilst getting his current team a transfer fee all makes a lot of sense. Particularly when he can be registered as a local player for the new club rather than counting against their foreign player quota.

Stamenic won’t be the first kiwi to sign with Red Star if it does happen, as current Auckland City defender Adam Mitchell spent some time there a few years ago. Didn’t play an official game for the club but he may have helped pave the way for a compatriot.

Officially announced by Copenhagen that Stamenic has decided against a contract extension, and will be leaving at the end of June if a move isn't found for him in January.

I'm extremely happy with this. Have seen a lot of negative comments and scapegoating directed towards him - when Copenhagen lose, he's generally the fall guy for being inexperienced, clumsy and non-Danish (notably being both a competitor for young Danish talent William Clem, and a reason that the club may not have pursued the resigning of Danish great, DM Thomas Delaney).

mrsmiis

Officially announced by Copenhagen that Stamenic has decided against a contract extension, and will be leaving at the end of June if a move isn't found for him in January.

I'm extremely happy with this. Have seen a lot of negative comments and scapegoating directed towards him - when Copenhagen lose, he's generally the fall guy for being inexperienced, clumsy and non-Danish (notably being both a competitor for young Danish talent William Clem, and a reason that the club may not have pursued the resigning of Danish great, DM Thomas Delaney).

So FK Crvena Zvezda it is then?
See an increasing amount of articles and social media outlets (not those pissant small accounts either) linking him with a move there. 

Personally I'd love to see him go to Italy - Big physical lad, gets stuck in, good feet, good vision, and loves a contest. Would imagine there'd be a few managers and coaching teams over there that could whip him into a really top CDM/CM with the right guidance. 

Unpopular opinion: it would be better for him not to go to Red Star.
I think any northern European league would offer a better challenge for him. Yes they are a good team and have a great history but Serbia? I'd rather he stayed in Denmark or moved to say Belgium, the Netherlands etc. Of course if nothing better comes up

newzealandpower

Unpopular opinion: it would be better for him not to go to Red Star.
I think any northern European league would offer a better challenge for him. Yes they are a good team and have a great history but Serbia? I'd rather he stayed in Denmark or moved to say Belgium, the Netherlands etc. Of course if nothing better comes up

I agree. Red Star were once a big club in Europe. But not any longer. The Serbian league is a bit obscure from a Kiwi viewing context, and would he settle there. Still a bit of culture shock from Western Europe. Yes his dad is Serbian, but can he speak the language well himself.

Hopefully they think through his next move carefully. Sounds like he'll still have another 6 mths at FCK, but he might be down the peaking order there now unfortunately.

https://twitter.com/pineynz/status/1612575678695866368

From Flying Kiwis.

Well now. Official word that Marko Stamenic will not be signing a new contract with FCK despite his current deal expiring in six months when the current season concludes. According to the club, there were extended negotiations but no agreement was forthcoming. They wanted him. He chose otherwise. And you don’t turn down a new deal at a club you’ve been playing Champions League football for unless you’ve got something good lined up.

FCK sporting director Peter Christiansen: “Over a long period, we have had a dialogue with Marko and his advisors about a new contract, but we have not been able to reach an agreement, and we have now ended the process. Marko will continue as an FCK player until the summer, and then he will find a new club, if an opportunity does not arise already in transfer window in January. We think Marko has developed well here, but we have to deal with the fact that he does not want to extend his contract.”

Needless to say this comes amidst strong chatter that Serbian club Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) were not only interested in Stamenic but had actively made contact over a possible bid. This new development means that he’ll definitely be leaving Copenhagen at the end of the season but they still could get some form of financial compensation for him were he to leave this month while the January transfer window is open. In other words, it’s now Red Star’s move to make

Side note, FCK also flipped Aussie keeper Mat Ryan to AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands on the same day. Ryan had done really well for them after signing in the summer but when their regular keeper Kamil Grabara returned from injury things got weird as old mate was openly hostile to Ryan’s competitive presence in a couple media interviews... well, they’ve solved that strange dilemma now) 

FCK will still get some compensation for Marko even if he does leave for free.

I might be wrong, but didn't FIFA bring in a rule that if a youth player (u23) leaves their club for free (if offered a new and improved contract) to join a 'bigger' club an independent panel must set a fee?

Was brought in to stop big clubs from tapping hot young prospects and getting them for nothing with promises of big signing on fees and wages etc at the expense of clubs.

Yup, look like the Red Star move's close to being confirmed. Apparently met with the coaches and gave him their word he'd sign - which I assume means personal terms have been agreed and they're waiting on transfer negotiations to wrap up.

https://www.kurir.rs/sport/fudbal/4086264/marko-stamenic-izabrao-zvezdu-pre-serije-a-i-lig-1

I'm happy with this. While finishing at the bottom of their group at the EL may not be a great look, the fact this season they made it to the CL qualifying playoff for the first time since 19/20 is a positive. Let's just hope they can continue that momentum next season.

Plus RS are currently sitting top of the table of the Serbian Superliga with a 10 point advantage. They'll still have to win the Championship round but they're looking in pole position to be champions once again meaning some potential silverware for Marko, should he make the move this transfer window.

Stamenic still has a long career ahead of him, plenty of time for him to move up to Belgium, the Netherlands, or Italy. If he impresses here and gets the game time he needs, it's probably only a matter of time.

Genoa seemed to be one of the clubs chasing him. Serie B right now, but a very historically big club doing well this season

mrsmiis

Genoa seemed to be one of the clubs chasing him. Serie B right now, but a very historically big club doing well this season

Damnit, my manifestations weren't too far off. 🤬

My only hope is that wherever he goes, is that he see's good game time. Of course it can be hard initially to break into first team duties at an otherwise successful club side like Red Star, but he's at an age now where he simply just has to be playing. We don't need another Garbett like situation unfolding...

I know I sound like a broken record, but when I was a kid, the idea that an All White was being pursued by both Red Star Belgrade and Genoa - never thought I'd see the day...
(mind you, back then Red Star had recently won the European Cup and Genoa were tearing up Serie A with Tomas Skurahvy and Carlos Aguilera, but I think my point is still valid...)

Wusty Wab

I'm happy with this. While finishing at the bottom of their group at the EL may not be a great look, the fact this season they made it to the CL qualifying playoff for the first time since 19/20 is a positive. Let's just hope they can continue that momentum next season.

Plus RS are currently sitting top of the table of the Serbian Superliga with a 10 point advantage. They'll still have to win the Championship round but they're looking in pole position to be champions once again meaning some potential silverware for Marko, should he make the move this transfer window.

Stamenic still has a long career ahead of him, plenty of time for him to move up to Belgium, the Netherlands, or Italy. If he impresses here and gets the game time he needs, it's probably only a matter of time.

Red Star are also in an advantageous position to get further European football as they have a high UEFA club coefficient, as they kind of game the system or, at least, are beneficiaries of it. Due to their duopoly with Partizan - last season Red Star won the league by two points over Partizan and were 40 points clear of third - they always get into Europe. Always being in the qualifiers for Europe means they have ample chance to add to their coefficient by getting results, and because the qualifiers are seeded by club coefficient, they get to play lower ranked opposition which snowballs their coefficient. Their last three UCL campaigns have had one win a piece over Pyunik (ARM), Kairat (KAZ) and Tirana (ALB) before defeats to Maccabi Haifa, Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia Nicosia.

It's actually somewhat of the inverse to Superligaen, as they have several winners which means teams might win the title after missing out on Europe altogether. They then face seeded teams where they are more likely to lose and not get the coefficient points for next time. This is what caught out Brøndby the season Joe Bell signed as they had to face RB Salzburg, and could well catch out Nordsjaelland next season. Stuff like that also detriments the league coefficient, meaning the teams have to enter earlier, while Serbia having the same two clubs in it every season helps improve it - until it goes so high another club gets a spot and lowers it, ensuring it stays in flux, with Scotland being another example.

Being so geared towards Europe does mean the domestic matches become a bit of cruise though. Red Star have only lost one league match since October 2019! Only one since Covid. They have picked up 93% of the available points since 20/21. This level of cruising is possibly a bad thing, as it would probably be better for long-term development to be in a stronger league even if it means at a less successful club. Cacace at Sint Truiden a great blueprint to follow. Given that the vast majority of the matches he'd play would be domestic, this is a reason I would prefer him to be in a different league. 

I'm guessing Red Star last played in a tough competitive league back in the 1980s before the split up of Yugoslavia. When you also had the top Croat, Bosnian & Slovenian clubs. 

Plus as a further guess it would have been much harder for the top players back then during the Iron Curtain era, to head overseas. 

Here is the current league table in Serbia. Red Star unbeaten in 19 games, and a +43 GD.

https://us.soccerway.com/national/serbia/super-liga/20222023/regular-season/r70314/

I guess a potential positive from this move is that because league matches are a breeze for RS and they're always in a very comfortable position on the ladder, the coach may be less reluctant to give younger or less experienced players more starts, which could be good news for Marko.

Who knows, Marko could find after a season or two at RS that while he is getting the game time he needs, he's not really being given much of a challenge from RS constantly winning league games.

This could lead to him wanting and trying to get a move to a stronger and tighter league.

I'd love to follow him as he plys his trade in Italy...
Reports suggest he could be available immediately for about 500k euros, a bit less than a mil in $NZ. Not exactly pocket change but also not much for a decent Italian club (albeit in Serie B this season).
Will add to my daily Google searches....

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/four-northlanders-among-finalists-for-halberg-awards/3HO7Y5T6RBCMDHVZPZZ5A3MPKY/

One of the 60 nominees for the Halberg Awards

Really good interview with Marko on RNZ National's "Sunday Morning with Jim Mora" the week before Christmas while Marko was back home visiting his family.
Jim Mora seems to be a football fan and is remarkably well-informed about Marko's career (he's done his research).
Ten minute chat about Marko's career followed by playing his favourite song (his dad is a Man City supporter which made it a dream come true when his son brought both parents over to Manchester for the Champions League game):
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018871693/marko-stamenic-what-i-m-listening-to

He started the friendly against second in the second-tier Hvidovre this morning at their training facility. Looks like the starting 11 was close to a first choice side, rather than the squad split into two even 11s, though the entire team was replaced at half-time. So Stamenic's half ended as a 0-1 defeat, though the final score was 4-1 to FCK. He also picked up a 26th minute yellow card.

Starting this match should reaffirm that he is very much still in the picture and shouldn't be frozen out despite his impending departure, though the second-half performance might have earnt a couple of those players a boost in the pecking order.

Hvidovre also lost 1-4 to Brøndby last weekend.

From Flying Kiwis. Seems he will see out the season with FCK. Then a 4 year deal at Red Star apparently awaits

Hold up, can’t leave without updating on Marko Stamenic’s situation. He’d already revealed that he wasn’t going to be signing a contract extension with Copenhagen when his current deal expires at the end of the season. The only question was whether he’d be leaving in January or in June, with big rumours swirling about Red Star Belgrade (aka Crvena Zvezda) making moves to bring him over.

Crvena Zvezda may have scooped up several new signings this past month but Stamenic wasn’t one of them. However it’s being all but guaranteed by Serbian reports that Stam will be joining them on a free transfer at the end of the current term. He’ll see out his contract with FCK and then it’s off to Serbia to join Red Star as they bolster their squad for a Champions League quest.

They’ve already added about four fresh dudes this month, while Marko Stamenic and Piter Olajinka have supposedly signed pre-contracts with the club for the following season (which you’re allowed to do once you enter the final six months of a contract, as long as you’re negotiating outside the nation of your current club). Red Star did make a play at signing Stamenic now for a fee, clearly that would have been the preference for all parties, but negotiations didn’t pan out. FCK wanted more than CZ were willing to pay, so it goes.

Espreso via Maxbet: “Midfield reinforcements for the Champions League will have to wait until the summer transfer window. Specifically, the red and whites agreed on all terms of cooperation with Marko Stamenić (20), who will come to Marakana as a free agent and sign for four years. The Serbian champions sent a symbolic figure as an offer to Copenhagen to bring the New Zealand representative to Belgrade immediately, but the Danish club asked for one million euros for a boy of Serbian origin five months before the end of his contract, Maxbet Sport reveals.”

Red Star are especially shaking up their midfield with these moves - Stamenic being a big part of that - although they’re also still intending to add fullback and forward depth in the summer. They’re currently 10 points clear at the top of the Serbian league, undefeated after 19 games, and cruising towards another title barring any shocking collapse.

The focus is very much on next season’s Champions League campaign with a firm intention to make it back to the group stages for the first time since 2019-20. For that they want a squad with two players covering every position, hence some hefty reinforcements have been required. Hence Marko Stamenic is on the way... in a few months.

So it's confirmed. I stand by my earlier comments that this overall isn't a great move for him. Serbia not as good as many other leagues in Europe and playing for arguably the best team in an average league..
How much will he progress as a player?
However, he has a chance of winning some serious domestic silverware and potentially get some more exposure in Europe if they do well there.....so let's hope he has a couple of successful seasons and then hopefully moves to a Tier 1 league