Josip Ilicic (born 29 January 1988) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Maribor and the Slovenia national team.
Ilicic began his professional career with Slovenian club Bonifika, later also playing for Interblock and Maribor in his home country, before moving to Italy in 2010 to join Palermo. In 2013, he signed for Fiorentina, and subsequently for Atalanta in 2017. After spending twelve years in Italy, Ilicic returned to Maribor in 2022.
He enjoyed his best time as a professional footballer with Atalanta, scoring eleven or more league goals in each of his first three years at the club and was awarded a spot in the 2018–19 Serie A Team of the Year. He is the first player to ever score four away goals in a Champions League knockout match, and is also the oldest player to score four goals in a Champions League knockout match.
Ilicic made his senior debut for the Slovenia national team in August 2010 in a friendly match against Australia. Three years after his debut, in September 2013, he scored his first international goal against Cyprus. In total, he has made 79 appearances for Slovenia. |
