Dragan Stojković: age, net worth, nationality, coaching career, family, salary

Dragan Stojković: age, net worth, nationality, coaching career, family, salary

Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:18 PM

Meet Dragan Stojković, popularly known as Piksi to his fans, former teammates and Serbian players. The former Red Star Belgrade attacking midfielder was a force to reckon with during his playing days, leading his team to two Yugoslavia First League victories and a UEFA Cup semi-final.

Who is Serbia's coach?
The head coach of Serbia poses during the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 portrait session in November 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Pat Elmont - FIFA/FIFA.
Source: Getty Images

Piksi, who appeared in two World Cup matches, is eager to rewrite history for Serbia. After their performance in 2006, 2010 and 2018, will the head coach for Serbia's World Cup team finally get his players past the group stages?

Profile summary

Full name

Dragan Stojković

Nickname

Piksi

Gender

Male

Date of birth

3rd March 1965

Age

57 years (2022)

Zodiac sign

Pisces

Place of birth

Pasi Poljana, Niš, Serbia

Nationality

Serbian

Height in feet and inches

5'7''

Height in centimetres (cm)

175

Weight in pounds (lbs)

158.7

Weight in kilograms (kg)

72

Relationship status

Married

Wife

Snežana Stojković

Children

3

Net worth

$1 million - $5 million

Teams played

Radnicki Nis, Red Star Belgrade, Olympique de Marseille, Hellas Verona FC, Nagoya Grampus

Teams coached

Guangzhou R&F, Nagoya Grampus, Red Star Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro national football team, Yugoslavia national football team

Instagram

@draganstojkovicpixy

Dragan Stojković's biography

Dragan was born on the 3rd of March 1965 to Dobrivoje and Desanka Stojković in the Pasi Poljana village in Niš, Serbia. Although his father passed away, Desanka, Dragan's mother, remains his biggest supporter.

Has Serbia ever made it to the World Cup?
The former Nagoya Grampus midfielder was in action during the J.League Suntory Cup final against Kashima Antlers at the National Stadium in November 1996 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by J.League.
Source: Getty Images

Following the November 2021 Portugal vs Serbia World Cup qualifier match, Desanka spoke to Telegraf, revealing her son's love for football that began early in his childhood. As she narrated, Dragan would take his bike or the family Fiat to the local Radnicki FC for practice without the family's knowledge.

While the rest of the country poured praises on the national squad, Desanka chose to celebrate her son. She said,

"I am so proud of him, there are many mothers of footballers, but my son is first of all an exceptional man and then an athlete. He was like that since childhood, a born winner."
Who is the Serbian manager?
Yugoslavia's Dragan Stojkovic plays against Colombia's Freddy Rincon at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, during the 14th June 1990 World Cup in Italy. Photo by David Cannon.
Source: Getty Images

How old is Dragan Stojković?

As of November 2022, the formar footballer and coach, Stojković is 57 years of age. His zodiac sign is Pisces.

Dragan Stojković's height

According to his Transfermarkt player profile, he stands at 175 cm (5'7''). He also weighs about 72 kg (158.7 lbs).

Why is Dragan Stojković called Piksi?

There are various variations to Stojković's nickname, including Pixy, Piksi and Pixie. The famous moniker originated from the main character in the cartoon film Pixie and Dixie and Mr Jinks, which he enjoyed.

Dragan Stojković's family

Stojković' is married to Snežana Stojković. The couple recently celebrated 30 years together.

In an interview with the media, Snežana revealed the love and dedication that kept their relationship alive. She said,

"In order to achieve everything, I neglected my professional ambitions, because it was not possible to follow a man with such a successful career, and build my own in parallel. It was my conscious decision. I stopped studying architecture in my last year because we went to live abroad. Later, I stayed in touch with the profession by decorating the houses and apartments where we lived."

The couple is blessed with three children, Anja Valente, Marko Stojković, Andrea Stojković and grandchildren. Although the actual number of grandchildren has not yet been revealed, Dragan's daughter Anja has two children, India Rose and Kasia Ginza, with rumours of a third. Her sister Andrea is also rumoured to have a daughter.

Who did Dragan Stojković play for?

Before becoming Serbia's head coach, Dragan Stojković played midfield for clubs such as the Radnicki Nis Under-19, Radnicki Nis, Red Star Belgrade, Olympique de Marseille, Hellas Verona FC, Nagoya Grampus and the Serbian national football team.

As one of the best Yugoslavian football players, Piksi's legend grew exponentially following his glorious goals during a 1990 FIFA World Cup match against Spain. Here is a summary of Piksi's career record, according to Transfermarkt.

Team

Games played

Goals

Assists

Nagoya Grampus

224

68

-

Olympique Marseille

37

5

10

Hellas Verona

21

2

-

Red Star Belgrade

19

4

2

FK Radnicki Nis

5

2

-

Serbia and Montenegro national football team

43

6

-

Jugoslawien (SFR) national football team

41

9

-

Yugoslavia's Under-21 national football team

3

1

-

Yugoslavia's Olympic Team

9

2

-

Awards

Dragan Stojković's stats
Nagoya Grampus Eight's midfielder, Dragan, celebrates with the J. League Suntory Cup at the National Stadium in November 1996 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by J.League.
Source: Getty Images
  • 1984 Summer Olympic bronze medalist
  • 1990/91 French Champion
  • 1995 Japanese Footballer of the Year
  • 1994/95 Nagoya Player of the Year
  • 1987, 1988, 1989 Best Athlete of SD Crvena Zvezda
  • 1988, 1989 Yugoslavian Champion
  • 1988, 1989 Yugoslav Footballer of the Year
  • 2010 Japanese League Manager of the Year
  • 2010 Sportsperson of the Year of Niš
  • 2016, 2021 Serbian Coach of the year

Dragan Stojković's coaching career

Following his retirement as a player, he headed the Yugoslavian Football Association and later became Red Star Belgrade's president between 2005 and 2007. 2008 marked the beginning of his coaching career, which started at his former team, Nagoya Grampus.

In December 2021, former Eagles coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic was fired after the national squad did not qualify for the European Championship. In his place, the Football Association of Serbia appointed Dragan to take over until the end of Euro 2024.

What is the proper pronunciation for Stojković?
Guangzhou R&F head coach at a Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) press conference at Yuexiushan Stadium in July 2019 in Guangdong Province of China. Photo by Visual China Group.
Source: Getty Images

As a proud Serbian national, Dragan Stojković's strong belief in the national football team's success is unmatched. He revealed this in an interview with FIFA, where he said,

"Guiding your team to this type of competition is essential for any coach. It’s a great honour and privilege, but I also feel a sense of responsibility: as a player, you represent your club and yourself, but as a coach, you represent an entire nation."

Unfortunately, the head coach was disappointed after Serbia's World Cup 2022 match against Brazil on the 24th of November. A 2-0 loss to the five-time World Cup winners and their 3-3 draw to Cameroon dampened the Serbian camp's spirits. Speaking to the media after the match, Dragan evaluated the team's performance saying,

“To lead 3-1 at this level yet we let them reach 3-3, it’s frustrating. After their first goal,we reacted well, we created several good chances but, after three goals, an attempt to play an offside should not happen, it’s amateurish and it cost us the victory.We scored good goals but, at this level you should not make such mistakes. Their two goals were identical, which is unacceptable.”
Is a Dragan Stojković on FIFA 22?
Head coach Dragan Stojkovic gestures during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group G match against Cameroon at Al Janoub Stadium in November 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar. Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images.
Source: Getty Images

Dragan Stojković's salary

How much does a national football coach earn? According to a report by CompleteSports, Piksi is one of the highest-paid head coaches receiving approximately $673,000 annually.

Dragan Stojković's net worth

Verified details of Dragan's exact wealth are yet to be revealed to the public. However, several sources estimate his net worth between $1 - $5 million.

At 57 years of age in 2022, Dragan Stojković is at the optimum age for football coaches. However, Serbia's performance on the world stage will determine if he will give more years at the team's helm.

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Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.