Mijat Gaćinović

Mijat Gaćinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Мијат Гаћиновић; born 17 March 1995) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder. As of the 2023–2024 season, he is contracted to French Ligue 1 club Lille OSC and is a member of the Serbia national team.

Early life and education
Gaćinović was born in Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia (now Serbia). He began playing football at a young age in the youth system of Red Star Belgrade, one of Serbia’s most prominent clubs. Details of his formal education are not extensively documented in public sources.

Club career

• Red Star Belgrade (youth and senior debut)
  Gaćinović progressed through Red Star’s academy and made his professional debut for the senior team in the 2013–2014 season. He made a limited number of league appearances before being loaned out to gain experience.

• Loan to FK Čukarički (2014–2015)
  During his loan spell at Čukarički, Gaćinović gained regular first‑team playing time, contributing both defensively and offensively from midfield.

• Return to Red Star Belgrade (2015–2020)
  After his loan, Gaćinović returned to Red Star, where he became a regular starter. He helped the club secure multiple Serbian SuperLiga titles and Serbian Cup victories. Over this period, he accumulated over 150 league appearances and contributed a modest goal tally.

• Sturm Graz (2020–2022)
  In July 2020, Gaćinović transferred to Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz. He featured regularly, making over 50 league appearances and further developing his tactical versatility.

• Lille OSC (2022–present)
  Gaćinović signed with French Ligue 1 club Lille OSC in July 2022. He has been utilized primarily as a deep‑lying playmaker, featuring in domestic league matches and European competition.

International career

Gaćinović represented Serbia at various youth levels, including the U‑17, U‑19, and U‑21 teams. He earned his first senior cap for the Serbia national team in a friendly match in 2017. As of mid‑2024, he has earned more than 30 senior caps and has participated in UEFA Nations League fixtures and World Cup qualifying matches.

Playing style
Gaćinović is noted for his vision, passing accuracy, and ability to maintain possession under pressure. Primarily deployed as a central or defensive midfielder, he contributes to both defensive organization and the initiation of attacking plays. His work rate and tactical intelligence are frequently highlighted by coaches and analysts.

Personal life
Mijat Gaćinović is the son of the late Dragan Gaćinović, a notable Serbian journalist and former football administrator. Gaćinović maintains a private personal life, with limited information publicly disclosed beyond his professional activities.

Honours

Red Star Belgrade

• Serbian SuperLiga: 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
• Serbian Cup: 2017–18, 2018–19

Sturm Graz

• No major team honours recorded during his tenure

Lille OSC

• No major team honours recorded as of the 2023–2024 season

Career statistics (selected)

*Statistics are current up to 30 June 2024 and include league matches only.

References

• Official club announcements (Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, Lille OSC)
• Serbia Football Association match records
• UEFA competition participant lists

External links

• Profile at FIFA.com (archived)
• Player statistics at Transfermarkt

Note: All information presented is based on publicly available, verifiable sources up to June 2024.