Scepovic, Stefan

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Fullname: Stefan Scepovic
aka: –
Born: 10 Jan 1990
Birthplace: Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
Signed: 1 Sep 2014
Left: 31 Aug 2015 (sent on loan to Getafe); 28 June 2016 (£1-1.2m est to Getafe)
Position: Forward, Central Striker
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Aberdeen, SP, 13 Sep 2014
Squad No.: 12
Internationals: Serbia
International Caps: 8
International Goals: 1

Biog

You have got to hand it to Stefan Scepovic. He arrived almost desperately on both sides. Mostly shunned despite a fair record, he arrived at Celtic under a cloud. Having been ceremoniously been dumped out the European Cup, the club were praying for any quality strikers. He wasn’t to live up to that hope.

He wanted first team action. With terms complete to be signed, he then dumped Celtic on the penultimate day in the 2014 transfer window, causing Celtic chief executive Peter Lawell to come out publicly scathing. Next thing you know a move to Spain collapsed due to transfer limits and he was forced to have to come to Celtic, and again in desperation he was claiming that Celtic were always his first pick.

Whatever the case, he was now at Celtic, but frustratingly his shenanigans meant that all details were finalised so late that the final deadline was missed by 15 mins and only some appeals forced his transfer through. Shambolic entrance.

A rough and ready start saw the critics off his back after finally breaking his duck against Astra in the UEFA Cup and then scoring v Ross County. He needed the confidence boost. John Guidetti helped take the pressure off him with his goals, but long term Scepovic had to get himself going.

Yet that was a blip on the radar and despite numerous chances it was clear that Scepovic was simply not up to the task. He seemed on paper to be a good poacher, with a good athletic build, some footballing pedigree and pace. A great scoring record with Sporting de Gojin boded well, however elsewhere he had failed to settle (anywhere).

A bit of trivia, he is the son of former Partizan striker Slađan Šćepović, who famously played in the heart-breaking European match v Celtic in the 1989 which Partizan lost 5-4 at Celtic Park (and scored the decisive goal) that put Partizan through due to a 2-1 first leg home win.

At Celtic, the indications from remarks by Deila were that Scepovic wasn’t putting in the shift and was too disinterested. For whatever the reasons that may have been it didn’t bode well for his future whether at Celtic or elsewhere.

In some senses a perfect foil was Griffiths. Both were brought in as strikers, yet whilst the latter was much maligned and mocked early on, Scepovic had been heralded. Griffiths though knuckled down and heeded the managers words, worked on his game and his conditioning and built a fair reputation for himself whilst Scepovic seemed to not follow along the same lines.

Everyone was writing him off. It was becoming another shambles of a signing for the forward line, and that list was becoming endless.

Surprisingly he was a starter for the last game of the season in 2015-16 against Inverness Caley who were preparing for the following week’s Scottish Cup final. It turned out to be an easy win, with Scepovic bagging two goals (although some would attribute his first to Bitton). Quite an eye opener, and the question was if this was enough to save his career at Celtic? Deila was indicating he still had a future at the club.

On a Celtic supporters night in summer 2015 with a Serbia CSC, he spoke very well about Celtic and his aims for the following season. Following are some of his quotes taken from twitter from the Q&A. Looked like he was up for the challenge for the next year:

“Celtic are dominant but we want to be even better. Win the title next season & Scottish Cup. As they say in Spain, win the triplets.”
“I told the coaches and club that they can count on me. I’m not moving anywhere.”
“I’m really honoured to be part of a club with such tradition, the fans are always there, with us and for us.”
“The first season is usually a season of adjustment. I believe that next season could be even better for me and Celtic”

People seemed to now want to give him another chance. Yet on his return he was frozen out (again) and the arrival of Ciftci signalled that Scepovic was finished at Celtic. Rumours surfaced that he was not on the ball with various fellow players, and that didn’t help. Whatever, he was to move on.

At the end August 2015 he was loaned out to Getafe in Spain, so a good move for himself and for Celtic, but permanent would have been better. He eventually left permanently to Getafe in June 2016.

Probably the following quotes from himself kind of highlight the reasons for his repeated failure at many clubs:

“I don’t feel any pressure to be a success. That is something you live with in football and I can deal with it. I won’t set myself any targets for an amount of goals.”

Is it really that surprising to think that a guy with 12 clubs in 8 years who arrived with a very long face, signing from the Spanish second division on the last day having previously turned Celtic down, turned out to be a poor fit? Probably not, but whatever else we wished him the best.

Post-Celtic
Unsurprisingly, Scepovic’s career never reached any heights, and there were parallels at Getafe as at Celtic. He was loaned out and despite a few goals here and there, he just seemed to not make any mark and just go with the flow. He ended up again moving from Getafe after only a brief time there, and then moving between numerous clubs. So in retrospect Celtic definitely made the right decision to move him on, and only Scepovic can answer for how his career panned out.

With respect to his time at Celtic, if he had held on and worked on him game, he could have potentially played in the golden era under Brendan Rodgers which included Champions League experience. That would have been invaluable. Somehow, we’re not sure what exactly he wanted from his career and if that ever would have mattered.

Possibly, a journeyman career was more what he was suited for, and for some that can work out for the best for them. However, it is most often goalkeepers who are most in demand for brief spells and are the journeymen, so Scepovic was almost making new ground here as a journeyman striker with his incredibly long list of clubs & brief spells.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish League

• 2014-15, 2015-16

Scottish League Cup

• 2014-15

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KDS

• Thread 2014/15

Stefan Scepovic: ‘Celtic was my first choice’

by STEPHEN HALLIDAY

Published 02/09/2014 20:19
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/stefan-scepovic-celtic-was-my-first-choice-1-3528920

STEFAN Scepovic has attempted to play down the confusing and chaotic nature of his transfer deadline day move to Celtic, insisting the Scottish champions were always his preferred option.

The 24-year-old Serbian striker was formally unveiled at Celtic Park last night following the completion of his £2.2 million transfer from Sporting Gijon 24 hours earlier.

The deal was dramatically revived after Celtic had been led to believe on Sunday that Scepovic, despite passing a medical, obtaining a work permit and agreeing personal terms, had changed his mind in light of an alternative offer from Getafe.

But Scepovic, whose father Sladan scored the winning goal for Partizan Belgrade in their epic European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Celtic 25 years ago, is adamant he was always committed to joining a club he believes he can help make significant progress in the Europa League this season.

“I never said I didn’t want to come to Celtic,” said Scepovic. “I don’t know why people say things like that. When I spoke with my family and friends, I always said my choice was to come here. There were some problems but the most important thing is that I am here now.

“Okay, I know (some fans might be wary). But they will never find any quotes from me where I said I didn’t want to come to Celtic. Never – because I didn’t say it.

“In football, you never know, there can always be some problems. But I don’t want to look at the past. I just want to look at the future with Celtic, that’s it. Monday was a tough day, but that’s football.

“I was in my house, watching TV on Monday, waiting to hear. I was a little bit nervous because of the situation, but calm at the same time. I was happy when I knew I would be a Celtic player.

“Celtic going out of the Champions League last week did not change my thinking about coming here. We can still do a lot in the Europa League, it’s a good competition. Next year, we will maybe be in the Champions League.

“I know Celtic is a big club with a lot of history and great fans. I want to prove I can play at a big club like Celtic. That’s the reason I am here.”

Scepovic smiles at mention of his father’s famous contribution to one of the most remarkable ties in European club competition history. Celtic, despite Polish striker Jackie Dziekanowski scoring four times in the breathless second leg in Glasgow, were eliminated on away goals thanks to Scepovic senior – now a youth team coach at Partizan – netting in the closing minutes.

“I wasn’t even born then but I have watched the video!” he said. “Partizan won 2-1 at home, then were losing 5-3 at Celtic Park when my father scored in the last minute. It is a famous goal in Belgrade and he has told me about it a lot. He told me it was a great atmosphere in the stadium here. I always speak with my father and I talked to him about coming to Celtic.”

Scepovic has had an itinerant career since leaving Belgrade as a youngster, with spells in Italy, Belgium and Israel. He scored 23 goals in 41 appearances for Sporting Gijon in the second tier of Spanish football last season and now hopes for sustained success at Celtic where he has penned a four-year contract.

He was coy when asked what attributes he could deliver for Celtic and is determined that his actions will speak louder than words.

“In Spain, when I arrived at Sporting Gijon, the journalists also asked me if I could bring something to the team,” he said. “But I don’t like to speak about that. It is the people in the stadium who will judge me. I will do my talking on the pitch.

“I do a lot of movement up front, I go into spaces. But maybe if I speak about what I can do, the other teams will read the newspapers and they will know! I have spoken to the Celtic manager a little bit and he is happy that I am here.

“I’ve had a lot of clubs already in my career and it was difficult for me after leaving my country when I was young. I went to Italy, which was a big experience for me and I learned a lot. But I wanted to play more and I went to more clubs on loan. It has been a long way, but I am here now.

“Why shouldn’t I stay at Celtic for a while? It is a big club, the biggest in Scotland and we always play in Europe. For me, it is an opportunity to prove myself.”

Celtic, meanwhile, remained in dialogue yesterday over the proposed loan signing of Swedish international striker John Guidetti, inset, from Manchester City. The deal was agreed on Monday night but paperwork was not completed before the 11pm deadline.

Although Celtic began uploading the relevant documentation before the Scottish FA’s own midnight deadline for new registrations, part of it was not received until after the deadline was passed, prompting world governing body Fifa not to allow it to be ratified.

But The Scottish Professional Football League and Scottish FA have both written in support of Celtic’s appeal to allow Guidetti to be formally registered as a player for Ronny Deila’s squad with a decision expected within 24 hours of it being lodged.

Sweet relief as Stefan Scepovic breaks Celtic duck

by STEPHEN HALLIDAY AT CELTIC PARK

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/sweet-relief-as-stefan-scepovic-breaks-celtic-duck-1-3582423

Published on the 24 October2014

RONNY Deila has predicted striker Stefan Scepovic will go from strength to strength at Celtic after finally scoring his first goal for the club in their 2-1 Europa League victory over Astra Giurgiu last night.

The Serbian international, signed from Sporting Gijon for £2.3 million, got off the mark in his seventh appearance for the Scottish champions as they stayed unbeaten at the top of Group D after three rounds of fixtures.

Scepovic had missed several chances before he put Celtic ahead but manager Deila insisted he was always confident the 23-year-old would come good.

“That’s why I kept him on the pitch,” said Deila. “I know what a goalscorer he is. He really wants to perform for this club.

“He was very tense before the game. It is a big relief for him and it’s not the last goal we will see from him.

“He will get more confident now. I see him in training, how good he is on the ball and how he scores goals. I’m very happy for him.

“He had two big chances before he scored. But I know what he has. He is smelling chances all the time and he got a good goal eventually.”

Evening Times

Quote:

Evening Times
Quote:
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/celtic/ronny-deila-has-an-answer-for-the-scepovic-sceptics-despite-22m-199012n.119694396
CELTIC pulled out all of the stops – and a cheque for over £2.2million – to get Stefan Scepovic on board in time to register him in time to play in the Europa League.
But when the Hoops were preparing to face Inter Milan in the San Siro on Thursday, the Serbian striker was at Lennoxtown, leading the line for the Development Squad in their game against Inverness.
Scepovic scored twice in the 5-0 rout of the Caley kids.
But for a 25 year-old who has played for his country, just being there instead of Milan was a mighty slap in the face.
His last appearance for the first team was as a sub in the win over Ross County on January 24.
His last start came against Kilmarnock on January 5, a match in which he scored to re-ignite hope that, after the mini-break Celtic were about to embark upon, he could finally get his Hoops career into gear.
The evidence shows it has been quite the reverse.
Now, with four goals in 20 appearances – most from the bench – to show for his first six months at Parkhead, serious questions are being asked about the man of many clubs.
For Scepovic, the most important of these come from manager Ronny Deila.
Before the acquisition of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong in the January window, Scepovic was the only player in whom the Norwegian had invested a transfer fee.
The Dundee United Bhoys together cost less than the Serb – but they have already repaid that outlay with interest.
Deila is not writing off Scepovic. But it is clear from listening to what the manager has to say when his name is mentioned that he believes the solution to what ails the striker is down to the player himself.
“Again, it’s tough competition for places,” is Deila’s protective answer when asked why Scepovic was back in Lennoxtown when the rest of the squad was in Milan.
The fact Anthony Stokes travelled – and made it onto the bench after Leigh Griffiths suffered an ankle injury the night before the game – after being left out of the squad for the previous two games following his late return for from Ireland for training, indicates just how far Scepovic has fallen well down the pecking order.
Deila was more forthcoming when he moved into what the player has to do to work his way back into contention.
“He knows the things I think he should work on to get better.
“He has to show me in training matches that he has improved on these things.
“Then I know how good a player he can be.”
The biggest problem for Scepovic is timing.
The challenge of getting back into the manager’s plans has fallen to him just when the side is playing the best it has all season.
Griffiths has made the starting position at the point of the attack his own with impressive, scoring performances.
John Guidetti has also battled back after a major dip and goal drought to make it a genuine fight for that role.
There are also other genuine options in attacking positions, with Stokes, Kris Commons, Mackay-Steven, Stefan Johansen and Armstrong all earning the right to be considered.
Deila accepts it is going to be tough for anyone to break into this team, as the strength of the bench underlines.
But he insisted the door is never closed on anyone, provided they are willing to put in the effort to unlock it.
“If you go through the season, people who work hard in training get their reward,” is the incentive he offers.
“For Stefan as well, he has to really work hard now and do the right things to get in again.”
If Scepovic needs any inspiration, he could do worse than follow the lead of Griffiths who was also struggling to make the changes demanded of Deila.
The penny finally dropped with the man seemingly on his way out three months ago, and now Griffiths is an integral part of the settled – and successful – side.
Having recovered from having had an ankle accidentally stamped on by Nir Bitton in Milan, Griffiths came out of his protective moon boot and stepped right back into the starting XI for Sunday’s shoot out with Aberdeen.
He helped settle nerves which had previously been jangling by cooly slotting home the second goal from the spot.
That was the cue for the Hoops to run the Dons ragged and go on to win 4-0, a margin which could have been significantly greater, had they taken even half of their chances.

Stefan_Scepovic I was a first_season_flop_at_Celtic because of
Scottish_boot_boys and teams_who_parked_the_bus/?

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13360506.Stefan_Scepovic__I
_was_a_first_season_flop_at_Celtic_because_of_Scottish_boot_boys_and_teams_who_parked_the_bus/?

CELTIC striker Stefan Scepovic admits he flopped in his first season at Parkhead because he’s struggled to adapt to the long ball game and the physical side of Scottish football.

And he’s had a blast at teams parking the bus against Celtic and the reluctance of refs to crack down on challenges against him.

The Serbian hitman signed a four-year deal with the Hoops on transfer deadline day last summer in a £2.7million move from Sporting Gijon.

But the 25-year-old endured a difficult first campaign, rarely started and netted just four league goals.

And Scepovic – linked with a quickfire return to Spain – has revealed he’s held heart-to-heart talks with manager Ronny Deila in a bid to get his Hoops career back on track.

Scepovic said: “Wherever I have played I have always scored goals or helped with assists, but it has been hard adapting to Scottish football.

“There are many long balls and this has been a shock to me. I spoke with the manager Ronny Deila and he told me he knew that it would take me a season to adjust.

“Football in Scotland is very physical and there is another issue which is also a problem – Celtic are the biggest team and everyone wants to scrap or win one point against us.

“We always have to score early because otherwise our rivals will just close the door on us.

“The referees have difficulty in removing their cards from their pockets. For it to be a yellow card, it has to be a strong tackle and the red card rarely comes out.

“All players want to play, obviously, but when you come to a club the size of Celtic, then you have to get to know the team, its country and its people.

“I was frustrated because I wasn’t playing, but after my conversation with the coach I understand it won’t just happen for me overnight.

“It’s a matter of adapting and having continuity. I take comfort from the fact I scored two goals in four games in the Europa League.”

But despite the disappointments of his first season, Scepovic insists he wants to stay and make a big impact in Glasgow.

He said: “You never know in football, but the Celtic coach and people at the club have told me they have faith in me.

“They knew last season wasn’t going to be easy. I’m a Celtic player and I am only thinking about doing things right here.

“In the future, you don’t know what will happen, but right now I am focussed on playing for Celtic.

“Last season, I arrived after Maribor beat us – the goal this year is to be in the Champions League Group Stages. We are a very big team and should be there.”

And Scepovic admits he loved his first encounter with the Old Firm derby last term.

He said: “Rangers did not get through the play-offs. The people here are very fanatical about the Glasgow derby and it is known throughout the world.

“In our league, we lack a team like Rangers to have rivalry with us.

But we did play them last year in the Cup in the National Stadium and the atmosphere was amazing.”

Celtic set for £1 million loss on Stefan Scepovic as Getafe purchase clause
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2015/09/04/celtic-set-for-1-million-loss-on-stefan-scepovic-as-getafe-purchase-clause/

BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press

Celtic are set to make a £1 million loss on misfit striker Stefan Scepovic after it emerged that Getafe are obliged to make his loan deal permanent.

The 25-year-old, who scored just six goals in 26 games following his £2.3 million switch to Parkhead from Sporting Gijon last summer, was a deadline day departure from the Scottish champions, joining The Azulones for the rest of the season.

He was unveiled to the media on Wednesday afternoon by Getafe president Angel Torres, who revealed that he had previously attempted to snap up the rangy Serb.

And, according to reports in Spain, Torres confirmed that Getafe will pay Celtic €1.8 million (£1.3 million) by June 2016 to make the move permanent. The misfiring front-man will then sign a contract until 2019.

He becomes the latest striking import to fail to make the grade with the Hoops, following in the inauspicious footsteps of Teemu Pukki, Amido Balde, Holmbert Fridjonsson and Mo Bangura.

Meanwhile, Scepovic insists his miserable stint in Scotland has not piled on the pressure for him to succeed in Spain.

The former Sampdoria, Club Brugge and Partizan Belgrade man said: “I’ve done a full preseason and I am ready to hit the ground running. I have already trained with the team and am hungry to play.

“I don’t feel any pressure to be a success. That is something you live with in football and I can deal with it.

“I won’t set myself any targets for an amount of goals – but I’m confident I can do my talking on the pitch.”

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