Rade Krunić
Who was Rade Krunić?
Versatile midfielder who has played for AC Milan and Atalanta in Serie A while representing Bosnia internationally.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Rade Krunić (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Rade Krunić was born on 7 October 1993 in Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He's a professional footballer who mainly plays as a midfielder, known for his adaptability and skill in various midfield roles. He plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team and has built his career with several well-known European clubs.
Krunić started his professional career at Sutjeska Foča, his hometown club, before joining Serbian team Donji Srem in 2013. His progress continued when Italian club Hellas Verona signed him in 2014, although he was loaned back to Donji Srem that year to gain first-team experience. In 2015, he moved to Borac Čačak and later that year signed with Empoli in Serie A, where he spent several seasons establishing himself as a capable midfielder in one of Europe’s tougher leagues.
After five years with Empoli, Krunić joined AC Milan in 2020, one of Italy’s most renowned clubs. During his time at Milan, he contributed to the club’s Serie A title win in the 2021–22 season, ending a long wait for the Rossoneri. He proved to be a reliable team member under different managers, able to play in central midfield and more advanced or defensive roles when needed. In 2024, he was loaned to Turkish club Fenerbahçe, and later signed permanently before moving to Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian SuperLiga that same year.
Internationally, Krunić played for Bosnia and Herzegovina at youth level before making his senior debut in 2016. Since then, he has earned over 30 caps for the national team, becoming a regular presence and helping Bosnia's attempts to qualify for major international tournaments. His time in top-flight Italian football has made him one of the more experienced players in the national team.
Throughout his career, Krunić has shown the consistency and flexibility needed to succeed across different clubs and playing styles. Having played in Serbia, Italy, and Turkey, and now back in the Balkans with Red Star Belgrade, his career shows the broad European experience common among players from the former Yugoslavia who have excelled in top-level football.
Before Fame
Rade Krunić grew up in Foča, a city in southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, at a time when the country was still rebuilding its football scene after the conflicts of the 1990s. In the early 2000s, Bosnian football was working on its domestic league structure and starting to produce players who could compete in Western European leagues, paving the way for Krunić's career.
He started his football journey at Sutjeska Foča, the local club in his hometown, before moving on to Donji Srem in Serbia. These early years in Balkan football gave him experience in the physically tough and tactically varied style of play common in the region's leagues, preparing him for the move to Italian football and the more structured style of Serie A.
Key Achievements
- Won the Serie A title with AC Milan in the 2021–22 season
- Spent five seasons at Empoli in Serie A, establishing himself as a consistent top-flight Italian football performer
- Earned over 30 senior international caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina since his debut in 2016
- Signed permanently with Fenerbahçe after a successful loan spell in the Turkish Süper Lig in 2024
- Progressed from local Bosnian football at Sutjeska Foča to competing at the highest levels of European club football
Did You Know?
- 01.Krunić began his career at Sutjeska Foča, the club directly associated with his birthplace, making his professional origins unusually local.
- 02.He was signed by Hellas Verona in 2014 but was immediately loaned back to Donji Srem, meaning he did not play a competitive match for Verona during that spell.
- 03.Krunić was part of the AC Milan squad that won the Serie A title in the 2021–22 season, the club's first league championship since 2011.
- 04.Within the single calendar year of 2024, Krunić moved clubs twice, first going on loan to Fenerbahçe before eventually signing for Red Star Belgrade.
- 05.He made his senior international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016, having previously represented the country at youth level, and has since passed 30 caps for the national side.
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