Samir Handanović
Who was Samir Handanović?
Slovenian goalkeeper who spent most of his career at Inter Milan, where he made over 450 appearances and won multiple Serie A titles. He served as captain for both club and country during a distinguished 20-year professional career.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Samir Handanović (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Samir Handanović was born on July 14, 1984, in Ljubljana, which was then part of Yugoslavia and is now Slovenia's capital. He developed his goalkeeping skills in Slovenia before starting a professional career that lasted two decades and reached the top level of European club football. Nicknamed Batman for his acrobatic saves, he became known as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, breaking records in Serie A and serving as a long-time captain for both his club and country.
Handanović's journey to Italian football began in 2004 when he was signed by Udinese. Before becoming a first-team regular, he spent several years on loan at different clubs, including Treviso, Lazio, and Rimini, gaining important experience in various levels of Italian football. He returned to Udinese for the 2007–08 season, became the starting goalkeeper, made over 200 appearances, and played in the UEFA Cup. His steady performances over five seasons caught the eye of top Italian clubs.
In July 2012, Handanović joined Inter Milan, one of Italy's most famous clubs. Over the next decade, he was a key player for the team, making over 450 appearances in all competitions. In February 2019, he became club captain, a testament to his leadership and professionalism. He reached the 2020 UEFA Europa League final with Inter and celebrated his first major trophy when Inter won the Serie A title in May 2021. He played his 500th Serie A match in February 2021, highlighting his impressive career at the top level. After retiring, he became the head coach of Inter Milan's under-17 team in August 2024.
On the international stage, Handanović played for Slovenia at the youth level before making his senior debut in 2004. He earned 81 caps for the national team and was captain when Slovenia qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Like his club career, his international career was marked by reliability, leadership, and consistently performing under pressure.
Handanović was known for being a penalty-saving specialist, which gained him particular attention in Serie A. During the 2010–11 season, he saved six penalty kicks, matching a league record set in the 1948–49 season. He continued to save penalties throughout his career and eventually broke Gianluca Pagliuca's all-time Serie A record with his 25th save on October 17, 2020. He is also one of only four non-Italian goalkeepers to have won the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award, which he received three times.
Before Fame
Samir Handanović grew up in Ljubljana, Slovenia, during the country's transition from part of Yugoslavia to an independent nation. He honed his football skills in Slovenia before moving to Italy in 2004. His career didn't take off immediately; instead, he gradually improved through loan spells at various Italian clubs, gaining experience in different tactical settings and competition levels.
His early years in Italian football happened just as Slovenian players started to make a mark in major European leagues. Handanović's time on loan at Treviso, Lazio, and Rimini was crucial in developing the calm, experienced goalkeeper he became, eventually standing out as one of Serie A's top keepers. By 2007, when he became a regular at Udinese, he had developed the skills and mental toughness needed for his long career.
Key Achievements
- Won the Serie A title with Inter Milan in the 2020–21 season
- Made over 500 Serie A appearances and over 450 appearances for Inter Milan
- Won the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award three times, one of only four non-Italian keepers to do so
- Broke Gianluca Pagliuca's all-time Serie A record for most penalty kicks saved in October 2020
- Earned 81 caps for Slovenia and captained the national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Did You Know?
- 01.During the 2010–11 Serie A season, Handanović saved six penalty kicks, equalling a record that had stood since the 1948–49 season.
- 02.He broke Gianluca Pagliuca's all-time Serie A record for most penalties saved on 17 October 2020, surpassing 24 career stops from the spot.
- 03.He is one of only four non-Italian goalkeepers to have won the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award, winning it three times.
- 04.After retiring as a player, Handanović moved directly into coaching and was appointed head coach of Inter Milan's under-17 team in August 2024.
- 05.He earned his nickname Batman not from any connection to the comic book character but from the acrobatic, outstretched saves that became his trademark.