Serbian champions Radnički Kragujevac have secured a major addition ahead of the 2026/27 season, bringing back veteran Croatian centre-forward Josip Vrlić for a third spell at the club.
Widely regarded as one of the world’s best centres over the past decade, the 40-year-old continues to perform at the highest level. Last season, Vrlić featured prominently for Mladost Zagreb in the Champions League and remained an important figure for the Croatian national team.
The Rijeka-born centre was a key member of the Croatian side that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, gold at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, and the European title in Split in 2022.
Vrlić previously played for Radnički during the 2014/15 season and again between 2021 and 2023, winning two Serbian Cups during his time in Kragujevac. His distinguished club career has also included spells with Primorje Rijeka, Barceloneta, Fluminense, Jug Dubrovnik, Mladost Zagreb and Jadran Split.
“Radnički is a club where I have always felt at home,” Vrlić said following the announcement.
“I have great memories from my previous periods here and made friendships that have lasted to this day. When the opportunity to return appeared, it wasn’t a difficult decision. I saw the club’s plans and ambitions and felt that coming back to Radnički was the right choice for me.”
The experienced Croatian believes Radnički possess the quality needed to challenge for the biggest honours both domestically and in Europe.
“The squad has tremendous quality and a lot of experience from the highest level of competition. Everyone shares the same ambition – to win the Champions League. I am confident we have a team capable of achieving great things and competing with anyone in Europe.”
One of the more interesting storylines surrounding Vrlić’s return is that he will now work closely with Radnički strength and conditioning coach Dajana Zoretić, who also happens to be his partner. Zoretić previously worked alongside head coach Uroš Stevanović with the Serbian national team during their Olympic gold medal-winning campaign in Paris and their 2026 European Championship triumph.
The pair famously found themselves on opposite sides of the Olympic final in 2024, when Serbia defeated Croatia to claim gold. Now they will be working together in pursuit of Radnički’s ambitions.
Joking about the situation, Vrlić admitted his partner’s demanding standards almost made him think twice about the move.
“When it comes to work, there are no discounts with her,” he laughed. “She’s a huge professional and doesn’t have much tolerance for taking it easy. I’m sure there won’t be any special treatment for me either, but hopefully I’ll survive four or five hours of training every day. Maybe the head coach will protect me a little.”
Vrlić becomes Radnički’s third major signing of the summer. The Serbian club have already brought in Croatian international goalkeeper Ivan Marcelić from Mladost, while Nikola Lukić has returned to Kragujevac from Novi Beograd as Radnički continue building a squad capable of challenging for European glory.
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