David Babunski

David Babunski (Macedonian: Давид Бабунски; born 1 March 1994) is a Macedonian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Romanian club Viitorul Constanța.

David Babunski
Babunski playing for Barcelona B in 2012
Personal information
Full name David Babunski
Date of birth (1994-03-01) 1 March 1994
Place of birth Skopje, Macedonia (present-day North Macedonia)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Viitorul Constanța
Youth career
Gramenet
2006–2013 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 Barcelona B 48 (1)
2016–2017 Red Star Belgrade 11 (0)
2017–2018 Yokohama F. Marinos 25 (3)
2018–2020 Omiya Ardija 34 (4)
2020–2021 Botoșani 14 (0)
2021– Viitorul Constanța 0 (0)
National team‡
2010–2012 Macedonia U17 5 (0)
2011 Macedonia U19 3 (1)
2012–2017 Macedonia U21 19 (0)
2013– Macedonia 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 January 2018

A product of FC Barcelona's La Masia, he played for their reserves before transferring to Red Star Belgrade in January 2016, winning the Serbian SuperLiga in his first season.

Babunski has been capped by the Macedonia football team at international level, making his senior debut in 2013.

Club career

Barcelona

Born in Skopje, Babunski joined FC Barcelona's La Masia in 2006, aged 12, after starring at UDA Gramenet.[1] In December 2011, he was elected Macedonian Young Sportsperson of the Year, ahead of karatekas Aziz Ismail and Berat Jakupi.[2]

Babunski was promoted to the reserves in June 2013,[3] and made his professional debut on 24 August, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 home win against CD Lugo for the Segunda División championship.[4] He scored his first goal on 31 May 2014, netting a last-minute winner in a 4–3 home success over AD Alcorcón.[5]

He played 16 games in 2014–15, a campaign which ended with relegation to Segunda División B. On 28 February 2015, as a half-time substitute for Juan Cámara, he received a straight red card in a 2–4 loss to RCD Mallorca at the Mini Estadi.[6]

After a decade in the ranks of Barcelona, Babunski left by mutual consent in January 2016.[7]

Red Star Belgrade

Babunski signed a ​2 1⁄2-year deal with Red Star Belgrade on 28 January 2016.[8] He made his Serbian SuperLiga debut on 20 February, replacing Aleksandar Katai for the final 11 minutes of a 2–1 home win over FK Mladost Lučani,[9] and played five more matches as the team won their 27th title.[10]

Yokohama F. Marinos

On 30 January 2017, Babunski signed for Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos,[11] as their second purchase from Red Star that month after that of Hugo Vieira.[12] He made his debut in the J1 League on 25 February, scoring the first goal of a 3–2 home win over Urawa Red Diamonds in the season opener.[13]

Omiya Ardija

In August 2018, Babunski signed for Omiya Ardija, in the same league.[14]

Botoșani

On 2 March 2020, Babunski signed a one-and-a-half year contract with Romanian club Botoșani.[15] On 29 December 2020, Babunski was released from the club after having his contract mutually terminated.[16]

Viitorul Constanța

On 11 January 2021, Babunski joined Romanian club Viitorul Constanța on a two-and-half-year contract.[17]

International career

A regular in all of Macedonia's youth squads, Babunski scored his first goal for the under-21 team on 25 May 2012, netting his side's second in a 2–2 friendly draw against Albania.[18]

In August 2013 he was called up by the main squad for a friendly against Bulgaria.[19] Babunski made his debut for the side on the 14th, playing the last 31 minutes of the 2–0 home win in Skopje.[20]

Personal life

Babunski's father, Boban, was also a footballer, and played in several countries including Spain.[20] His younger brother, Dorian, is also a footballer who plays as a forward.[21]

Babunski is a vocal supporter of the human rights of refugees.[22] He, his brother, and four friends spent Christmas 2015 at a refugee camp in Gevgelija, a Macedonian town on the Greek border and part of the Balkan route for displaced people seeking accommodation in the West.[23]

Career statistics

Club
As of 2 January 2019[24][25][26]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2013–14 191—191
2014–15 160—160
2015–16 130—130
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Red Star 2015–16 600000—60
2016–17 501010—70
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other Total
Yokohama F. Marinos 2017 2034030—273
2018 501050—110
Omiya Ardija 6000——60
Career totals 7945040—884

International
As of 23 October 2017[27]
Macedonia
YearAppsGoals
201330
201430
201500
201620
201710
Total90

Honours
Red Star Belgrade

References
  1. "Babunski: disciplina macedonia, talento culé" [Babunski: Macedonian discipline, culé talent] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. "David Babunski, mejor deportista joven de Macedonia" [David Babunski, Macedonia's best young sportsperson] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  3. "Siete juveniles suben al Barça B para la temporada 2013/14" [Seven players promoted to Barça B for season 2013/14] (in Spanish). Barcelona's official website. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  4. "El Barça B consigue sus primeros puntos a costa del Lugo" [Barça B win their first points at Lugo's expense] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  5. "Babunski pone tercero al Barça B y deja al Alcorcón sin promoción" [Babunski puts Barça B in third and leaves Alcorcón without promotion] (in Spanish). Marca. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  6. "El Mallorca vence un partido que controló cuando quiso" [Mallorca win a match that they controlled when they wanted to] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  7. "Babunski se despide del Barça con una emotiva carta" [Babunski leaves Barça with an emotional letter] (in Spanish). Sport. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  8. "Бабунски потписао!" [Babunski signed!]. Red Star Belgrade official website (in Serbian). 28 January 2016. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  9. "Zvezda u finišu do 20. u nizu" [Star finish 20th in a row] (in Serbian). B92. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  10. "Red Star Belgrade win 27th league title after 1–0 win at Vozdovac". Sportskeeda. Reuters. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  11. "DAVID BABUNSKI signs for Yokohama F.Marinos". Yokohama F. Marinos official website. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  12. "Marinos agree to deals for Degenek, Babunski". The Japan Times. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  13. "Babunski y Chygrynskiy marcan en Japón y Grecia" [Babunski and Chygrynskiy scored in Japan and Greece]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 28 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  14. "UFFICIALE: Babunski rimane in Giappone e va all'Omiya Ardija" [OFFICIAL: Babunski remains in Japan and goes to Omiya Ardija] (in Italian). Calcio Slavo. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  15. Mihaitalazarica (2 March 2020). "OFICIAL Transfer de titlu! Un fost jucător de la Barcelona va juca în Liga 1" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  16. Mihaitalazarica (29 December 2020). "Reunire de lot, mercato și cantonament" (in Romanian). Botoșani. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  17. Mihaitalazarica (11 January 2021). "Bine ai venit, David Babunski !" (in Romanian). Viitorul Constanța. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  18. "U21 friendly: Macedonia - Albania 2:2". Macedonian Football. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  19. "Barça's Babunski set to star for FYROM". UEFA.com. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  20. Capdevila, Josep (15 August 2013). "Las lágrimas de David Babunski" [The tears of David Babunski] (in Spanish). Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  21. Zlateski, Aleksandar (8 November 2011). "Babunski brothers play for heated rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid". Macedonian Football. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  22. "David Babunski se vuelca con los refugiados" [David Babunski stands with the refugees] (in Spanish). Sport. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  23. Martínez, Ferran (3 December 2015). "Babunski y sus Navidades en un campo de refugiados" [Babunski and his Christmas at a refugee camp] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  24. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2019 (NSK MOOK)", 9 February 2019, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411628 (p. ? out of 289)
  25. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑ハンディ版 2018 (NSK MOOK)", 7 February 2018, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411529 (p. 44 out of 289)
  26. David Babunski at Soccerway
  27. "David Babunski". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
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