# Rade Krunić
**Rade Krunić** (born 1993 in Foča, Bosnia and [Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/herzegovina)) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a defensive or central midfielder for [Red Star Belgrade](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-star-belgrade) and the [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina) national team.[1](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report) • [2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054) Right-footed and 184 cm tall, he built his career in Serbian and Italian football, with a five-season spell at AC Milan at its center, before returning to Serbia in 2024.[1](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report) • [3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993, Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina[1](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report) |
| Position | Defensive midfield, also central midfield; right-footed, 184 cm[1](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report) • [4](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/342385%26259953/sort/vorlagen.desc) |
| Current club | Red Star Belgrade, since 3 September 2024, contract to 30 June 2027[4](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/342385%26259953/sort/vorlagen.desc) |
| AC Milan | 2019–2023/24, 101 league appearances, 1 goal, 6 assists[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career) |
| Empoli | 2015–2018/19, 116 league appearances, 12 goals, 15 assists[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career) |
| National team | Bosnia and Herzegovina, 34 caps, 4 goals[2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054) |
| Honors | 4 domestic league championships and 2 Serbian Cups among 6 trophies, with Empoli's 17/18 promotion making 7 listed honors[1](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report) • [2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054) • [10](https://www.transfermarkt.com/rade-krunic/erfolge/spieler/259953) |
## Early career and Empoli
Krunić came through in Bosnia and Serbia, with the federation listing Sutjeska Foča, Donji Srem in Serbia, and Borac Čačak among his early clubs.[5](https://www.nfsbih.ba/en/teams/men/a-national-team/players-of-a-national-team?id=237&view=player) At Donji Srem he made 51 league appearances between 2012 and 2014/15, and at Borac he added 13 more in the 2014/15 Serbian Super Liga.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career)
His move to Empoli in 2015 began a four-season rise in Italy. After a limited first [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) season of 15 appearances, he became a regular: 32 league games in 2016/17, 36 in the 2017/18 [Serie B](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-b) promotion campaign, and 33 in 2018/19, when he scored 5 Serie A goals.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career) A tactical analysis of that 2018/19 season noted his 83.8 percent average pass accuracy and described him as effective beyond the passing numbers because of his dribbling.[6](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/rade-krunic-201819-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## AC Milan
Milan signed Krunić from Empoli on 8 July 2019 for a reported €8.6 million.[7](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rade-krunic/transfer-history) Across five seasons he made 101 Serie A appearances, scoring once with 6 assists, and was used heavily as a substitute, coming off the bench 51 times in league play.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career)
His role was defined by flexibility rather than a fixed position.
In January 2024 Milan sent him on loan to Fenerbahçe with an obligation to buy under agreed conditions, and he made 12 [Süper Lig](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-lig) appearances for the Turkish club in 2023/24.[8](https://www.magliarossonera.it/protagonisti/Gioc-Krunic.html) • [3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career)
## Red Star Belgrade
Krunić transferred to Red Star Belgrade on 3 September 2024, signing a contract running to 30 June 2027.[4](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/342385%26259953/sort/vorlagen.desc) The move returned him to regular starting football: 23 league appearances with 3 goals in 2024/25, then 26 appearances with 2 goals and 2 assists in 2025/26, playing about 55 percent of available minutes.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career) • [2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054)
The 2025/26 season also gave him sustained European minutes. In the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) he played 5 matches and scored 2 goals, and in the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league) he played 8 matches over 741 minutes.[3](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career) His Europa League profile was defensive: 5.95 tackles, interceptions, and blocks per 90, the 99th percentile among the 135 midfielders with 450 or more minutes, and 6.80 duels won per 90 at a 62.2 percent success rate, against low attacking output of 0.12 key passes plus assists per 90.[9](https://tactix.football/player/r-krunic)
## International career
Krunić debuted for Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2016 against Denmark and has been a squad regular since, appearing in World Cup and European Championship qualifying campaigns.[5](https://www.nfsbih.ba/en/teams/men/a-national-team/players-of-a-national-team?id=237&view=player) His record stands at 34 caps and 4 goals.[2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054) His most recent listed appearances came in September 2024 against the Netherlands and Hungary in the [UEFA Nations League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-nations-league).[5](https://www.nfsbih.ba/en/teams/men/a-national-team/players-of-a-national-team?id=237&view=player)
## Playing style
Krunić is a ball-winning defensive midfielder whose measurable strengths sit on the defensive side of the game. In Red Star's 2025/26 Super Liga season he averaged 4.47 defensive actions per 90, and his season grade placed him in the top 22 percent of the league's defensive midfielders.[2](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054)
## References
1. [Rade Krunić Scouting Report, FBref](https://fbref.com/en/players/817c6964/scout/11454/Rade-Krunic-Scouting-Report)
2. [Rade Krunić Stats, Rating & Scouting Report, Field Insider](https://fieldinsider.com/scout-report/rade-krunic-31054)
3. [Rade Krunic Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/8757/rade-krunic/career)
4. [Player comparison Guido Rodríguez / Rade Krunic, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/342385%26259953/sort/vorlagen.desc)
5. [Players of "A" national team – Rade Krunić, Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation](https://www.nfsbih.ba/en/teams/men/a-national-team/players-of-a-national-team?id=237&view=player)
6. [Rade Krunic 2018/19 – scout report, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/rade-krunic-201819-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
7. [Rade Krunic Transfer History, FootballTransfers](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rade-krunic/transfer-history)
8. [Rade Krunic profile, Maglia Rossonera](https://www.magliarossonera.it/protagonisti/Gioc-Krunic.html)
9. [Rade Krunić stats 2025/26, TACTIX](https://tactix.football/player/r-krunic)
10. [transfermarkt.com](https://www.transfermarkt.com/rade-krunic/erfolge/spieler/259953)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › Balkan footballers of other nationalities*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license