PortuGOAL Figure of the Week: Serbian powerhouse Uroš Račić | OneFootball

In their 13 Liga Portugal fixtures contested in 2025, Sporting Clube de Braga have only surrendered points in three. In that time they have beaten Benfica at the Estádio da Luz and FC Porto at the picturesque Pedreira and held Sporting at Alvalade.

The return of loanee Uroš Račić has helped balance Braga’s midfield. The towering box-to-box brute provides that equilibrium between attacking threat and defensive solidity. Braga have kept clean sheets in five of the nine matches Račić has featured in (resulting in Braga matching the second-best defence in the league for the entire campaign), while his four goal contributions in his last three appearances have had direct impact on final results, cementing Braga in third place, ahead of Porto.

After a lacklustre loan stint at West Bromwich Albion during the latter stages of 2024, Uroš Račić has resurrected his career and becomes the latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week. Kevin Fernandes reports.

His two goals and Man-of-the-Match performance against AVS showcased the best qualities of Uroš Račić.

The first demonstrated his evident physical advantages, standing at 6ft 4in (193cm), with an excellently taken header while isolated at the back post.

The second showcased his ever-growing box-crashing ability and the dynamism he can bring to Carlos Carvalhal’s Braga, with the former Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday manager becoming Braga’s most victorious manager, collecting 91 wins across three stints at the ‘Minhotos.

From Bambi to Braga

Born in Kraljevo, in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Uroš Račić started playing football in local football academies Bambi Kraljevo and ŠF Knjaz alongside twin brother Bogdan. The Altina schools would accelerate their personal development, before the twins returned home, eventually settling at OFK Beograd.

The key moment for the twins? Uroš’ goal in a 4-1 victory over Crvena Zvezda (or Red Star Belgrade). That was enough for the Balkan juggernauts to sign both brothers on professional contracts, with Uroš being envisioned as the successor to FC Porto’s Marko Grujić.

Račić made his debut for the Crveno-beli at 18 years of age in a friendly match against Olympiacos in mid-2016. During pre-season the following year, Račić was presented as one of the club’s top 10 youth prospects and demonstrated his potential until being poached by Spanish staple Valencia in 2018 in a multimillion euro deal.

Račić naturally drew comparisons with the likes of Sergej Milinković-Savić, emphasizing Paul Pogba as his idol despite filling in as a central defender at times for Red Star.

“Račić is most similar to Slaviša Jokanović, the real 'six'. He is a defensive midfielder with an extraordinary leap, great reading of the game and intelligence,” was the assessment of general director Zvezdan Terzić in December 2017.

Valencia Mestalla and the Segunda División B saw little of the Serbian. The bulk of his appearances for the first team came in the years following one of his happiest and most productive stints – his loan spell at Famalicão where he propelled the Famalicenses to their highest ever league finish (6th in Liga Portugal).

69 appearances for Valencia later and Račić was back where he started. Although a Serbian international after a notable international youth career with 20+ appearances, he was once again on loan to a northern Portuguese side, his new home of SC Braga. It is at the Quarry where he is playing the best football of his career while entering his prime years at 27.

Perhaps the perfect marriage heading forward, as Braga have the option to sign Račić from Sassuolo on a permanent basis for €2.5 million euros according to ZeroZero.

Ruthless off the ball, composed in possession

Račić is an imposing all-action midfielder who has balanced Braga’s midfield with both defensive and offensive efforts. His physical pedigree is aesthetically evident, but he isn’t an unintelligent brute. He couples his physical attributes with clever anticipation while he is technically comfortable in possession, both in-between lines and in deeper zones.

The comparisons to Sergej Milinković-Savić and like Slaviša Jokanović both make sense. He is comfortable on the ball in all situations, while an aggressive, unforgiving ball-winner.

Perhaps the most important detail of Račić’s short second spell at Braga is his happiness, declaring the following: “It’s a huge privilege to represent SC Braga, a team that plays every match to win, known across Europe and the world. Here, I have the chance to play and win games against great teams, such as FC Porto, showing that we all are ready to achieve our objectives this season. I believe that it will be a successful season.“

Braga stand in good stead to pip Porto to third place, breaking the traditional ‘Big 3’ mould, ably supported by the contributions of PortuGOAL Figure of the Week, Uroš Račić.