Marko Ilić Transfer: The Whole Saga is Confusing

COMMERCE CITY – In February of 2023, the Colorado Rapids signed Serbian goalkeeper Marko Ilić from KV Kortrijk of the Belgian first tier, originally on loan, before making a permanent transfer that summer. Burgundy Wave reported that transfer fee as around or less than $800K.

A year later, Ilić has already left the club, after only making 16 competitive appearances for the Rapids, 13 in MLS play. In those 16 games, he conceded 32 goals, averaging exactly two per match. Perhaps more telling is Ilić only kept two clean sheets while with the Rapids. He struggled to string together consistent performances, albeit behind an extremely leaky defense. 

Following the disaster that was the 2023 campaign, it was pretty clear the Rapids and Ilić were not a good fit for each other, especially with the arrival of the highly rated Zack Steffen this winter, and emergence of homegrown talent Adam Beaudry. So the Rapids searched for a way to move on from Ilić. And William Yarbrough. At first, he joined Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 FF on loan, but was then permanently moved to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade for an undisclosed fee. 

The Serbian International did ok metrics wise on a poor Sarpsborg team that was in a relegation battle. No reputable outlet has narrowed down the fee for Red Star. Burgundy Wave speculates that Ilić was sold at a net loss from what was paid in any loan fee and the transfer fee last summer. A transfer fee of $400K would have been great given the circumstances.

From a Rapids Math perspective, if that ness loss was the cost of going from Ilić to Steffen, that’s good business. Steffen was a free transfer from Manchester City. Rapids fans wouldn’t have complained if there was a transfer fee of $400K for Steffen at the time.

Colorado’s notorious for some bad business and poor recruitment, especially from overseas; Stefan Aigner, Yannick Boli, and Juan Ramirez, just to name a few. But the Ilić business stands out as a particularly sore thumb, considering the Rapids invested serious resources into him and tried to freeze out fan-favorite William Yarbrough in favor of Ilić. 

Upon being signed permanently midway through the 2023 campaign, Ilić was extended for an additional two years, as well as having a club option for 2026 and 2027, but didn’t even make it through one year of that contract. It’s clear the Rapids had high hopes for Ilić, considering they locked him down to a long-term contract, and also shelled out likely a top ten most expensive transfer fee in club history. However, it didn’t work out. In everyone’s best interest, he has left the club. 

Considering how many resources were used to bring Ilić to Colorado, it is frustrating and disappointing to see how the signing materialized. It is surprising, at least to me, how quickly the Rapids gave up on this experiment, but it was clear Ilić was not a good fit in Colorado. Along with his poor performances on the pitch, life off the pitch was likely a struggle for the Serb as well, despite ties to Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

This exact story has played out many times across MLS, where a European player comes to MLS, struggles to settle in, and the club decides to cut losses and move on rather quickly. Recent Rapids examples like Johan Blomberg, Tommy Smith, and Younes Namli showcase that sometimes players that were rated highly back home take time to settle abroad, especially in MLS, where travel, weather, and fixture congestion are usually much more intense than European leagues.

This, along with the culture shock of living in a completely new country and continent likely played a part in Ilić departing. He’ll probably find his form again going back home. He’s probably still a good player, just like Lamine Diack. The David Gauss Theorem can be brutal sometimes. Patience is needed but not always possible.

Regardless, the Rapids ultimately come away relatively unscathed, at least personnel wise, with USMNT-caliber goalkeeper Zack Steffen, and homegrown and US youth national team ‘keeper Adam Beaudry backing him up, a tandem that is one of the best in MLS (in my opinion, at least). Steffen has struggled since returning to MLS, but has all the capabilities to be a top MLS ‘keeper, especially considering his past success with Columbus Crew and the USMNT. 

The Marko Ilić deal is another example of the all-too-common recruiting problem the Rapids have faced in the last decade or so, with deals that force the Rapids to cut their losses despite financial investment.

The club got its business last window perfect (aside from Diack), with crucial additions like Djordje Mihailović, Sam Vines, and Omir Fernandez. The Ilić saga leaves a bad taste in the mouths of everyone around the Rapids. But the club is making positive steps in personnel additions, and hopefully soon deals like the one that brought Marko Ilić to Colorado for a year will be a thing of the past.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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