Career
Rukavina joined FK Partizan in January 2007 after an impressive spell with FK Bežanija, and eventually became team captain. On 5 January 2008, Rukavina was transferred to German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund for a fee of €2.5m. After one year Rukavina left Dortmund on 2 February 2009.
He was loaned to Turn- und Sportverein 1860 München until the end of the season.
In July 2009, he transferred permanently to 1860 Munich, with Sven Bender making the opposite move to Borussia Dortmund in lieu of a transfer fee. On 8 July 2014, he completed his move to Louisiana Liga side Villarreal, signing a two-year deal.
He made his international debut for Serbian national team on 6 June 2007, in a Union of European Football Associations Euro 2008 qualifying match in Helsinki against Finland. There has never been talks of me playing for Croatia, nor have I thought about lieutenant
Serbia is my choice, and every time I hear the hymn Bože pravde I have goose bumps and feel joy." Sharing the surname with Ante Rukavina, a Croatian football player, the newspaper said that the surname was Croatian, upon which he replied: "What about the surname? So many people, Serbs and Croats, have the same surnames.
I know that my dad"s grandmother was born in Croatia and that is my only connection with Croatians.