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Luka Zahović

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Luka Zahović
Zahović with Pogoń Szczecin in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-11-15) 15 November 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth Guimarães, Portugal[1]
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Pogoń Szczecin
Number 10
Youth career
Valencia
2001–2007 Benfica
2007–2014 Maribor
2008–2009 → Pobrežje (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Maribor 45 (13)
2013–2014 → Veržej (loan) 10 (3)
2014 Maribor B 1 (3)
2015–2017 Heerenveen 6 (0)
2016–2017 → Maribor (loan) 28 (15)
2017–2020 Maribor 86 (46)
2020– Pogoń Szczecin 106 (20)
International career‡
2012 Slovenia U17[a] 3 (1)
2013 Slovenia U19[a] 3 (3)
2015–2016 Slovenia U21 10 (3)
2018– Slovenia 15 (0)
2019 Slovenia B 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2023

Luka Zahović (born 15 November 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Polish club Pogoń Szczecin. Born in Portugal, he represents the Slovenia national team.[2]

Club career

Early career

Born in Guimarães, Portugal, Zahović began his career at Spanish club Valencia before moving to Portuguese club Benfica.[3][4] When Zahović was twelve years old,[5] his family returned to Slovenia, and he joined Maribor's youth selections in the 2007–08 season[6] after his father Zlatko became a new director of football at the club.[3]

Maribor

He made his professional debut in the final round of the 2012–13 season during a match against Aluminij when he came on as a late substitute.[7] In the following year he spent part of the season playing on loan at the Slovenian Second League squad Veržej, scoring three goals in ten matches, until being given more opportunities by Maribor's coach Ante Šimundža during the second part of the season, eventually making 11 appearances during the 2013–14 PrvaLiga season.[8]

The 2014–15 was his breakthrough season. He made his PrvaLiga season debut in the second round when he came on as a late substitute in the 78th minute during a match against Radomlje. Maribor was struggling at home against the PrvaLiga newcomers with the score being 1–1 and less than ten minutes of regulation left. However, after only spending seven minutes on the pitch Zahović scored his first official goal for The Violets.[9] He increased the lead three minutes later, securing all three points for the home side.[9] He scored his third goal of the season in late August against Zavrč[10] and continued his good form in early September when he netted a hat-trick for Maribor B in a match against Šentjur in the Slovenian Third League.[11] A week later, in his fifth PrvaLiga appearance of the season, he scored another double in a match against Krka, becoming the league's top goalscorer with five goals after eight rounds.[12]

Only four days later, on 17 September 2014, in Maribor's first match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage at home against Sporting CP, Zahović made his debut in UEFA competitions when he came on as a substitute for Dare Vršič after Nani had put Sporting ahead in the 80th minute. He then equalised in the 92nd minute.[13] This was only the second time, first time among Europeans, since 1992 when the UEFA Champions League was established in its current format, that a father and son have both scored in the competition.[14] His father Zlatko has scored a total of 11 goals in 32 UEFA Champions League appearances during his career.[14] For his performances Zahović was nominated for the 2014 Golden Boy Award.[15] He finished the 2014–15 season in second place among the club goalscorers with 15 goals in all competitions, 12 of which he has scored in the PrvaLiga.[16]

Heerenveen

In August 2015, Zahović moved to the Eredivisie club Heerenveen and signed a three-year deal with the Dutch squad, with the possibility of a two-year extension.[17][18] The transfer fee paid by Heerenveen was undisclosed, but it is believed to have been around €700,000.[18] Zahović made eight appearances for the club in all competitions in the 2015–16 season.[19]

Loan and return to Maribor

On 24 August 2016, Heerenveen loaned Zahović to Maribor.[19][20] On 27 February 2017, it was reported that Zahović would not return to Heerenveen and would continue his career at Maribor.[21][22] On 23 May 2017, he extended his contract with Maribor until 2020.[23] On the same day, he was proclaimed as the best young footballer of the 2016–17 Slovenian PrvaLiga season.[24][25] In the next season, Zahović became the top goalscorer of the PrvaLiga with 18 goals; all of them were scored in the second part of the season.[26]

International career

Zahović was eligible to represent Portugal and Slovenia at the international level.[27] In 2014, he claimed that he would probably choose Portugal over Slovenia if he received a call-up from both teams.[27]

Youth level

Zahović made his youth international debut for Slovenia in June 2010, when he played for the under-16 team in a friendly match against Slovakia.[28] He represented the under-17 team at the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he played in all three group stage matches. Zahović also scored the only goal for Slovenia in a 3–1 defeat against the Netherlands, who later won the competition.[29] He debuted for the under-21 team on 2 June 2015 in a friendly match against Greece, where he scored Slovenia's first goal in an eventual 3–0 victory.[30] Zahović was capped eight times for the team during the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers, and also scored one goal against Andorra in the first round.[29][30]

Senior team

On 23 May 2018, Zahović was included in the senior squad for a friendly match against Montenegro.[31] He made his debut on 16 October 2018 in a game against Cyprus.[32]

Personal life

Zahović was born in the Portuguese city of Guimarães where his father Zlatko, a former professional footballer and the all-time top goalscorer of the Slovenia national team, was at the time playing for Vitória Guimarães.[1] He holds both Portuguese and Slovenian citizenship.[27]

Zahović and Maja Žnuderl have a son named Filip (born 2019).[33][34]

Honours

Maribor

Individual

Notes

  1. ^ a b Official competitive UEFA matches only.

References

  1. ^ a b Uredništvo (9 June 2018). "Luko Zahovića želi klub iz njegovega rojstnega mesta". mariborinfo.com (in Slovenian). Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Appearances for Slovenia National Team". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Luka Zahović – osebni karton" [Luka Zahovic – personal card] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Jogador que tirou 500 mil euros ao Sporting "esteve na inauguração da Luz"". Jornal Expresso (in European Portuguese). 19 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  5. ^ Štakul, Matej (7 August 2015). "Portret Luke Zahovića, ki bo kariero nadaljeval na Nizozemskem: ko potuje, ima pri sebi vedno oba potna lista". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). Retrieved 15 December 2023. ...ko je imel vsega 12 let in se je družina odločila, da se vrne v Maribor.
  6. ^ "Nogometna šola 2007–08" [2007–08 Football Academy] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Luka Zahović 2012–13 PrvaLiga profile" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Luka Zahović 2013–14 PrvaLiga profile" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Uradni zapisnik: Maribor vs Radomlje" [Official report: Maribor vs Radomlje] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Uradni zapisnik: Maribor vs Zavrč" [Official report: Maribor vs Zavrc] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  11. ^ Andrej Lončarič (7 September 2014). "Dravo reševal Tisaj, Maribor ne pozna milosti" [Tisaj saved Drava, Maribor shows no mercy]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  12. ^ Peter Dominko (14 September 2014). "Luka Zahović: "Zmaga bi lahko bila tudi izdatnejša!"" [Luka Zahovic: "A win could have been even higher!"]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Last-gasp Zahovič earns Maribor a Sporting draw". UEFA. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  14. ^ a b Rok Plestenjak (18 September 2014). "Zlatko in Luka Zahović kot edina Evropejca" [Zlatko and Luka as the only Europeans] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  15. ^ Richards, Alex (28 October 2014). "England pair Raheem Sterling and Calum Chambers join Adnan Januzaj in Golden Boy award nominations". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Zahović Luka – goli" [Zahovic Luka – all goals] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Luka Zahović v Heerenveen" [Luka Zahovic to Heerenveen] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  18. ^ a b Peter Dominko (6 August 2015). "Uradno: Zahović v Heerenveen" [Official: Zahovic to Heerenveen]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  19. ^ a b Peter Dominko (24 August 2016). "Heerenveen potrdil – Zahović se vrača v Ljudski vrt" [Heerenveen have confirmed – Zahovic is returning to Ljudski vrt]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. ^ Rok Viškovič (24 August 2016). "Luka Zahović se je vrnil v Maribor" [Luka Zahovic returned to Maribor] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  21. ^ Peter Dominko (27 February 2017). "Zahović se ne bo vrnil v Heerenveen" [Zahovic will not return to Heerenveen]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  22. ^ Uredništvo (27 February 2017). "Luka Zahović je v rokah Maribora" [Luka Zahovic is in Maribor's hands] (in Slovenian). Nogomania.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  23. ^ "NOVA VIJOL'ČNA ZVESTOBA" (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  24. ^ "Najboljši nogometaš sezone 2016/2017 je Dare Vršič" (in Slovenian). spins.si. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  25. ^ J. K. (23 May 2017). "FOTO in VIDEO: Vršič najboljši po izboru SPINS: 'Tokrat niso presodili goli, temveč igra in konstanta'" (in Slovenian). 24ur. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  26. ^ Antonija Ražen; M. R. (29 May 2018). "Luka Zahović: Po drugem zlomu sem si rekel, da se ne bom smilil samemu sebi" (in Slovenian). Brdo pri Kranju: RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  27. ^ a b c "Luka Zahović raje za Portugalsko kot za Slovenijo?" [Luka Zahović rather for Portugal than for Slovenia?] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  28. ^ "Najmlajši reprezentanti prebili led" [The youngest national team players break the ice] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  29. ^ a b c "L. Zahovič". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  30. ^ a b "U21 Reprezentanca" [U21 National Team] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  31. ^ Matej Rijavec (23 May 2018). "Kavčič vpoklical tudi Zahovića: Ne želim, da se nanj izvaja pritisk" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  32. ^ Aleš Vozel (16 October 2018). ""Mučenje" Slovencev v Stožicah: Skubic preprečil najhujše" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  33. ^ Siol.net (2 February 2019). "Najlepša pridobitev nogometne dinastije Zahović" (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  34. ^ P. B. (2 February 2019). "Luka Zahović in izbranka sta se razveselila prvorojenca". RTVSLO.si (in Slovenian). Maribor: RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  35. ^ a b c "Luka Zahovič". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
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