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Saša Kalajdžić

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Saša Kalajdžić
Kalajdžić with Admira Wacker in 2017
Personal information
Full name Saša Kalajdžić
Date of birth (1997-07-07) 7 July 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Vienna, Austria
Height 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 VfB Stuttgart
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 SR Donaufeld Wien 18 (7)
2016–2018 Admira Wacker II 33 (13)
2016–2019 Admira Wacker 33 (11)
2019– VfB Stuttgart 39 (16)
International career‡
2017–2019 Austria U21 6 (0)
2020– Austria 11 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 May 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:48, 26 June 2021 (UTC)

Saša Kalajdžić (Serbian Cyrillic: Саша Калајџић; born 7 July 1997) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart and the Austria national team.[1] He is of Bosnian descent.

Club career

Kalajdžić started his career as a professional footballer in Austria for FC Admira Wacker Mödling. Originally playing as a midfielder, he later became a forward.[2] On 5 July 2019, Kalajdžić signed a four-year contract with the German club VfB Stuttgart.[3] Shortly after his arrival, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament during a preseason training camp.[4]

He eventually made his league debut on 28 May 2020, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute of matchday 28 of the 2019–20 2. Bundesliga season against Hamburger SV. He subsequently scored his first goal for the club in matchday 33 during a 6–0 rout of FC Nuremberg.[5] The following season, Kalajdžić frequently lead the line for VfB Stuttgart, finishing the season ranked 6th top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals, [6] helping his team finish 9th in the league.

International career

Born in Austria, Kalajdžić is of Serbian descent.[7] He made his debut for Austria on 14 October 2020 in a Nations League game against Romania. He substituted Michael Gregoritsch in the 90th minute.[8] On 25 March 2021, he scored his first two international goals in a 2–2 away draw with Scotland during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[9]

Style of play

Due to his two-meter stature and relatively slender build, Kalajdžić received comparisons with the English striker Peter Crouch, who similarly to Kalajdžić functioned as an out-and-out target man. During his youth career, Kalajdžić also played as a holding midfielder and referred to Nemanja Matić as an inspiration.[10][11]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 May 2021[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Admira Wacker Amateure 2016–17 Austrian Regionalliga East 27 10 0 0 — 27 10
2017–18 Austrian Regionalliga East 3 3 0 0 — 3 3
2018–19 Austrian Regionalliga East 3 0 0 0 — 3 0
Total 33 13 0 0 — 33 13
Admira Wacker 2017–18 Austrian Bundesliga 18 3 2 1 — 20 4
2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga 15 8 0 0 — 15 8
Total 33 11 2 1 — 35 12
VfB Stuttgart 2019–20 2. Bundesliga 6 1 0 0 — 6 1
2020–21 Bundesliga 33 16 3 1 — 36 17
Total 39 17 3 1 — 42 18
Career total 105 41 5 2 0 0 110 43

International

As of match played 26 June 2021.[12]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Austria 2020 2 0
2021 9 4
Total 11 4

International goals

As of match played 26 June 2021. Austria score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kalajdžić goal.[12]
List of international goals scored by Saša Kalajdžić
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 25 March 2021 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland 3  Scotland 1–0 2–2 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [13]
2 2–1
3 28 March 2021 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria 4  Faroe Islands 3–1 3–1 [14]
4 26 June 2021 Wembley Stadium, London, England 11  Italy 1–2 1–2 (a.e.t.) UEFA Euro 2020 [15]

References

  1. ^ a b Saša Kalajdžić at Soccerway
  2. ^ "Rapid-Stürmersuche: Admiras Kalajdzic soll es richten". kurier.at (in German). Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  3. ^ "VfB sign Sasa Kalajdzic". vfb.de. VfB Stuttgart. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  4. ^ "3:2 nach 0:2! VfB kommt zurück und schlägt den HSV". kicker.
  5. ^ https://www.kicker.de/nuernberg-gegen-stuttgart-2020-bundesliga-4589234/analyse
  6. ^ https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/top-scorer-2020-21-lewandowski-haaland-sancho-gnabry-thuram-hwang-12909
  7. ^ "VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic on Peter Crouch comparisons and living the dream in the Bundesliga". bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website.
  8. ^ "Romania v Austria game report". UEFA. 14 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Scotland 2–2 Austria". BBC Sport. 25 March 2021.
  10. ^ https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/stuttgart-striker-sasa-kalajdzic-come-and-get-me-plea/3c6g17tw7gj1aq0dht9nqv2q
  11. ^ https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/sasa-kalajdzic-who-is-the-vfb-stuttgart-and-austria-striker-peter-crouch-16174
  12. ^ a b "Kalajdžić, Saša". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Scotland vs. Austria 2–2: Summary". Soccerway. 25 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Austria vs. Faroe Islands 3–1: Summary". Soccerway. 28 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Italy vs. Austria 2–1: Summary". Soccerway. 26 June 2021.
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