Vero Salatić

Vero Salatić

Salatić with Ufa in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Veroljub Salatić
Date of birth	(1985-11-14) 14 November 1985
Place of birth	Zvornik, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1992–1994	SC Zug
1994–2000	Zug 94
2000–2003	Grasshopper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2011	Grasshopper	229	(12)
2011–2012	AC Omonia	25	(1)
2012–2015	Grasshopper	72	(5)
2015–2017	Sion	77	(4)
2017–2019	Ufa	30	(0)
2019–2020	Grasshopper	33	(2)
International career
2004–2006	Switzerland U-21	25	(2)
Managerial career
2020–2021	Grasshopper U21 (assistant)
2021–2022	Rapperswil-Jona II
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Veroljub "Vero" Salatić (Serbian Cyrillic: Верољуб Веро Салатић; born 14 November 1985) is a Bosnian-born Swiss football coach and a former player who played as a central midfielder.

Career

A Bosnian Serb, Salatić moved to Switzerland as a child and started training with local team SC Zug in 1992, aged 7. In 2000, he moved on to Grasshopper Club Zürich. In the 2003–04 season he broke into the first team. He is used mostly as a holding midfielder or as a central defender.

AC Omonia

In July 2011, he signed a contract with Cypriot side AC Omonia.

Ufa

On 31 August 2017, Salatić signed for Russian Premier League side FC Ufa. He left Ufa on 3 June 2019 upon the expiration of his contract.

Return to Grasshoppers

On 17 June 2019, he returned to Grasshoppers for the second time, signing a 2-year contract. The contract was terminated by the club on 11 August 2020, and he retired from playing.

International career

Salatić has represented Switzerland at various levels including at the U-19 European Championship in 2004 in Switzerland. In 2005, he starred at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. The side were managed by Pierre-André Schürmann. Salatić starred alongside a Swiss team including Blerim Džemaili, Tranquillo Barnetta and Valon Behrami.

His success has not gone unnoticed by the Football Association of Serbia who have twice attempted to call him up, both times he refused saying he wished to play for Switzerland. He played his last match for the U21 side against England in 2006 and since then neither Köbi Kuhn or Ottmar Hitzfeld have shown any interest in calling him up.

As an ethnic Serb from Bosnia, he first expressed his desire to play for Serbia but he was never called, so he later stated that he would like to play for national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Honours

Club

Grasshopper Zurich

• Swiss Cup: 2012–13

AC Omonia

• Cypriot Cup: 2011-12

FC Sion

• Swiss Cup: 2014-15
• Swiss Super League Team of the Year: 2013–14

Career statistics

Club

As of 13 May 2018

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Grasshoppers	2003–04	Swiss Super League	10	0	0	0	1	0	–		11	0
	2004–05		32	0	1	0	–		–		33	0
	2005–06		30	1	2	2	7	2	–		39	5
	2006–07		27	2	2	0	11	1	–		40	3
	2007–08		33	2	3	0	–		–		36	2
	2008–09		32	3	4	0	5	1	–		41	4
	2009–10		34	3	2	0	–		–		36	3
	2010–11		31	1	3	1	2	1	–		36	3
Omonia	2011–12	Cypriot First Division	25	1	7	2	4	0	1	0	37	3
Grasshoppers	2012–13	Swiss Super League	31	3	5	0	–		–		36	3
	2013–14		31	1	2	0	4	0	–		37	1
	2014–15		10	1	0	0	3	0	–		13	1
	Total (2 spells)		301	17	24	3	33	5	0	0	358	25
Sion	2014–15	Swiss Super League	16	0	3	0	–		–		19	0
	2015–16		32	3	3	0	8	1	–		43	4
	2016–17		29	1	4	1	–		–		33	2
	Total		77	4	10	1	8	1	0	0	95	6
Ufa	2017–18	Russian Premier League	18	0	1	0	–		–		19	0
Career total			421	22	42	6	45	6	1	0	509	34

External links

• Profile at GCZ.CH (in German)
• Vero Salatic at soccerbase.com
• Vero Salatić at Soccerway