sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Saša Kalajdžić (Serbian Cyrillic: Саша Калајџић; born 7 July 1997) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Austria national team.

Saša Kalajdžić

Kalajdžić with VfB Stuttgart in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Saša Kalajdžić
Date of birth	(1997-07-07) 7 July 1997 (age 25)
Place of birth	Vienna, Austria
Height	2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s)	Striker
Club information
Current team	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Number	18
Youth career
2004–2006	SV Donau
2006–2010	SR Donaufeld Wien
2010–2014	First Vienna FC
2014–2015	SR Donaufeld Wien
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	SR Donaufeld Wien	18	(7)
2016–2018	Admira Wacker II	33	(13)
2017–2019	Admira Wacker	33	(11)
2019–2022	VfB Stuttgart	57	(23)
2022–	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1	(0)
International career‡
2017–2019	Austria U21	6	(0)
2020–	Austria	15	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:24, 3 September 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:08, 13 June 2022 (UTC)

Kalajdžić began his senior career playing in the third and fourth tiers of Austrian football with SR Donaufeld Wien. In 2016, he signed for Austrian Bundesliga club Admira Wacker, where he scored 12 goals in 35 games for the first team. He joined German club Stuttgart in July 2019, sustaining a serious knee injury shortly after joining and not making his debut until May 2020. He scored 24 goals in 60 games for Stuttgart. In August 2022, he was signed by English club Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported fee of £15 million.

Kalajdžić played for Austria at under-21 level, before making his senior international debut in October 2020. He was part of Austria's squad at Euro 2020.

Club career

FC Admira Wacker Mödling

Kalajdžić joined FC Admira Wacker Mödling in 2016, from SR Donaufeld Wien.[2] He originally played as a midfielder for the club's reserve side in the Austrian Regionalliga East, before being converted into a forward.[2]

VfB Stuttgart

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 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, and scored his first goal on matchday 33 during a 6–0 rout of FC Nuremberg.[5]

In the following season, Kalajdžić frequently lead the line for VfB Stuttgart, finishing the season as the 6th top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals,[6] helping his team finish 9th. The next season, he scored the winner in Stuttgart's 3–2 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 25,[7] and the team's first goal in a 2–1 win over 1. FC Köln on the final matchday, to ensure the club's presence in the Bundesliga for the 2022–23 season.[8]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 31 August 2022, English club Wolverhampton Wanderers announced that they had signed Kalajdžić on a five-year-deal, with the option to extend for a further 12 months.[9] The fee was undisclosed by the club, but was reported to be £15 million.[10] He made his debut three days later as a starter in a 1–0 Premier League win against Southampton at Molineux, but was substituted at half-time due to injury which was later confirmed as an ACL tear requiring surgery.[11][12] Wolves subsequently announced that the player underwent reparative surgery on 6 September, and cautioned that the typical rehabilitation period after such a procedure is nine months.[13]

International career

Kalajdžić made six appearances for Austria at under-21 level.[14] He made his senior international debut for Austria on 14 October 2020, in a Nations League 1–0 win against Romania, as an added-time substitute for Michael Gregoritsch.[15] On 25 March 2021, he scored his first two international goals in a 2–2 away draw with Scotland during 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.[16] He was included in the squad for Euro 2020, where he scored a goal in a 2–1 loss after extra-time against Italy in the round of 16.[17]

Style of play

Due to his two-metre stature and relatively slender build, Kalajdžić received comparisons with the English striker Peter Crouch, who similarly to him 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.[18][19]

Personal life

Born in Austria, Kalajdžić is of Serbian descent.[20][21][22]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 September 2022

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
SR Donaufeld Wien	2014–15[14]	Austrian Regionalliga East	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	2015–16[14]	Wiener Stadtliga	16	7	0	0	—		—		16	7
	Total		18	7	0	0	—		—		18	7
Admira Wacker Amateure	2016–17[23]	Austrian Regionalliga East	27	10	0	0	—		—		27	10
	2017–18[23]	Austrian Regionalliga East	3	3	0	0	—		—		3	3
	2018–19[23]	Austrian Regionalliga East	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		33	13	0	0	—		—		33	13
Admira Wacker	2017–18[23]	Austrian Bundesliga	18	3	2	1	—		—		20	4
	2018–19[23]	Austrian Bundesliga	15	8	0	0	—		0	0	15	8
	Total		33	11	2	1	—		0	0	35	12
VfB Stuttgart	2019–20[23]	2. Bundesliga	6	1	0	0	—		—		6	1
	2020–21[23]	Bundesliga	33	16	3	1	—		—		36	17
	2021–22[23]	Bundesliga	15	6	0	0	—		—		15	6
	2022–23[23]	Bundesliga	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		57	23	3	1	—		—		60	24
Wolverhampton Wanderers	2022–23[23]	Premier League	1	0	0	0	0	0	—		1	0
Career total			142	54	5	2	0	0	0	0	147	56

International

As of match played 13 June 2022[24]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Austria	2020	2	0
	2021	9	4
	2022	4	0
Total		15	4

Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kalajdžić goal.[24]

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	[25]
2					2–1
3	28 March 2021	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	4	Faroe Islands	3–1	3–1		[26]
4	26 June 2021	Wembley Stadium, London, England	11	Italy	1–2	1–2 (a.e.t.)	UEFA Euro 2020	[27]

References

External links

• Saša Kalajdžić at National-Football-Teams.com
• Profile at Austrian Football Association

На других языках

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[de] Saša Kalajdžić

Saša Kalajdžić (serbisch-kyrillisch Саша Калајџић; * 7. Juli 1997 in Wien), im deutschen Sprachraum meist Sasa Kalajdzic, ist ein österreichischer Fußballspieler.

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- [en] Saša Kalajdžić

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[es] Saša Kalajdžić

Saša Kalajdžić (Viena, 7 de julio de 1997) es un futbolista austriaco que juega en la demarcación de delantero para el Wolverhampton Wanderers F. C. de la Premier League y en la selección de fútbol de Austria.[1] Es de origen serbio.[2]

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[fr] Saša Kalajdžić

Saša Kalajdžić est un footballeur autrichien né le 7 juillet 1997 à Vienne. Il évolue au poste d'attaquant au Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

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[it] Saša Kalajdžić

Saša Kalajdžić (Vienna, 7 luglio 1997) è un calciatore austriaco di origini serbe, attaccante del Wolverhampton e della nazionale austriaca.

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[ru] Калайджич, Саша

Саша Калайджич (нем. Saša Kalajdžić; родился 7 июля 1997 года в Хорне, Австрия) — австрийский футболист, нападающий английского клуба «Вулверхэмптон Уондерерс» и сборной Австрии.

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