Saša Kalajdžić

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[1]
Date of birth (1997-07-07) 7 July 1997[2]
Place of birth Vienna, Austria
Height 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Team 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 6 (2)
International career‡
2017–2019 Austria U21 6 (0)
2020– Austria 15 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:04, 21 October 2023 (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.[3] He originally played as a midfielder for the club's reserve side in the Austrian Regionalliga East, before being converted into a forward.[3]

VfB Stuttgart

On 5 July 2019, Kalajdžić signed a four-year contract with the German club VfB Stuttgart.[4] Shortly after his arrival, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament during a preseason training camp.[5] 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.[6]

In the following season, Kalajdžić frequently led the line for VfB Stuttgart, finishing the season as the 6th top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals,[7] helping his team finish 9th. The next season, he scored the winner in Stuttgart's 3–2 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 25,[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] The fee was undisclosed by the club, but was reported to be £15 million.[11] 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.[12][13] 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.[14]

Kalajdžić made his second appearance for Wolves (and first since 3 September 2022) against Manchester United on 14 August 2023 as a late substitute. Kalajdžić again entered the field as a late substitute against Everton on 26 August 2023, and proceeded to score his first goal for Wolves in the 87th minute to help them win 1–0 away at Goodison Park.[15]

Kalajdžić scored his second goal for Wolves in his next match - his first start for the club since 3 September 2022 - a home game in the EFL Cup against Blackpool on 29 August 2023 that Wolves won 5–0.[16]

Kalajdžić scored his second Premier League goal, again as a substitute, in a 2–1 Wolves win away to Bournemouth on 21 October 2023.[17] It was the second time in the season he had scored a late winning goal for Wolves in a Premier League fixture to secure an away win.

International career

Kalajdžić made six appearances for Austria at under-21 level.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21]

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.[22][23]

Personal life

Born in Austria, Kalajdžić is of Serbian descent.[24][25][26]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 21 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
SR Donaufeld Wien 2014–15[18] Austrian Regionalliga East 2000——20
2015–16[18] Wiener Stadtliga 16700——167
Total 18700——187
Admira Wacker Amateure 2016–17[27] Austrian Regionalliga East 271000——2710
2017–18[27] Austrian Regionalliga East 3300——33
2018–19[27] Austrian Regionalliga East 3000——30
Total 331300——3313
Admira Wacker 2017–18[27] Austrian Bundesliga 18321——204
2018–19[27] Austrian Bundesliga 15800—00158
Total 331121—003512
VfB Stuttgart 2019–20[27] 2. Bundesliga 6100——61
2020–21[27] Bundesliga 331631——3617
2021–22[27] Bundesliga 15600——156
2022–23[27] Bundesliga 3000——30
Total 572331——6024
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2022–23[27] Premier League 100000—10
2023–24[27] Premier League 520021—73
Total 620021—83
Career total 1475652210015459

International
As of match played 13 June 2022[28]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Austria 202020
202194
202240
Total154
Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kalajdžić goal.[28]
List of international goals scored by Saša Kalajdžić
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
125 March 2021Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland3 Scotland1–02–22022 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
22–1
328 March 2021Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria4 Faroe Islands3–13–1[30]
426 June 2021Wembley Stadium, London, England11 Italy1–21–2 (a.e.t.)UEFA Euro 2020[31]

References
  1. "2022/23 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  2. "Saša Kalajdžić". Premier League. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  3. "Rapid-Stürmersuche: Admiras Kalajdzic soll es richten". kurier.at (in German). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  4. "VfB sign Sasa Kalajdzic". vfb.de. VfB Stuttgart. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  5. "3:2 nach 0:2! VfB kommt zurück und schlägt den HSV". kicker.
  6. "Doppelpacker Gonzalez und Karazor: Stuttgart fertigt Nürnberg ab". kicker.
  7. "Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Andrej Kramaric and the race to become the Bundesliga's top scorer". bundesliga.com.
  8. "Der coole Kalajdzic krönt eine famose VfB-Aufholjagd". kicker.de. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. "Wataru Endo's injury-time winner over Cologne seals dramatic salvation for VfB Stuttgart". bundesliga.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  10. "Kalajdzic completes Wolves move". Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  11. "Wolves complete signing of Sasa Kalajdzic from Stuttgart for £15m". BBC Sport. 31 August 2022.
  12. Howarth, Matthew (3 September 2022). "Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Southampton: Daniel Podence earns hosts first league win of season". BBC Sport.
  13. Procter, Tom (5 September 2022). "Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic to undergo surgery for torn ACL". Molineux News.
  14. "Injury update: Kalajdzic, Jimenez and Chiquinho". www.wolves.co.uk. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  15. Hafez, Shamoon (26 August 2023). "Everton 0–1 Wolves: Sasa Kalajdzic scores late winner for visitors". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  16. "Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–0 Blackpool: Matt Doherty scores twice as hosts progress". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023.
  17. Mail, Simon (21 October 2023). "Kalajdzic completes Wolves comeback win at 10-man Bournemouth". The Observer. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  18. "S. Kalajdžić". besoccer.com. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  19. "Romania v Austria game report". UEFA. 14 October 2020.
  20. "Scotland 2–2 Austria". BBC Sport. 25 March 2021.
  21. "Sasa Kalajdzic scores as Austria suffer late defeat against Italy". The Athletic. 27 June 2021.
  22. "Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic issues come-and-get-me plea to Liverpool". www.goal.com.
  23. "Sasa Kalajdzic: Who is the VfB Stuttgart and Austria striker?". bundesliga.com.
  24. "SRPSKI DŽIN U DRESU AUSTRIJE – Saša Kalajdžić na meti Kelna, Štutgarta, Lidsa". srbin.info.
  25. "VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic on Peter Crouch comparisons and living the dream in the Bundesliga". bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website.
  26. Hagenauer, Andreas (18 May 2021). "Saša Kalajdžić: Golgeter". Telesport (in Croatian). Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  27. Saša Kalajdžić at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  28. "Kalajdžić, Saša". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  29. "Scotland vs. Austria 2–2: Summary". Soccerway. 25 March 2021.
  30. "Austria vs. Faroe Islands 3–1: Summary". Soccerway. 28 March 2021.
  31. "Italy vs. Austria 2–1: Summary". Soccerway. 26 June 2021.
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