Nikola_Vasilj
Nikola Vasilj
Bosnian footballer (born 1995)
Nikola Vasilj (pronounced [nǐkola ʋǎsiʎ]; born 2 December 1995) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for 2. Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
|
Vasilj with Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1995-12-02) 2 December 1995 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | FC St. Pauli | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| HNK Međugorje | |||
| 2010–2013 | Zrinjski Mostar | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2017 | Zrinjski Mostar | 17 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Igman Konjic (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Branitelj (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | 1. FC Nürnberg II | 42 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Zorya Luhansk | 20 | (0) |
| 2021– | FC St. Pauli | 92 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013–2014 | Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2023 | |||
Vasilj started his professional career at Zrinjski Mostar, who loaned him to Igman Konjic in 2014 and to Branitelj in 2015. In 2017, he joined 1. FC Nürnberg II. Two years later, he moved to Zorya Luhansk. He signed with FC St. Pauli in 2021.
A former youth international for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vasilj made his senior international debut in 2021.
Early career
Vasilj started playing football at a local club, before joining the youth academy of his hometown team Zrinjski Mostar in 2010.[2] He made his professional debut against Željezničar on 10 April 2013 at the age of 17.[3] In July 2014, he was sent on a season-long loan to Igman Konjic.[4] In July 2015, he was loaned to Branitelj until the end of season.[5]
In July 2017, Vasilj signed with German side 1. FC Nürnberg.[6]
In July 2019, he joined Ukrainian outfit Zorya Luhansk.[7]
FC St. Pauli
In May 2021, Vasilj moved to FC St. Pauli on a three-year deal.[8] He made his official debut for the team on 25 July against Holstein Kiel and kept a clean sheet.[9]
In January 2024, he signed a new long-term contract with the club.[10]
Vasilj was a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina under-21 team under coach Vlado Jagodić.[11]
In March 2021, he received his first senior call-up, for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Finland and France and a friendly game against Costa Rica.[12] He debuted against Costa Rica on 27 March.[13]
Vasilj's father Vladimir was also a goalkeeper, as is his younger brother Filip.[14]
He married his long-time girlfriend Sara in May 2021.[15]
Club
- As of match played 26 April 2024[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zrinjski Mostar | 2012–13 | Bosnian Premier League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Bosnian Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Bosnian Premier League | 4 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Bosnian Premier League | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Igman Konjic (loan) | 2014–15 | First League of the FBiH | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 25 | 0 | |
| Branitelj (loan) | 2015–16 | First League of the FBiH | 13 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1. FC Nürnberg II | 2017–18 | Regionalliga Bayern | 15 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Regionalliga Bayern | 27 | 0 | – | – | 27 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | – | – | 42 | 0 | ||||
| Zorya Luhansk | 2019–20 | Ukrainian Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | Ukrainian Premier League | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| FC St. Pauli | 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | 2. Bundesliga | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 2. Bundesliga | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 92 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 93 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 208 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 220 | 0 | ||
- Includes Bosnian Cup, Ukrainian Cup, DFB-Pokal
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 16 November 2023[17]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |
Zrinjski Mostar[16]
- "Nikola Vasilj". fcstpauli.com (in German). Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- "Nikola Vasilj: Naravno da imam reprezentativne ambicije a ukrajinska liga jača je nego ljudi misle". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- "Teška povreda Zolotića, Zrinjskom bod na Grbavici". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 10 April 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- "Igman se pojačava". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 19 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- "Branitelj počeo sa pripremama, brojni odlasci i dolasci". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- "Nikola Vasilj potpisao za Nürnberg". oslobodjenje.ba (in Bosnian). 1 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- "Bivši golman Zrinjskog karijeru nastavlja u Ukrajini". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 16 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- "Nikola Vasilj predstavljen u novom klubu". avaz.ba (in Bosnian). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- "Nikola Vasilj sačuvao svoju mrežu na debiju u Njemačkoj". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 25 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- "Nikola Vasilj i St. Pauli zajedno nastavljaju put ka Bundesligi". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- "Ukrajinci potvrdili: Novi golman se priključuje Zmajevima". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 10 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- "Ivaylo Petev pozvao 25 igrača za Finsku i Francusku". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- "Skromna predstava u Zenici: Zmajevi u kombinovanom sastavu odigrali bez golova sa Kostarikom". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 27 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- "Vratarska obitelj Vasilj: Filip ponajbolji vratar Prve lige, kuca na vrata mlade reprezentacije". hercegovina.info (in Croatian). 9 September 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- "U Čitluku se oženio golman Zmajeva Nikola Vasilj". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 27 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- "N. Vasilj". soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- "Nikola Vasilj". eu-football.info. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- Nikola Vasilj at National-Football-Teams.com
- Nikola Vasilj – UEFA competition record (archive)
