Luka Zahović

Luka Zahović
Personal information
Full name Luka Zahović[1]
Date of birth (1995-11-15) 15 November 1995
Place of birth Guimarães, Portugal[2]
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Maribor
Number 11
Youth career
–2001 Valencia[1]
2001–2007 Benfica
2007–2009 Pobrežje
2009–2013 Maribor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Maribor 45 (13)
2013–2014 → Veržej (loan) 10 (3)
2014 → Maribor B 1 (3)
2015–2017 Heerenveen 6 (0)
2016–2017 → Maribor (loan) 28 (15)
2017– Maribor 34 (23)
National team
2010 Slovenia U16 1 (0)
2011–2012 Slovenia U17 13 (1)
2013 Slovenia U18 5 (2)
2013 Slovenia U19 5 (3)
2015–2016 Slovenia U21 10 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 October 2018

Luka Zahović (born 15 November 1995) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a forward for Slovenian club NK Maribor.

Club career

Youth

Born in Portugal, Zahović began his career in Valencia, playing for Spanish club Valencia CF before moving to Portuguese club Benfica, where he remained until 2007.[1] After his family returned to Slovenia, he joined Maribor youth selections after his father Zlatko became director of football at the Slovenian club.[1]

Maribor

He made his professional debut in the final round of the 2012–13 season during a match against Aluminij when he came on as a late substitute.[3] In the following year he spent part of the season playing on loan at the Slovenian Second League squad Veržej, scoring three goals in ten matches, until being given more opportunities by Maribor's coach Ante Šimundža during the second part of the season, eventually making 11 appearances during the 2013–14 PrvaLiga season.[4]

The 2014–15 was his breakthrough season. He made his PrvaLiga season debut in the second round when he came on as a late substitute in the 78th minute during a match against Radomlje. Maribor was struggling at home against the PrvaLiga newcomers with the score being 1–1 and less than ten minutes of regulation left. However, after only spending seven minutes on the pitch Zahović scored his first official goal for The Violets.[5] He increased the lead three minutes later, securing all three points for the home side.[5] He scored his third goal of the season in late August against Zavrč[6] and continued his good form in early September when he netted a hat-trick for Maribor B in a match against Šentjur in the Slovenian Third League.[7] A week later, on his fifth PrvaLiga appearance of the season, he scored another double on a match against Krka, becoming the league's top goalscorer with five goals after eight rounds.[8]

Only four days later, on 17 September 2014, in Maribor's first match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage at home against Sporting CP, Zahović made his debut in UEFA competitions when he came on as a substitute for Dare Vršič after Nani had put Sporting ahead in the 80th minute. He then equalised in added time.[9] This was only the second time, first time among Europeans, since 1992 when the UEFA Champions League was established in its current format, that a father and son have both scored in the competition.[10] His father Zlatko has scored a total of 11 goals in 32 UEFA Champions League appearances during his career.[10] For his performances Zahović was nominated for the 2014 Golden Boy Award.[11] He finished the 2014–15 season on second place among the club goalscorers with 15 goals in all competitions, 12 of which he has scored in the PrvaLiga.

Heerenveen

In August 2015, Zahović moved to the Eredivisie club Heerenveen and signed a three-year deal with the Dutch squad, with the possibility of a two-year extension.[12][13] The transfer fee paid by Heerenveen was undisclosed, but it is believed to have been around €0.7 million.[13] Zahović earned eight appearances for the club in all competitions in the 2015–16 season.[14]

Loan and return to Maribor

On 24 August 2016, Heerenveen loaned Zahović to Maribor.[14][15] On 27 February 2017, it was reported that Zahović will not return to Heerenveen and will continue his career at Maribor.[16][17] On 23 May 2017, he extended his contract with Maribor until 2020.[18] On the same day, he was proclaimed as the best young footballer of the 2016–17 Slovenian PrvaLiga season.[19][20] In the next season, Zahović became the top goalscorer of the PrvaLiga with 18 goals; all of them were scored in the second part of the season.[21]

International career

Youth level

His international debut came in August 2010, when he played for Slovenia U16 in a friendly match against Austria U16.[22] Zahović represented Slovenia U17 at the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he played in all three group stage matches. He also scored the only goal for Slovenia in a 3–1 defeat against the Netherlands U17, who later won the competition.[23] He debuted for Slovenia U21 on 2 June 2015 in a friendly match against Greece U21, where he scored one goal and helped his team in a comfortable 3–0 victory.[24] He was capped eight times for the team during the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers, and also scored one goal against Andorra U21 in the first round.[23][24]

Senior team

On 23 May 2018, Zahović was included in the senior squad for a friendly match against Montenegro.[25]

Personal life

Zahović was born in the Portuguese city of Guimarães[2] where his father Zlatko, a former professional footballer and all-time top goalscorer for the Slovenia national team, was at the time playing for Vitória Guimarães.[2] He holds Slovenian and Portuguese citizenships.[26]

Honours

Maribor[23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Luka Zahović - osebni karton" [Luka Zahovic - personal card] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Maribor v Sporting background". UEFA. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Zlatko Zahović 2012–13 PrvaLiga profile" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Zlatko Zahović 2013–14 PrvaLiga profile" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Uradni zapisnik: Maribor vs Radomlje" [Official record: Maribor vs Radomlje] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Uradni zapisnik: Maribor vs Zavrč" [Official record: Maribor vs Zavrc] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Andrej Lončarič (7 September 2014). "Dravo reševal Tisaj, Maribor ne pozna milosti" [Tisaj was saving Drava, Maribor knows no mercy] (in Slovenian). SNPortal.si. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Peter Dominko (14 September 2014). "Luka Zahović: "Zmaga bi lahko bila tudi izdatnejša!"" [Luka Zahovic: "A win could have been higher!"] (in Slovenian). SNPortal.si. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Last-gasp Zahovič earns Maribor a Sporting draw". UEFA. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  10. 1 2 Rok Plestenjak (18 September 2014). "Zlatko in Luka Zahović kot edina Evropejca" [Zlatko and Luka as the only Europeans] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Richards, Alex (28 October 2014). "England pair Raheem Sterling and Calum Chambers join Adnan Januzaj in Golden Boy award nominations". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Luka Zahović v Heerenveen" [Luka Zahović to Heerenveen] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor official website. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 Peter Dominko (6 August 2015). "Uradno: Zahović v Heerenveen" [Official: Zahović to Heerenveen] (in Slovenian). SNPortal.si. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  14. 1 2 Peter Dominko (24 August 2016). "Heerenveen potrdil – Zahović se vrača v Ljudski vrt" [Heerenveen confirmed – Zahovic is returning to Ljudski vrt] (in Slovenian). SNPortal.si. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Rok Viškovič (24 August 2016). "Luka Zahović se je vrnil v Maribor" [Luka Zahovic returned to Maribor] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  16. ↑ Peter Dominko (27 February 2017). "Zahović se ne bo vrnil v Heerenveen" [Zahovic will not return to Heerenveen] (in Slovenian). SNPortal.si. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  17. ↑ Uredništvo (27 February 2017). "Luka Zahović je v rokah Maribora" [Luka Zahovic is in Maribor's hands] (in Slovenian). Nogomania.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "NOVA VIJOL'ČNA ZVESTOBA" (in Slovenian). NK Maribor official website. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  19. ↑ "Najboljši nogometaš sezone 2016/2017 je Dare Vršič" (in Slovenian). spins.si. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  20. ↑ J.K. (23 May 2017). "'Odpisani' Vršič najboljši nogometaš sezone po izboru SPINS, uspešen večer za Maribor zaokrožil Luka Zahović" (in Slovenian). 24ur.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  21. ↑ Antonija Ražen; M. R. (29 May 2018). "Luka Zahović: Po drugem zlomu sem si rekel, da se ne bom smilil samemu sebi" (in Slovenian). Brdo pri Kranju: RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  22. ↑ "U16 Reprezentanca" [U16 National Team] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  23. 1 2 3 "L. Zahovič". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  24. 1 2 "U21 Reprezentanca" [U21 National Team] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  25. ↑ Matej Rijavec (23 May 2018). "Kavčič vpoklical tudi Zahovića: Ne želim, da se nanj izvaja pritisk" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  26. ↑ "Luka Zahović raje za Portugalsko kot za Slovenijo?" [Luka Zahović prefers Portugal or Slovenia?] (in Slovenian). Radiotelevizija Slovenija. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
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