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Mato Jajalo

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Bosnian footballer (born 1988)

Mato Jajalo
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-05-25) 25 May 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Jajce, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1993–1999 DJK Eiche Offenbach
1999–2007 Slaven Belupo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Slaven Belupo 63 (8)
2009–2011 Siena 25 (0)
2010–2011 → 1. FC Köln (loan) 30 (2)
2011–2014 1. FC Köln 60 (3)
2014 → Sarajevo (loan) 9 (0)
2014–2015 Rijeka 18 (1)
2015–2019 Palermo 138 (6)
2019–2023 Udinese 52 (0)
2023–2024 Venezia 21 (0)
International career
2008–2009 Croatia U20 7 (1)
2007–2010 Croatia U21 21 (4)
2014–2015 Croatia 2 (0)
2016–2019 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 May 2024

Mato Jajalo (pronounced [mâːto jǎjalo]; born 25 May 1988) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.

Jajalo started his professional career at Slaven Belupo, before joining Siena in 2009. The following year, he was loaned to 1. FC Köln, with whom he signed permanently a year later. In 2014, he was sent on loan to Sarajevo. Later that year, he moved to Rijeka. Jajalo joined Palermo in 2015. Four years later, he switched to Udinese. In 2023, he was transferred to Venezia.

A former Croatian youth international, Jajalo also made his senior international debut for Croatia, before switching his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016, earning 11 caps until 2019.

Club career

Early career

Because of the outbreak of the Bosnian War, Jajalo's family fled from his native Bosnia and Herzegovina and moved to Germany, where he started playing football at a local club, before joining the youth setup of Croatian team Slaven Belupo in 1999. He made his professional debut against Osijek on 22 July 2007 at the age of 19. On 5 August, he scored his first professional goal in a triumph over Zagreb.

In June 2009, Jajalo was transferred to Italian side Siena.

In July 2010, he was sent on a season-long loan to German outfit 1. FC Köln, with an option to make the transfer permanent, which was activated the following year. In February 2014, he was loaned to Sarajevo until the end of the season.

In June, he joined Rijeka.

Palermo

In January 2015, Jajalo moved to Palermo on a contract until June 2019. He made his official debut for the team on 1 February against Hellas Verona. On 24 May, he scored his first goal for the squad against Fiorentina.

Despite Palermo's relegation to the Serie B in April 2017, Jajalo decided to stay at the club.

He played his 100th match for the side against Parma on 2 April 2018.

Udinese

In June 2019, Jajalo signed a three-year deal with Udinese. He made his competitive debut for the squad in a Coppa Italia tie against Südtirol on 18 August. A week later, he made his league debut against Milan.

In December 2020, he suffered a severe knee injury, which was diagnosed as an anterior cruciate ligament tear and was ruled out for at least six months. Over eight months after the injury, on 22 August 2021, he returned to the pitch.

In March 2022, he extended his contract with Udinese until June 2023.

Later stage of career

In January 2023, Jajalo switched to Venezia. In March, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament again and was expected to be sidelined for at least half a year.

International career

After representing Croatia at various youth levels and captaining them at the under-21 level under coach Dražen Ladić, Jajalo made his senior international debut in a friendly game against Argentina on 12 November 2014. However, in March 2016, he decided that he would play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.

In July, his request to change sports citizenship from Croatian to Bosnian was approved by FIFA. Subsequently, in September, he received his first senior call-up, for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Cyprus. He debuted against the former on 7 October.

Personal life

Jajalo's younger brother Ivan is also a professional footballer.

He married his long-time girlfriend Ivana in May 2012. Together they have four children, a daughter named Elena and three sons named Emanuel, Gabriel and Mateo.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Slaven Belupo 2007–08 Croatian Football League 31 4 3 0 3 0 – 37 4
2008–09 Croatian Football League 32 4 2 0 4 0 – 38 4
Total 63 8 5 0 7 0 – 75 8
Siena 2009–10 Serie A 25 0 1 0 – – 26 0
1. FC Köln (loan) 2010–11 Bundesliga 30 2 3 0 – – 33 2
1. FC Köln 2011–12 Bundesliga 31 3 2 2 – – 33 5
2012–13 Bundesliga 24 0 2 0 – – 26 0
2013–14 2. Bundesliga 5 0 1 0 – – 6 0
Total 90 5 8 2 – – 98 7
Sarajevo (loan) 2013–14 Bosnian Premier League 9 0 6 1 – – 15 1
Rijeka 2014–15 Croatian Football League 18 1 2 1 12 0 1 0 33 2
Palermo 2014–15 Serie A 16 1 – – – 16 1
2015–16 Serie A 28 0 1 0 – – 29 0
2016–17 Serie A 26 1 0 0 – – 26 1
2017–18 Serie B 35 1 2 0 – 4 0 41 1
2018–19 Serie B 33 3 2 0 – – 35 3
Total 138 6 5 0 – 4 0 147 6
Udinese 2019–20 Serie A 26 0 2 0 – – 28 0
2020–21 Serie A 1 0 1 0 – – 2 0
2021–22 Serie A 22 0 2 0 – – 24 0
2022–23 Serie A 3 0 1 0 – – 4 0
Total 52 0 6 0 – – 58 0
Venezia 2022–23 Serie B 7 0 – – – 7 0
2023–24 Serie B 14 0 0 0 – 1 0 15 0
Total 21 0 0 0 – 1 0 22 0
Career total 416 20 33 4 19 0 6 0 474 24
  1. Includes Croatian Cup, Coppa Italia, DFB-Pokal, Bosnian Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearance in Croatian Super Cup
  5. ^ Appearance(s) in Serie B promotion play-offs

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Croatia
2014 1 0
2015 1 0
Total 2 0
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2016 2 0
2017 5 0
2018 0 0
2019 4 0
Total 11 0
Career total 13 0

Honours

Sarajevo

Rijeka

References

  1. "Jajalova ispovijed: Nogomet sam počeo igrati kao bosanski izbjeglica na ulicama Offenbacha". index.hr (in Croatian). 13 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  2. "Jajalo iz Slaven Belupa potpisao za Sienu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 1 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  3. "Köln ne računa na Jajala". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 19 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. "Igrač Kölna Mato Jajalo je novo pojačanje FK Sarajevo". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 8 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  5. "Mato Jajalo novi član Rijeke". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  6. "Mato Jajalo potpisao za Palermo". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 28 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  7. "Strinić asistirao za pobjednički gol Napolija u Veroni, Jajalo debitirao za Palermo". index.hr (in Croatian). 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  8. "Jajalo zabio golčinu, Fiorentina i Genoa izborile Europu". index.hr (in Croatian). 24 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  9. "Mato Jajalo: U Palermu bih mogao završiti karijeru". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  10. "Fantastičan derbi u Serie B pripao sve boljoj Parmi, Jajalo asistirao u svojoj 100. utakmici za Palermo". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 2 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  11. "Mato Jajalo napustio Palermo i potpisao za Udinese". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 11 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  12. "Jajalo oduševljen nakon debija za Udinese". sportske.ba (in Bosnian). 19 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  13. "Krunić grijao klupu u porazu Milana u Udinama, Jajalo odigrao cijeli meč". faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  14. "VAR poništio Ronaldu pobjedonosni pogodak, Jajalo zamalo zavio Juventus u crno". fokus.ba (in Bosnian). 22 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  15. "Mato Jajalo produžio ugovor sa Udineseom". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 19 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  16. "Mato Jajalo napustio Udinese, ali ne i Italiju". fokus.ba (in Bosnian). 12 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  17. "Još jedna teška povreda Mate Jajala, je li ovo znači kraj velike fudbalske karijere?". oslobodjenje.ba (in Bosnian). 2 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  18. "Baždarević: Odlično je što Jajalo i Milićević žele igrati za BiH, sada je sve na njima". avaz.ba (in Bosnian). 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  19. "Mato Jajalo dobio pravo nastupa za reprezentaciju BiH". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 8 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  20. "Baždarević objavio spisak za Belgiju i Kipar". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 27 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  21. "Debakl u Briselu: Četiri gola Belgije u mreži nemoćne BiH". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 7 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  22. "Ivan Jajalo potpisao za HŠK Zrinjski". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  23. "Ivana Dolić-Jajalo: Nisam supruga nogometaša, ja sam Matina supruga". azra.ba (in Bosnian). 17 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  24. ^ "M. Jajalo". soccerway.com. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  25. "Mato Jajalo". eu-football.info. Retrieved 18 November 2019.

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