Branislav Niňaj
{{short description|Slovak international footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Branislav Niňaj
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|5|17|df=y}}[http://www.talenty-info.sk/index.php/futbal/futbal-profily/238 Branislav Niňaj] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502092318/http://www.talenty-info.sk/index.php/futbal/futbal-profily/238 |date=2012-05-02 }} 02.03.2013, talenty-info.sk
| birth_place = Bratislava, Slovakia
| height = 1.91 m
| currentclub = Sepsi OSK
| clubnumber = 82
| position = Centre-back
| youthyears1 = 2002–2010 | youthclubs1 = Jozef Vengloš Academy
| youthyears2 = 2010–2011 | youthclubs2 = Petržalka 1898
| youthyears3 = 2012 | youthclubs3 = Slovan Bratislava
| years1 = 2011–2012 | clubs1 = Petržalka 1898 | caps1 = 10 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2012–2015 | clubs2 = Slovan Bratislava | caps2 = 58 | goals2 = 6
| years3 = 2012–2015 | clubs3 = Slovan Bratislava B | caps3 = 3 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2015–2018 | clubs4 = Lokeren | caps4 = 38 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2017 | clubs5 = → Osmanlıspor (loan) | caps5 = 1 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2018 | clubs6 = → Žilina B (loan) | caps6 = 2 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2018–2021 | clubs7 = Fortuna Sittard | caps7 = 53 | goals7 = 3
| years8 = 2021– | clubs8 = Sepsi OSK | caps8 = 137 | goals8 = 2
|nationalyears1 = |nationalteam1 = Slovakia U17 |nationalcaps1 = |nationalgoals1 =
|nationalyears2 = 2012 |nationalteam2 = Slovakia U18 |nationalcaps2 = 2 |nationalgoals2 = 0
|nationalyears3 = 2013 |nationalteam3 = Slovakia U19 |nationalcaps3 = 4 |nationalgoals3 = 0
|nationalyears4 = 2013–2017 |nationalteam4 = Slovakia U21 |nationalcaps4 = 27 |nationalgoals4 = 1
|nationalyears5 = 2013–2020 |nationalteam5 = Slovakia |nationalcaps5 = 3 |nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 18 April 2025
| nationalteam-update = 11 October 2020
}}
Branislav Niňaj (born 17 May 1994) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga I club Sepsi OSK.
Early career
In summer 2012, he moved from Petržalka 1898 to the fellow Bratislava team Slovan Bratislava.[http://sport.aktuality.sk/c/134088/slovan-ziskal-talentovaneho-branislava-ninaja-z-petrzalky/ Slovan získal talentovaného Branislava Niňaja z Petržalky] 02.03.2013, sport.aktuality.sk He made his Corgoň Liga debut for Slovan 2013 against ViOn Zlaté Moravce on 1 March 2013, Slovan won this match 4–1.
International career
Niňaj made an unexpected international debut under Ján Kozák on 19 November 2013 in a memorable first UEFA-recognised match against Gibraltar (0–0), when he tactically replaced Jakub Sylvestr in the 85th minute.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.sme.sk/c/7011620/slovaci-gibraltaru-gol-nedali-pred-350-divakmi-remizovali-00.html|title=Slováci Gibraltáru gól nedali, pred 350 divákmi remizovali 0:0|last=a.s|first=Petit Press|website=sport.sme.sk|language=sk|access-date=2019-05-29}} However, he failed to make another appearance under Kozák until his resignation in October 2018.
After Niňaj joined Fortuna Sittard, where he experienced an incomparably more successful season to the previous ones, he was again nominated to the national team, initially as an alternate.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.sme.sk/c/20952465/slovensko-nominacia-proti-ukrajine-a-cesku-ln-uefa.html|title=Stoch sa vracia do reprezentácie. Hapal oznámil nomináciu|last=a.s|first=Petit Press|website=sport.sme.sk|language=sk|access-date=2019-05-29}} Niňaj's first nomination to the national team nomination after over 5 years happened on 28 May 2019 when coach Pavel Hapal called him up for a double fixture in June - a home friendly against Jordan, to which, unusually, 29 players were called-up and a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying fixture against Azerbaijan, played away on 11 June 2019. The squad was to be reduced to 23 players for the latter fixture.{{Cite web|url=https://www.futbalsfz.sk/sr-a-v-hapalovej-nominacii-29-hracov-po-jordansku-sa-zuzi-na-23|title=SR A – V Hapalovej nominácii 29 hráčov, po Jordánsku sa zúži na 23 {{!}} Slovenský futbalový zväz|website=www.futbalsfz.sk|access-date=2019-05-29}}
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played on 18 April 2025}}{{soccerway |id=272799 |name=Branislav Ňinaj }}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Club statistics | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Slovan Bratislava
|rowspan="3"|Slovak First Football League |5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14
|31 | 4 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2014–15
|22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1{{efn|Appearance in the Slovak Super Cup}} | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!58 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 6 | |
| Slovan Bratislava B
|3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Lokeren
|18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17
|20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 20 | 1 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| Osmanlıspor (loan)
|1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 4 | 0 | |||
| Žilina B (loan)
|2. Liga |2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="4"|Fortuna Sittard
|rowspan="3"|Eredivisie |21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2019–20
|24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21
|8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!53 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 3 | |
| rowspan="6"|Sepsi OSK
|rowspan="5"|Liga I |16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|appearance in Liga I play-offs for UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23
|34 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24
|32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1{{efn|Appearance in the Supercupa României}} | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 2024–25
|30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 1 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!137 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 156 | 3 | |
| colspan="3"|Career totals
!292 | 12 | 27 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 336 | 13 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played on 11 November 2020.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/54149/Branislav_Ninaj.html|title=Ninaj, Branislav|website=national-football-teams.com|access-date=6 October 2022}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=3|Slovakia
|2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total||3||0 |
Honours
Slovan Bratislava
Sepsi OSK
External links
- {{Soccerway|branislav-inaj/272799}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninaj, Branislav}}
Category:Footballers from Bratislava
Category:Slovak men's footballers
Category:Slovakia men's international footballers
Category:Slovakia men's youth international footballers
Category:Slovakia men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:ŠK Slovan Bratislava players
Category:K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen players
Category:Ankaraspor footballers
Category:Fortuna Sittard players
Category:Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe players
Category:2. Liga (Slovakia) players
Category:Slovak First Football League players
Category:Belgian Pro League players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Category:Slovak expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
Category:Slovak expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Category:Slovak expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Romania
Category:Slovak expatriate sportspeople in Romania
Category:21st-century Slovak sportsmen
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