Simon Sluga
{{short description|Croatian professional footballer (born 1993)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Simon Sluga
| image = Simon Sluga5 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Sluga playing for Croatia U19 at the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|3|17|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/player/_/id/177882/simon-sluga |title=Simon Sluga: Overview |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=17 September 2020}}
| birth_place = Rijeka, Croatia
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2003–2008
| youthclubs1 = Jadran Poreč
| youthyears2 = 2008–2013
| youthclubs2 = Rijeka
| youthyears3 = 2011–2012
| youthclubs3 = → Juventus Primavera (loan)
| youthyears4 = 2012–2013
| youthclubs4 = → Verona Primavera (loan)
| years1 = 2013–2019
| clubs1 = Rijeka
| caps1 = 64
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2013–2014
| clubs2 = → Pomorac (loan)
| caps2 = 31
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2014–2015
| clubs3 = → Lokomotiva (loan)
| caps3 = 26
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2015–2016
| clubs4 = → Spezia (loan)
| caps4 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2019–2022
| clubs5 = Luton Town
| caps5 = 91
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2022–2024
| clubs6 = Ludogorets Razgrad
| caps6 = 20
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2024–2025
| clubs7 = Maccabi Tel Aviv
| caps7 = 16
| goals7 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2009–2010
| nationalteam1 = Croatia U17
| nationalcaps1 = 5
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2011
| nationalteam2 = Croatia U18
| nationalcaps2 = 2
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2011–2012
| nationalteam3 = Croatia U19
| nationalcaps3 = 9
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2012–2013
| nationalteam4 = Croatia U20
| nationalcaps4 = 8
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 2012–2014
| nationalteam5 = Croatia U21
| nationalcaps5 = 3
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| nationalyears6 = 2019–2022
| nationalteam6 = Croatia
| nationalcaps6 = 3
| nationalgoals6 = 0
| club-update = 12:00, 18 October 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 20:22, 31 January 2022 (UTC)
}}
Simon Sluga ({{IPA|hr|sǐmon slǔːɡa}};{{cite web|url=http://hjp.znanje.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=d19iXBQ%3D&keyword=Simeon|title=Simèon|quote=Sìmon|website=Hrvatski jezični portal|accessdate=23 February 2020|language=hr}}{{cite web|url=http://hjp.znanje.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=d11nWhk%3D&keyword=sluga|title=slúga|quote=Slúga|website=Hrvatski jezični portal|accessdate=23 February 2020|language=hr}} born 17 March 1993) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Club career
=Rijeka=
In the first two seasons of his professional career HNK Rijeka loaned Sluga to Juventus Primavera and Verona Primavera. During the 2013–14 season he was loaned to NK Pomorac in Croatia's Druga HNL where he collected 31 caps and managed 17 clean sheets. He spent the 2014–15 Prva HNL on loan to NK Lokomotiva where he was capped on 26 occasions. He returned to Rijeka following the end of the loan and recorded his official game début on 19 July 2015 against Slaven Belupo. In August 2015, he was loaned to Spezia Calcio in Italy's Serie B.
=Luton Town=
On 19 July 2019, Sluga joined newly-promoted Championship side Luton Town for a club record fee of €1.5 million, signing a three-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2019/july/simon-sluga/|title=THE HATTERS BREAK TRANSFER RECORD TO SIGN SIMON SLUGA!|publisher=Luton Town F.C.|date=19 July 2019|accessdate=19 July 2019}} On 2 August 2019, Sluga made his first appearance for Luton in a 3–3 draw against Middlesbrough.{{cite web|publisher=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49122731|title=Luton Town 3-3 Middlesbrough: Championship season starts with thrilling draw|date=2 August 2019}}
=Ludogrets Razgrad=
On 31 January 2022, Sluga joined First Professional Football League club Ludogorets Razgrad. {{cite web|url=https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2022/january/sluga/|title=Simon Sluga joins Ludogorets on permanent transfer|website=www.lutontown.co.uk|date=31 January 2022}} {{cite web|url=https://www.ludogorets.com/bg/news/?i=4647|title=Лудогорец привлече хърватски национал от Англия|trans-title=Ludogorets attracted a Croatian international from England|website=www.ludogorets.com/bg|language=Bulgarian|date=31 January 2022}}
=Maccabi Tel Aviv=
On 17 October 2024, Sluga joined Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv on a contract until the end of the 2024–25 season. {{cite web|url=https://www.maccabi-tlv.co.il/en/2024/10/sluga-joins-maccabi/|title=Sluga joins Maccabi|website=www.maccabi-tlv.co.il/en|date=17 October 2024|accessdate=18 October 2024}}
International career
He made his debut for Croatia on 11 June 2019 in a friendly against Tunisia, as a starter.{{cite web|publisher=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/match?gameId=536880|title=Croatia v Tunisia game report|date=11 June 2019}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|18 October 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="7"|Rijeka
|0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16
|Prva HNL |2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|name=UEL|Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17
|Prva HNL |0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18
|Prva HNL |27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 9{{efn|Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, three in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|Prva HNL |35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|name=UEL}} | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/players/simon-sluga/196264/ |title=S. Sluga: Summary |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |accessdate=7 May 2022}}
|Prva HNL |colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in Croatian Football Super Cup}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!64||0||9||0||colspan="2"|—||13||0||86||0 | ||||||||||
| Pomorac (loan)
|31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 0 | |||
| Lokomotiva (loan)
|Prva HNL |26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 0 | |||
| Spezia (loan)
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Luton Town
|2019–20{{soccerbase season|79552|2019|accessdate=11 November 2020}} |33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21{{soccerbase season|79552|2020|accessdate=8 August 2021}}
|Championship |39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22{{soccerbase season|79552|2021|accessdate=31 January 2022}}
|Championship |19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 19 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!91||0||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||94||0 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="4"|Ludogorets Razgrad
|First Professional Football League |2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|First Professional Football League |3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24
|First Professional Football League |15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 5{{efn|Two appearances in UEFA Europe League, three appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!20 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv
|16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 0 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!248||0||27||0||0||0||22||0||297||0 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|match played 11 November 2020}}{{NFT player |id=74599 |name=Sluga, Simon |access-date=31 January 2022}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2"|Croatia
|2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total||3||0 |
Honours
HNK Rijeka
Individual
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
{{commons category}}
- {{hrnogomet}}
{{Croatia squad UEFA Euro 2020}}
{{Luton Town F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sluga, Simon}}
Category:Footballers from Istria County
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Croatian men's footballers
Category:21st-century Croatian sportsmen
Category:Croatia men's youth international footballers
Category:Croatia men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Croatia men's international footballers
Category:UEFA Euro 2020 players
Category:NK Pomorac 1921 players
Category:NK Lokomotiva Zagreb players
Category:Spezia Calcio players
Category:Luton Town F.C. players
Category:PFC Ludogorets Razgrad players
Category:Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. players
Category:First Football League (Croatia) players
Category:Croatian Football League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
Category:Israeli Premier League players
Category:Croatian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Israel
Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in England