Sead Kolašinac (; born 20 June 1993) is a Bosnian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
left-back for
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
club
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
and the
Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Kolašinac started his professional career at
Schalke 04, playing first in its
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
, before joining
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in 2017. In 2021, he was loaned back to Schalke 04. The following year, he moved to Marseille.
A former German youth international, Kolašinac made his senior international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013, earning over 50
caps since. He represented the nation at their first major championship, the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
.
Club career
Schalke 04
![Sead Kolašinac S04 2015 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Sead_Kola%C5%A1inac_S04_2015_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Kolašinac started playing football at his hometown club
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. Domestically, the club was crowned German champion in 1909, and won the D ...
, which he joined in 2001. In 2009, he moved to
1899 Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg.
Originally founded in 1899 ...
. A year later, he switched to
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's football team is currently part of Germany's first division, the Bundesliga. VfB Stu ...
. In January 2011, he went to
Schalke 04. He made his professional debut against
Greuther Fürth on 15 September 2012 at the age of 19. On 4 December, Kolašinac debuted in
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
away at
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
.
In June 2013, he extended his contract until June 2017.
In August 2014, he suffered a severe knee injury, which was diagnosed as
anterior cruciate ligament tear and was ruled out for at least six months. He returned to the pitch on 11 April 2015, over seven months after the injury.
On 13 December 2015, he scored his first professional goal against
FC Augsburg
Fußball-Club Augsburg 1907 e. V., commonly known as FC Augsburg () or Augsburg, is a German football club based in Augsburg, Bavaria. FC Augsburg play in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. The team was founded as ...
.
Arsenal
![Kolasinac 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Kolasinac_2017.jpg)
In June 2017, Kolašinac signed a five-year deal with English side
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
.
2017–18 season
He made his official debut for the club in
2017 FA Community Shield
The 2017 FA Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield supported by McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 95th FA Community Shield, an annual Association football, football match played between the winners of the previous seaso ...
against
Chelsea on 6 August, managed to score a goal and win his first trophy. A week later, he made his league debut against
Leicester City.
In September 2017, he was voted Arsenal's Player of the Month for August.
On 28 October, he scored his first league goal for the team in a triumph over
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
.
He was once again voted Arsenal's Player of the Month, this time for October.
2018–19 season
In August 2018, Kolašinac picked up a knee injury during pre-season game against Chelsea, which ruled him out for the start of season. He made his season debut in
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
game against
Qarabağ on 4 October.
2019–20 season
Kolašinac played his first game of the campaign in a defeat of
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
on 17 August 2019.
On 15 July 2020, he played his 100th game for the side against
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.
2020–21 season
Kolašinac appeared in his first game of the season on 19 September against
West Ham United.
In January 2021, he was sent on a six-month loan to his former club Schalke 04. He played his first competitive game for the team since coming back on 9 January against 1899 Hoffenheim. On 27 February, he scored his first goal for Schalke 04 since his comeback in a victory over VfB Stuttgart.
2021–22 season
Kolašinac debuted in the season against
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
on 28 August 2021.
In November, he suffered an ankle injury, which was diagnosed as
broken ankle
An ankle fracture is a break of one or more of the bones that make up the ankle joint. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, bruising, and an inability to walk on the injured leg. Complications may include an associated high ankle sprain, compartme ...
and was ruled out for at least two months.
Marseille
In January 2022, Kolašinac moved to French outfit
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
on a contract until June 2023. He debuted officially for the team on 4 February against
Angers. On 13 November, he scored his first goal for Marseille against
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, which secured the victory for his side.
International career
Despite representing
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
at various youth levels, Kolašinac decided to play for
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
at senior level.
In November 2013, his request to change sports citizenship from German to Bosnian was approved by
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
. Later that month, he received his first senior call-up, for a
friendly
Friendly may refer to:
Places
* Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England
* Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States
* ...
game against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and debuted in that game on 18 November.
In June 2014, Kolašinac was named in Bosnia and Herzegovina's squad for
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
, country's first major competition. He made his tournament debut in the opening group match against Argentina on 15 June.
Style of play
During his career, Kolašinac has been deployed as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
and as a
defensive midfielder, although he spent most of the time playing as a
left-back. He possesses very strong body build and strength.
Media
Kolašinac was involved in the
Amazon Original
In 2013, Amazon.com began distributing original television shows through its Amazon Prime Video service, some of which are developed in-house by Amazon Studios.
Original programming Drama
Comedy
Animation Adult animation
Anime
Kids & fa ...
sports
docuseries ''
All or Nothing: Arsenal'', which documented the club by spending time with the coaching staff and players behind the scenes both on and off the field throughout their
2021–22 season.
Personal life
Kolašinac married his long-time girlfriend Susubelle in June 2019. Together they have a daughter named Soleil.
He is a practising
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
; along with international teammates
Ibrahim Šehić
Ibrahim Šehić (; born 2 September 1988) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Süper Lig club Konyaspor and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Šehić started his professional career at Željezničar, bef ...
,
Muhamed Bešić
Muhamed Bešić (; born 10 September 1992) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Ferencváros and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Bešić started his professional caree ...
,
Armin Hodžić
Armin Hodžić (; born 17 November 1994) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bosnian Premier League club Željezničar.
Hodžić started his professional career at Željezničar, before joining Dinamo Zagreb in 2014. ...
,
Izet Hajrović
Izet Hajrović (; born 4 August 1991) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Super League Greece club Aris and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Hajrović started his professional career at Grasshoppers, befor ...
,
Edin Višća
Edin Višća (; born 17 February 1990) is a Bosnian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor.
Višća started his professional career at FK Budućnost Banovići, Budu ...
and
Ervin Zukanović
Ervin Zukanović (; born 11 February 1987) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Super League Greece club Asteras Tripolis.
Zukanović started his professional career at Željezničar. After leaving the club, he h ...
he visited a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in
Zenica
Zenica ( ; ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna (river), Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. Th ...
during national team concentration.
In July 2019, he and his then teammate
Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir. Özil is known for his technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision. He can ...
were victims of an attempted
carjacking, which Kolašinac successfully fought off.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Arsenal
[
*]FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
: 2019–20
*FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...
: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolasinac, Sead
1993 births
Living people
Footballers from Karlsruhe
Footballers from Baden-Württemberg
German people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent
Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina through descent
German footballers
Germany youth international footballers
German expatriate footballers
Bosnia and Herzegovina footballers
Bosnia and Herzegovina international footballers
Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate footballers
Association football fullbacks
FC Schalke 04 II players
FC Schalke 04 players
Arsenal F.C. players
Olympique de Marseille players
Regionalliga players
Bundesliga players
Premier League players
Ligue 1 players
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in France
German expatriate sportspeople in England
German expatriate sportspeople in France
Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in England
Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate sportspeople in France
2014 FIFA World Cup players
FA Cup Final players