Mato Jajalo

Mato Jajalo (Bosnian pronunciation: [mâːto jǎjalo]; born 25 May 1988) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Udinese and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Mato Jajalo
Jajalo in 2010
Personal information
Full name Mato Jajalo
Date of birth (1988-05-25) 25 May 1988
Place of birth Jajce, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Udinese
Number 8
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– Udinese 27 (0)
National team‡
2008–2009 Croatia U20 7 (1)
2007–2010 Croatia U21 21 (4)
2014–2015 Croatia 2 (0)
2016– Bosnia and Herzegovina 11 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 November 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2019

Jajalo started his professional career at Slaven Belupo, before joining Siena in 2009. Two years later, he signed with 1. FC Köln, who loaned him to Sarajevo in 2014. Later that year, he was transferred to Rijeka. A year later, Jajalo moved to Palermo. In 2019, he switched to Udinese.

A former Croatian youth international, Jajalo even made his senior international debut for Croatia, only to switch his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016, earning 11 caps since.

Club career

Early career

Due to Bosnian War, Jajalo's family fled to Germany in 1990 when he was just two years old. He grew up in Offenbach and started playing football at a local club DJK Eiche Offenbach. When he was eleven years old, the family moved again, settling down close to Koprivnica in Croatia.[1] Jajalo rose through the ranks of Slaven Belupo and made his professional debut against Osijek on 22 July 2007 at the age of 19.[2] On 5 August, he scored his first professional goal against Zagreb.[3]

In June 2009, Jajalo joined Italian team Siena.[4]

In July 2010, he was sent on a season-long loan to German side 1. FC Köln, with an option to make the transfer permanent, which was activated the following year.[5] In February 2014, Jajalo was loaned to Bosnian outfit Sarajevo until the end of season.[6]

In June 2014, he moved Rijeka.[7]

Palermo

On 28 January 2015, Jajalo joined Palermo on a contract until June 2019.[8] Three days later, he made his competitive debut for the club in a narrow win against Hellas Verona.[9] On 24 May 2015, he scored his first goal for the team, in a defeat to Fiorentina.[10]

In spite of Palermo's relegation to Serie B in April 2017, Jajalo decided to stay at the club.[11]

On 3 April 2018, he played his 100th game for the team against Parma.[12]

Udinese

On 11 June 2019, Jajalo signed a three-year deal with Udinese.[13] He made his official debut for the club in Coppa Italia game against Südtirol on 18 August.[14] A week later, he made his league debut in a triumph over Milan.[15]

International career

After representing Croatia on various youth levels, Jajalo made his senior international debut in a friendly game against Argentina on 12 November 2014. He also served as captain of the under-21 team under coach Dražen Ladić.[16] However, in March 2016, he decided that he would play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.[17]

In July, his application to change sports citizenship from Croatian to Bosnian was approved by FIFA.[18] Subsequently, in September, he received his first senior call-up, for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Belgium and Cyprus.[19] Jajalo debuted in an away loss to former on 7 October.[20]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 29 November 2020[21]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Slaven Belupo 2007–08 1. HNL 3143030–374
2008–09 1. HNL 3242040–384
Total 6385070–758
Siena 2009–10 Serie A 25010––260
1. FC Köln (loan) 2010–11 Bundesliga 30230––332
1. FC Köln 2011–12 Bundesliga 31322––335
2012–13 Bundesliga 24020––260
2013–14 2. Bundesliga 5010––60
Total 90582––987
Sarajevo (loan) 2013–14 Bosnian Premier League 9061––151
Rijeka 2014–15 1. HNL 181211201[lower-alpha 1]0332
Palermo 2014–15 Serie A 161–––161
2015–16 Serie A 28010––290
2016–17 Serie A 26100––261
2017–18 Serie B 35120–4[lower-alpha 2]0411
2018–19 Serie B 33320––353
Total 138650–401476
Udinese 2019–20 Serie A 26020––280
2020–21 Serie A 1010––20
Total 27030––300
Career total 370203041905042424
  1. Appearance in 2014 Croatian Super Cup
  2. Appearances in 2017–18 Serie B promotion play-offs

International
As of match played 18 November 2019[22]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
201620
201750
201800
201940
Total110

Honours

Sarajevo[21]

Rijeka[21]

References
  1. "Jajalova ispovijed: Nogomet sam počeo igrati kao bosanski izbjeglica na ulicama Offenbacha". index.hr (in Croatian). 13 January 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  2. "Mato Jajalo novi zmaj: Šta dobijamo s veznjakom Palerma?". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 27 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  3. "Slaven u Kranjčevićevoj bolji od Ćirinih pjesnika". index.hr (in Croatian). 5 August 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
  4. "Jajalo iz Slaven Belupa potpisao za Sienu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 1 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  5. "Köln ne računa na Jajala". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 19 June 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  6. "Igrač Kölna Mato Jajalo je novo pojačanje Sarajeva". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 8 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  7. "Mato Jajalo novi član Rijeke". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  8. "Mato Jajalo potpisao za Palermo". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 28 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  9. "Jajalo nakon debija za Palermo otkrio: Uzori su mi Prosinečki i Modrić". index.hr (in Croatian). 3 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  10. "Jajalo zabio golčinu, Fiorentina i Genoa izborile Europu". index.hr (in Croatian). 24 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  11. "Jajalo: Cilj je Serie A, dužni smo to ovom gradu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 10 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  12. "Maestralna asistencija Jajala u derbiju Serie B". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 3 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  13. "Mato Jajalo napustio Palermo i potpisao za Udinese". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  14. "Udinese ubjedljiv protiv niželigaša u italijanskom kupu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 18 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  15. "Jajalo i Udinese iznenadili Milan, Krunić će sačekati na debi". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 25 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  16. "Prvi nastup u dresu BiH: Mato Jajalo debitovao za Zmajeve protiv Belgije". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 7 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  17. "Fudbaler Palerma Mato Jajalo u budućnosti nastupa za BiH". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 2 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  18. "Može igrati za BiH: Jajalo dobio dozvolu od FIFA-e". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 8 July 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  19. "Baždarević objavio spisak igrača za Belgiju i Kipar, pozvao Jajala, povratak Sušića i Hajrovića". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 27 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  20. "Katastrofa BiH u Briselu: Zmajevi poniženi od Belgije!". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 7 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  21. "M. Jajalo". soccerway.com. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  22. "Mato Jajalo". eu-football.info. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
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