Marko Pajač (Croatian pronunciation: [mâːrko pǎjatʃ];[2][3] born 11 May 1993) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a left back for Lokomotiva.
 Pajač with Croatia U19 in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marko Pajač[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 11 May 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, Croatia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lokomotiva | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2006 | Zelina | ||
| 2006–2012 | Varteks / Varaždin | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Varaždin | 10 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Lokomotiva | 18 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | → Radnik Sesvete (loan) | 24 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | Videoton | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Celje | 19 | (4) |
| 2016–2021 | Cagliari | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Benevento (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | → Perugia (loan) | 36 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Empoli (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2019–2020 | → Genoa (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Brescia | 57 | (3) |
| 2022–2024 | Genoa | 10 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Reggiana (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2024– | Lokomotiva | 2 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2011 | Croatia U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Croatia U19 | 12 | (4) |
| 2012–2013 | Croatia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Croatia U21 | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 November 2024 | |||
Club career
editPajač came up through the Varteks youth academy, starting in 2006. The organization lost its major sponsor, the Varteks clothes factory, and changed its name to NK Varaždin in June 2010, just a month before Pajač signed a scholarship contract with them.[4] He made his debut for the first team against Lusitanos on 30 June 2011 in the first qualifying round of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League as a second-half substitute. Varaždin won the match 5–1, with Pajač sent-off in the stoppage time for a professional foul.[5] The following month, Pajač signed a professional contract with Varaždin.[6] After the financially struggling Varaždin was expelled from the 2011–12 Prva HNL, Pajač signed a five-year contract with Lokomotiva in June 2012.[7]
On 29 August 2014, Pajač signed a three-year contract with the Hungarian club Videoton.
On 31 January 2019, Pajac joined Empoli on loan with an option to buy until 30 June 2019.[8]
On 20 August 2019, Pajač joined Genoa on loan with an option to buy.[9]
On 1 February 2021, Pajač completed a move to Brescia.
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 1 February 2021[11]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Varaždin | 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2012–13 | Prva HNL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |||
| Radnik Sesvete (loan) | 2012–13 | Druga HNL | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| Videoton | 2014–15 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| NK Celje | 2015–16 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 19 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 23 | 5 | |
| Cagliari | 2016–17 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Benevento (loan) | 2016–17 | Serie B | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Perugia (loan) | 2017–18 | Serie B | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| Empoli (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 2 | ||
| Genoa (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Brescia | 2020–21 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 148 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 168 | 14 | ||
- ^ Appearance in the Europa League
- ^ Appearance in the Champions League
References
edit- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Croatia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2013. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Mȃrko". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018.
Mȃrko
- ^ "Pȁvao". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018.
Pàjač
- ^ Strahija, Ivana (17 July 2010). "Varteksova budućnost". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Strahija, Ivana (30 June 2011). "Varaždinci bez puno muke". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Špac, Luka (21 July 2011). "Varaždinski nogometaši bez podcijenjivanja protiv Moldavaca". eVarazdin.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Piršljin, Josip (22 June 2012). "Tomislav Barbarić preselio u Lokomotivu, s Jurićem raskinut ugovor". Sportnet.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ^ "UFFICIALE: Empoli scatenato, dal Cagliari arriva anche Pajac" (in Italian). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "UFFICIALE: Genoa, preso Pajac per la fascia sinistra di Andreazzoli". Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "UFFICIALE: MARCO PAJAC TORNA IN ROSSOBLU'" (in Italian). Genoa. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Marko Pajac > Club Matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
External links
edit- Marko Pajač at the Croatian Football Federation
- Marko Pajač at Soccerway
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