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Nikola Krstović

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Nikola Krstović
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-04-05) 5 April 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Golubovci, Montenegro, FR Yugoslavia
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Lecce
Number 9
Youth career
2014–2017 Zeta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Zeta 92 (37)
2019–2021 Red Star Belgrade 21 (2)
2020Grafičar Beograd (loan) 6 (2)
2021–2023 DAC Dunajská Streda 56 (29)
2023– Lecce 40 (9)
International career
2015–2017 Montenegro U17 9 (2)
2017–2018 Montenegro U19 5 (0)
2017–2022 Montenegro U21 27 (7)
2022– Montenegro 11 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 07:42, 22 September 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Nikola Krstović (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Никола Крстовић; born 5 April 2000) is a Montenegrin professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Lecce and the Montenegro national team. He is considered to be one of the most promising young talents in Montenegro.[1]

Club career

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FK Zeta

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On 23 April 2016, Krstović made his competitive debut for Zeta, being assigned the number 13 jersey. He came on as a second-half substitute for Filip Kukuličić in their 1–1 league draw away against Iskra Danilovgrad, becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a 1. CFL game at the age of 16 years and 18 days old.[2] Until the end of the 2015–16 Montenegrin First League, Krstović would go on to play in three more fixtures (all as a substitute) as the club hovered around the middle of the table.

On 5 November 2016, Krstović made his first appearance of the 2016–17 season, entering the field during the second half of a 1–0 home league win over Bokelj. He scored his first senior goals in March of the following year, netting a brace in a 3–0 away victory over Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje,[3] making him the first player born in the 2000s to find the back of the net in the top flight of Montenegrin football.[4] In his first full season at Zeta, Krstović played in 19 games (all in the league) and bagged seven goals.[5]

On 29 June 2017, Krstović appeared as a starter for Zeta wearing the number 9 shirt in a 1–0 away loss to Željezničar Sarajevo in the first leg of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. He later scored an equalizer in the return tie a week later at home (the game ended in a 2–2 draw).[6] In October of the same year, Krstović netted his first senior hat-trick and led his team to a 4–2 home win over Kom.[7] He tallied 15 goals in 39 matches across all competitions throughout the season.

Red Star Belgrade

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On 25 February 2019, Krstović signed with Serbian club Red Star Belgrade until the summer of 2023 with an option for another year.[8] He remained on loan at Zeta until the end of the season, becoming the Montenegrin First League top scorer with 17 goals.[9]

DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda

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On 5 September 2021, DAC has announced the signing of Krstović on a four-year contract. DAC's sporting director Jan Van Daele claimed that DAC had scouted Krstović since his youth years in Montenegro. He was given the jersey number 45. Krstović claimed gladness and honour following the contract signing.[10] In 2022–23 Fortuna Liga season, Krstović became the league's top scorer, scoring 18 goals in 27 appearances, up from 4 goals in 11 matches in the previous season.[11]

Lecce

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On 17 August 2023, he was signed by Italian Serie A side Lecce and on 27 August he scored on his debut against Fiorentina, securing a 2–2 draw. Then he scored the opening goal at the Stadio Via del mare as giallorossi beat Salernitana 2–0 and a goal in a draw against Monza (1-1), thus becoming the first Lecce player to score in his first three games with the club.

International career

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Krstović was capped for Montenegro at all youth levels from under-17 through to under-21. He made his debuts for the national under-21 team at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Memorial Tournament in June 2017, appearing in both of his side's matches whilst scoring a brace in a 3–2 victory over Slovenia U21 in the third-place game.[12] Later that year, Krstović netted a goal in a UEFA Under-21 Championship 2019 qualifier away to Bulgaria, as Montenegro suffered a 3–1 loss.[13] On 28 March 2022, he made his senior debut in a home friendly match against Greece.[14][failed verification] Krstović scored his first international goal in his fourth appearance on 24 March 2023, to give Montenegro a 1–0 win away at Bulgaria in a 2024 European Championship qualifying match.[15][better source needed]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 21 September 2024[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Zeta 2015–16 Montenegrin First League 4 0 0 0 4 0
2016–17 Montenegrin First League 19 7 0 0 19 7
2017–18 Montenegrin First League 36 13 1 1 2 1 39 15
2018–19 Montenegrin First League 33 17 4 2 37 19
Total 92 37 5 3 2 1 99 41
Red Star Belgrade 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2020–21 Serbian SuperLiga 11 1 2 1 0 0 13 2
2021–22 Serbian SuperLiga 4 1 0 0 4[b] 0 8 1
Total 21 2 2 1 4 0 27 3
Grafičar Beograd (loan) 2019–20 Serbian First League 6 2 0 0 6 2
DAC 1904 2021–22 Slovak Super Liga 26 9 0 0 26 9
2022–23 Slovak Super Liga 27 18 2 3 6[c] 5 35 26
2023–24 Slovak Super Liga 3 2 0 0 2[d] 0 5 2
Total 56 29 2 3 8 5 66 37
Lecce 2023–24 Serie A 35 7 1 0 36 7
2024–25 Serie A 5 2 1 1 6 3
Total 40 9 3 2 0 0 42 10
Career total 216 79 11 8 14 6 241 91
  1. ^ Includes Montenegrin Cup, Serbian Cup, Slovak Cup
  2. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

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As of 10 September 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Montenegro 2022 5 0
2023 6 2
Total 11 2
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 25 March 2023 Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualification
2. 7 September 2023 Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, Lithuania  Lithuania 1–1 2–2

Honours

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Red Star Belgrade

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Krstović za MONDO: Moji idoli Mitar i Zlatan…" (in Montenegrin). mondo.me. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Novi rekord u 1.CFL: Dobili smo najmlađeg debitanta" (in Serbian). cg-fudbal.com. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. ^ "ČUDO OD DETETA Ima 17 godina i 14 prvoligaških golova | Da li je ovo novi Savićević ili Mijatović?". blic.rs (in Serbian). 22 October 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Vrtić iz Golubovaca hoće u Evropu, a mogao je i do titule". Vijesti (in Serbian). 2 May 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Fudbaler rođen 2000. godine očekuje prolaz protiv Želje". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 19 June 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Nikola Krstović | biser crnogorskog fudbala". Montenegro national football team (in Serbian). 15 September 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Ovo su golovi cijele ekipe". dan.co.me (in Serbian). 23 October 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Krstović potpisao za Zvezdu". Red Star Belgrade (in Serbian). 25 February 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Foto: Novi igrač u Zvezdi!". mondo.rs (in Serbian). 25 February 2019.
  10. ^ Nagy, Krisztián. "Nikola Krstović z Crvenej Zvezdy do DAC-u". FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  11. ^ Antol, Miroslav (24 May 2023). "Najlepší strelec ligy Nikola Krstovič o budúcnosti v DAC: Chcem zostať, ale…". Aktuality.sk. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Krstović nastavio da rešeta: Crna Gora bolja od Slovenije". Vijesti (in Serbian). 8 June 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Kažnjeni za promašaje". Montenegrin Football Association (in Serbian). 14 November 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Nikola Krstović, international football player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  15. ^ UEFA.com. "Bulgaria-Montenegro | European Qualifiers 2024". UEFA. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Nikola Krstović" (in Montenegrin). fscg.me. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  17. ^ "Nikola Krstovič Hráčom mesiaca júl 2022". Fortuna liga (in Slovak). Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Nikola Krstovič vyhral druhýkrát v sezóne anketu Voyo Hráč mesiaca". Fortuna liga (in Slovak). Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Hetrik Nikolu Krstoviča. Po tretíkrát Voyo Hráčom mesiaca". Fortuna liga (in Slovak). Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Nikola Krstovič víťazom ankety Gól mesiaca máj 2022".
  21. ^ "Nožničky Nikolu Krstoviča Gólom mesiaca júl 2022". Fortuna liga (in Slovak). Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Najlepší kanonieri". Fortuna Liga (in Slovak). 1 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Jedenastka sezony..." Fortuna liga. 21 May 2023.
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