Matija Nastasić

Matija Nastasić (Serbian Cyrillic: Матија Настасић, pronounced [mǎtija nǎstasitɕ]; born 28 March 1993) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for German club Schalke 04 and the Serbia national team as a centre back.

Matija Nastasić
Nastasić training with Schalke 04 in 2015
Personal information
Full name Matija Nastasić[1]
Date of birth (1993-03-28) 28 March 1993
Place of birth Valjevo, FR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Playing position(s) Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Schalke 04
Number 5
Youth career
2000–2008 ZSK Valjevo
2008–2010 Partizan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Partizan 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Teleoptik (loan) 21 (0)
2011–2012 Fiorentina 26 (2)
2012–2014 Manchester City 34 (0)
2015– Schalke 04 107 (1)
National team‡
2009–2010 Serbia U17 9 (2)
2010–2011 Serbia U19 3 (0)
2011–2013 Serbia U21 6 (1)
2012– Serbia 28 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 May 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 September 2019

He began his career at Partizan, and after a loan to Teleoptik joined Fiorentina in 2011. After one season there he transferred to Manchester City for €15 million and a swap with Stefan Savić, winning the Premier League in 2014, despite injury problems. In 2015, he joined Schalke, initially on loan.

Nastasić made his senior international debut for Serbia in 2012, and has gone on to earn over 25 caps.

Club career

Partizan

Matija Nastasić is a product of Partizan youth academy. Unable to find space in the Partizan first team setup, he was sent out on loan to Serbian second division side FK Teleoptik from Zemun. There, the young, left footed centre back made 21 appearances and caught the eye of Fiorentina sporting director at that time, Pantaleo Corvino, who signed him in a deal for €4 million.[3]

Fiorentina

Nastasić spent some time in the Fiorentina youth side but, due to a lack of quality centre backs in the squad and suspensions and injuries, he trained with the first team on many occasions. Fellow Serbian and Fiorentina manager Siniša Mihajlović handed him his Serie A debut on 11 September 2011 in a 2–0 win against Bologna. He went on to make a further 25 appearances that season but one stood out more than any and it was during this performance that he announced himself to Italian and World football. It was a match between La Viola and Milan at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Nastasić showed many of his qualities - tackling, comfort on the ball, tactical astuteness. It was these qualities that led to a deadline day transfer to English side Manchester City in a move worth €24.4 million,[4] excluding the value of Stefan Savić who was given to Fiorentina as part of the exchange.[5]

Manchester City
Nastasić with Manchester City in 2013

Nastasić signed a five-year contract with new club Manchester City, ending on 30 June 2017. He was part of an exchange deal with Stefan Savić.[6] He made his debut for the club on 18 September 2012, starting in a Champions League away fixture against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. He made his Premier League debut on 29 September in a 2–1 win against Fulham.[7] He cemented his place in the starting XI and his great form won him the club's Player of the Month Award for November. Quickly becoming a fan favourite,[8] the youngster pushed 30-year-old Joleon Lescott out of the starting lineup in centre-back position and was selected to start in the 2013 FA Cup Final, a 1–0 defeat by Wigan Athletic. In May 2013, he was named Manchester City's Young Player of the Season.[9]

Nastasić had a less successful season in 2013–14, missing the majority of the campaign through injury.[10] He made 13 league appearances and Manchester City won the Premier League title.[11]

Schalke 04

On 13 January 2015, having not featured for City during the season, he was loaned to German club Schalke 04 for its remainder.[12] He made his debut on 31 January, starting in a 1–0 home win over Hannover 96.[13] Having not featured in the Champions League that season, he featured in both legs of Schalke's elimination by Real Madrid in the Last 16.

On 11 March 2015, Schalke 04 activated the transfer clause on his loan deal, believed to be €12 million, and Nastasić signed a four-year contract with the German club.[14][15]

On 8 August 2015, Nastasić marked his season debut by scoring his first goal for the club, in a 5–0 win at MSV Duisburg in the first round of the DFB-Pokal.[16]

In June 2018, along with goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann, Nastasić sign a contract extension with Schalke to stay with the club until the summer of 2022.[17][18]

International career

Having already represented Serbia's youth sides,[19] Nastasić made his debut for the Serbian national team on 29 February 2012, in a match against Cyprus.[20]

In May 2018 he was named in Serbia’s preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but he failed to make the 23-final squad.[21]

Career statistics

Club
Nastasić in City colours, facing Real Madrid in 2012
Nastasić playing for Schalke 04 in 2018
As of match played on 27 May 2020.[19]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Teleoptik 2009–10Serbian First League 90———90
2010–11Serbian First League 12000——120
Total 21000——210
Fiorentina 2011–12Serie A 25220——272
2012–13Serie A 1010——20
Total 26230——292
Manchester City 2012–13Premier League 21030501[lower-alpha 1]0300
2013–14Premier League 13020401[lower-alpha 1]0200
2014–15Premier League 0000001[lower-alpha 2]010
Total 340509030510
Schalke 04 2014–15Bundesliga 1600020—180
2015–16Bundesliga 101100—21
2016–17Bundesliga 22030100—350
2017–18Bundesliga 24030——270
2018–19Bundesliga 2813060—371
2019–20Bundesliga 16040——200
Total 1071141180—1392
Career total 1883221270302404
  1. Appearances in League Cup
  2. Appearance in FA Community Shield

International
As of match played 7 September 2019[22]
Serbian national team
YearAppsGoals
201260
201370
201430
201530
201640
201730
201810
201910
Total280

Honours

Manchester City

Individual

References
  1. "Barclays Premier League Squad Numbers 2013/14". Premier League. 16 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  2. "Matija Nastasic Player Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  3. ACF Fiorentina S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2011, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  4. ACF Fiorentina S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2012, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  5. "Summer 2012 British Transfers". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  6. "Manchester City sign Matija Nastasic as Stefan Savic departs for Fiorentina". The Telegraph. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  7. "Fulham 1-2 Manchester City" BBC Sport. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  8. "Matija Nastasic has been voted as the Etihad Player of the Month for November". Manchester City F.C. official website. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  9. "Brazil World Cup squad: Scolari leaves out Kaká and Philippe Coutinho". Manchester City Football Club. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  10. "Pellegrini admits Nastasic injury is still baffling City". Manchester Evening News. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  11. "Games played by Matija Nastasic in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  12. "Manchester City loan Matija Nastasic to Schalke". BBC Sport. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  13. "TEN-MAN SCHALKE HOLD ON TO BEAT HANNOVER". Bundesliga. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  14. Uersfeld, Stephan. "Matija Nastasic signs for Schalke from Man City in permanent transfer". ESPN FC. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  15. Akerman, Nick (25 March 2015). "Matija Nastasic Transfer Clause Activated by Schalke". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  16. "Wolfsburg, Leverkusen, Schalke all win DFB-Pokal openers; Hoffenheim lose". ESPN FC. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  17. "Matija Nastasic and Ralf Fährmann extend contracts to 2022". Schalke 04. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  18. "Schalke extend Nastasic, Fahrmann contracts". Sports Star. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  19. "Serbia - M.Nastasić - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  20. Mondo (Serbian): Matija Nastasić ponos Valjeva 3 January 2013
  21. "Један тим, срцем свим – Младен Крстајић одабрао" [One team, with all their hearts – Mladen Krstajić selects]. FSS.rs (in Serbian). Football Association of Serbia. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  22. "Matija Nastasić". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
  23. "Matija Nastasic: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
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