Vasilj: The undisputed support of FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga!

Vasilj: The undisputed support of FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga!

FC St. Pauli is lucky to have Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in its ranks. Since his move from Ukrainian first division club FC Zorya Luhansk in the summer of 2021, Vasilj, born on December 2, 1995, has become the absolute key person between the posts. At the beginning, the goalscorer was largely unknown, but St. Pauli's sports director at the time knew him from their time together at 1. FC Nürnberg, which turned out to be a real stroke of luck.

He made his debut for FC St. Pauli on July 25, 2021 against Holstein Kiel. In this game, Vasilj immediately showed what he was made of and had a perfect record with one clean sheet. In the four years since his signing, he has established himself as the undisputed number one and was a decisive factor in the club's survival in the Bundesliga. This was also noticed by sports director Andreas Bornemann, who praised the goalkeeper for his consistent performances.

His impressive stats

What particularly sets Vasilj apart are his outstanding statistics. Last season he made an impressive 101 saves, which corresponds to a save rate of 71.3%. Only Peter Gulacsi, who was confident in the goal area, had a better rate among the regular goalkeepers with more than 20 appearances. Vasilj also saved four penalties, a number that puts a goalkeeper in the spotlight in the Bundesliga. The kicker classified him as international class in his ranking - and as number three in the league behind the big names Gulacsi and Gregor Kobel.

Last season he also managed to keep nine clean sheets, which only underlines his position as a defensive backer. His development potential is clearly visible thanks to meticulous training work and close cooperation with the goalkeeping coaches. He himself emphasizes that the Bundesliga is a dream come true for him and he plans to continue to improve.

A real team player

Vasilj is not only very popular at St. Pauli, but also in the Bosnian national team. He is the undisputed number one and has so far played 18 international matches in which he has not scored a goal despite his active position as a goalkeeper. The talented keeper has also played for the Bosnia-Herzegovina U21 national team in the past and made his senior national team debut against Costa Rica on March 27, 2021.

Privately, Vasilj said yes to his long-time girlfriend Sara in 2021. It seems as if not only his sporting but also his personal life is on the fast track. He is not only a talented goalkeeper, but also a role model for many young players. With his constant striving for improvement and his impressive performances, he has definitely earned a place in the hearts of St. Pauli fans.

What's next for the talented goalkeeper? Vasilj himself says that he doesn't want to rest on his laurels. The coming seasons will show whether he can continue to maintain his impressive performances. So FC St. Pauli remains excited about what the future holds.