Josip Elez (Croatian pronunciation: [jǒsip ělez];[1][2] born 25 April 1994) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Hajduk Split.

Josip Elez
Personal information
Full name Josip Elez
Date of birth (1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Split, Croatia
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Hajduk Split
Number 19
Youth career
2004–2009 Solin
2009–2012 Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Hajduk Split 3 (0)
2013–2017 Lazio 0 (0)
2014–2015Grosseto (loan) 15 (1)
2015Honvéd (loan) 13 (0)
2015–2016AGF (loan) 25 (2)
2016–2017Rijeka (loan) 34 (2)
2017–2018 Rijeka 13 (0)
2018Hannover 96 (loan) 11 (0)
2018–2021 Hannover 96 50 (0)
2021– Hajduk Split 58 (2)
International career
2009–2010 Croatia U16 4 (1)
2010–2011 Croatia U17 8 (1)
2011–2012 Croatia U19 3 (0)
2015–2016 Croatia U21 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 October 2016

Career

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Elez started his career at NK Solin, his hometown club. At the age of 14 he moved to HNK Hajduk Split, where he spent five years as a youngster and also collected three first team caps in the Croatian First Football League.

In July 2013, age 19, Elez was transferred to S.S. Lazio for a fee €400,000.[3] Elez spent the 2014–15 season on loan at Grosseto and Honvéd in Hungary, where he was a regular starter. He spent the following season on loan at Aarhus Gymnastikforening in Denmark, where he made 29 appearances and scored two goals.[4] AGF were interested in keeping him at the club but were unable to agree a permanent move.[5] In June 2016, Elez was sent to HNK Rijeka in Croatia on a season-long loan, with a buying option for €450,000.[4] It was revealed in early May 2017 that HNK Rijeka exercised the buying option.[6]

On 1 July 2017, Elez signed a three-year contract with HNK Rijeka, effectively tying him with the club until June 2020.

In January 2018, Elez was transferred to Hannover 96 on loan for the rest of the season. Hannover 96 was also given a buying option part of a transfer that would involve €3 million transfer fee.[7]

Elez rejoined Hajduk Split for the 2021–22 season on a four-year contract.[8] He scored his first goal for Hajduk Split against his former club Rijeka

Career statistics

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As of 1 July 2021[9][10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hajduk Split 2011–12 1. HNL 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2012–13 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Lazio 2013–14 Serie A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Grosseto (loan) 2014–15 Lega Pro 15 1 15 1
Honvéd (loan) 2014–15 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 13 0 1 0 14 0
AGF (loan) 2015–16 Superligaen 25 2 4 0 29 2
Rijeka (loan) 2016–17 1. HNL 34 2 4 0 2[a] 0 40 2
Rijeka 2017–18 13 0 2 0 11[b] 2 26 2
Total 47 2 6 0 13 2 66 4
Hannover 96 2017–18 Bundesliga 11 0 0 0 11 0
2018–19 10 0 1 0 11 0
2019–20 2. Bundesliga 23 0 0 0 23 0
2020–21 17 0 0 0 17 0
Total 61 0 1 0 0 0 662 0
Hajduk Split 2021–22 1. HNL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 164 5 12 0 13 2 189 7
  1. ^ Appearances in the Europa League
  2. ^ Six appearances in the Champions League, five appearances and two goals in the Europa League

Honours

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HNK Rijeka

Hajduk Split

References

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  1. ^ "Jòsip". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018. Jòsip
  2. ^ "Èlez". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 19 March 2018. Èlez
  3. ^ Vecernji list
  4. ^ a b Germanijak.hr
  5. ^ Graahede, Kim Robin (20 June 2016). "AGFs sportschef: "Ny midtstopper ind hurtigst muligt"". Århus Stiftstidende (in Danish). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Radio Rijeka". Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  7. ^ "96 macht Elez-Verpflichtung perfekt". kicker Online (in German). 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Elez unterschreibt bei Hajduk Split". kicker.de (in German). kicker. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  9. ^ Josip Elez at Soccerway
  10. ^ Josip Elez at WorldFootball.net
  11. ^ "Rijeka - Hajduk 1:3". HNS-CFF (in Croatian). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
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