Stjepan Lončar

Stjepan Lončar (Bosnian pronunciation: [stjêpaːn lǒntʃaːr]; born 10 November 1996) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Kortrijk, on loan from Ferencváros, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Stjepan Lončar
Personal information
Full name Stjepan Lončar
Date of birth (1996-11-10) 10 November 1996
Place of birth Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Kortrijk (on loan from Ferencváros)
Number 33
Youth career
2003–2016 Široki Brijeg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Široki Brijeg 48 (3)
2018–2021 Rijeka 89 (8)
2021– Ferencváros 20 (2)
2022– → Kortrijk (loan) 22 (0)
International career‡
2014–2015 Bosnia and Herzegovina U19 15 (2)
2017–2018 Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 11 (0)
2018– Bosnia and Herzegovina 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 April 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 September 2021

Lončar started his professional career at Široki Brijeg, before joining Rijeka in 2018. Three years later, he moved to Ferencváros, who loaned him to Kortrijk in 2022.

A former youth international for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lončar made his senior international debut in 2018, earning 11 caps since.

Club career

Early career

Lončar came through Široki Brijeg's youth academy, which he joined in 2003.[2] He made his professional debut against Vitez on 24 July 2016 at the age of 19.[3] On 20 September 2017, he scored his first professional goal against Radnik Bijeljina, which sent his team through in their cup tie.[4]

Rijeka

In June 2018, Lončar signed a three-year deal with Croatian outfit Rijeka.[5] He made his official debut for the team on 3 August against Inter Zaprešić.[6] On 10 February 2019, he scored his first goal for Rijeka against the same opponent.[7] He won his first trophy with the club on 22 May, by beating Dinamo Zagreb in Croatian Cup final.[8]

On 3 March 2021, he played his 100th game for the side against Osijek.[9]

Ferencváros

In July, Lončar was transferred to Hungarian team Ferencváros for an undisclosed fee.[10] He made his competitive debut for the side against Kisvárda on 31 July.[11] On 19 September, he scored his first goal for Ferencváros in Magyar Kupa game against Hatvan.[12] Seven weeks later, he scored his first league goal.[13] He won his first title with the club on 24 April 2022, when they were crowned league champions.[14]

In September 2022, he was sent on a season-long loan to Belgian outfit Kortrijk.[15]

International career

Lončar represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at various youth levels.[16]

In January 2018, he received his first senior call-up, for friendly games against the United States and Mexico.[17] He debuted against the latter on 31 January.[18]

Personal life

Lončar's father Robert was also a professional footballer.[19]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 23 April 2023[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Široki Brijeg 2016–17 Bosnian Premier League 2307000300
2017–18 Bosnian Premier League 253414[lower-alpha 1]0334
Total 48311140634
Rijeka 2018–19 Croatian Football League 2724100313
2019–20 Croatian Football League 314514[lower-alpha 2]1[lower-alpha 3]406
2020–21 Croatian Football League 312308[lower-alpha 4]1[lower-alpha 5]423
Total 89812212211312
Ferencváros 2021–22 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 192518[lower-alpha 6]0323
2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I 10002[lower-alpha 7]030
Total 20251100353
Kortrijk (loan) 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 22030–250
Career total 1791331426223619
  1. appearances in UEFA Europa League qualifying
  2. appearances in UEFA Europa League qualifying
  3. goal in UEFA Europa League qualifying
  4. 2 appearances in UEFA Europa League qualifying, 6 appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. goal in UEFA Europa League
  6. 2 appearances in UEFA Champions League qualifying, 6 appearances in UEFA Europa League
  7. appearances in UEFA Champions League qualifying

International
As of match played 4 September 2021[21]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
201820
201920
202040
202130
Total110

Honours

Široki Brijeg[20]

Rijeka[20]

Ferencváros[20]

References
  1. "Stjepan Lončar". kvk.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  2. "Lončar: Krenuo sam iz male sredine, ali nikada nisam prestajao vjerovati u sebe". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  3. "Rezervista Kapetan zaledio Pecaru u finišu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  4. "Pobjede Širokog i Zvijezde 09, Vitez i Leotar ubjedljivi". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 20 September 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  5. "Stjepan Lončar napustio Široki Brijeg i potpisao za Rijeku". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  6. "Kvržić pogodio za Rijeku, Lončar igrao od prve minute". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  7. "Lončar strijelac u uvjerljivoj pobjedi Rijeke". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 10 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. "Ništa od duple krune Modrih: Rijeka u sjajnom meču osvojila Kup, Kvržić jedan od junaka". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 22 May 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  9. "Lončar protiv Osijeka odigrao 100. utakmicu u dresu Rijeke". fiuman.hr (in Croatian). 4 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  10. "Rijeka prodala Lončara u jednom od najvećih transfera kluba". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  11. "Stjepan Lončar debitovao za Ferencváros". oslobodjenje.ba (in Bosnian). 31 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  12. "Stjepan Lončar postigao prvi gol za Ferencváros". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 19 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  13. "Lončar zabio za Ferencváros, igrali Bešić, Kovačević i Ćivić". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  14. "Četiri bh. fudbalera slave uspjeh sa svojim klubom: Ferencváros osigurao titulu prvaka Mađarske". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 24 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  15. "Vincent Tan doveo povremenog bh. reprezentativca u svoj tim". oslobodjenje.ba (in Bosnian). 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  16. "Stjepan Lončar: Pokazaćemo da se na nas može računati". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 22 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. "Prosinečki objavio širi spisak nogometaša za utakmice sa SAD-om i Meksikom". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 9 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  18. "BiH se nije mogla odbraniti: Meksiko zasluženo slavio". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 1 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  19. "Robert Lončar: Stjepan je sve bolji u Rijeci, a od mene i Jure Kordića nitko neće imati više glasova". hercegovina.info (in Croatian). 9 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  20. "S. Lončar". soccerway.com. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  21. "Stjepan Lončar". eu-football.info. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
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