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*
YearsTeamApps(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 58 (14)
International career
2015–2017 Montenegro U17 9 (2)
2017–2018 Montenegro U19 5 (0)
2017–2022 Montenegro U21 27 (7)
2022– Montenegro 24 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:24, 31 January 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

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.

Contents

Club career

FK Zeta

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. [1] 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, [2] making him the first player born in the 2000s to find the back of the net in the top flight of Montenegrin football. [3] In his first full season at Zeta, Krstović played in 19 games (all in the league) and bagged seven goals. [4]

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). [5] 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. [6] He tallied 15 goals in 39 matches across all competitions throughout the season.

Red Star Belgrade

On 25 February 2019, Krstović signed with Serbian club Red Star Belgrade until the summer of 2023 with an option for another year. [7] He remained on loan at Zeta until the end of the season, becoming the Montenegrin First League top scorer with 17 goals. [8]

DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda

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. [9] 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. [10]

Lecce

On 17 August 2023, he was signed by Italian Serie A side Lecce [11] 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

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

Club

As of match played 31 January 2025 [16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] EuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zeta 2015–16 Montenegrin 1. CFL 400040
2016–17 19700197
2017–18 361311213915
2018–19 3317423719
Total923753219941
Red Star Belgrade 2019–20 Serbian SuperLiga 60000060
2020–21 1112100132
2021–22 41004 [b] 081
Total2122140273
Grafičar Beograd (loan) 2019–20 Serbian First League620062
DAC 1904 2021–22 Slovak Super Liga 26900269
2022–23 2718236 [c] 53526
2023–24 32002 [d] 052
Total562923856637
Lecce 2023–24 Serie A 35710367
2024–25 23711248
Total581421006015
Career total2348211814625996

International

As of 19 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Montenegro 202250
202392
2024104
Total246
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.25 March 2023 Huvepharma Arena, Razgrad, BulgariaFlag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 1–01–0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
2.7 September 2023 Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, LithuaniaFlag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 1–12–2
3.21 March 2024 Mardan Sports Complex, Aksu, TurkeyFlag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 2–02–0 Friendly
4.19 November 2024 Gradski stadion, Nikšić, MontenegroFlag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 1–03–1 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B
5.2–1
6.3–1

    Honours

    Red Star Belgrade

    Individual

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