Vidi strengthen with a former LaLiga forward

We have added a multiple championship winning striker who has also played in the Spanish La Liga!

Ivan Saponjic was born on 2nd August 1997 in Nova Varos. He started playing football in his hometown, followed by FK Sloboda Uzice and then Partizan Beograd.

He already made his debut for Partizan in the 2014/2015 season, and although he only played one match, he could already call himself Serbian champion at the age of 17. In the 2015/2016 season, he also won the Serbian Cup with the Belgrade side. He scored 11 goals in 42 games for Partizan Beograd.

The real breakthrough for him came at the 2015 U20 World Cup. In the 91st minute of the last eight in New Zealand, he equalised against Hungary, who had Zsolt Kalmár in their side, and then in extra time the Serbs, who later won the World Cup against Brazil, took the win. Saponjic also played a starring role in the semi-final against Mali, heading his team into the final in the 101st minute of extra time.

In January 2016, he was signed by Portuguese side Benfica, where he was given a chance in the reserve team, scoring 14 goals in 68 games, and after a loan spell in Belgium, he was signed by Atlético Madrid in 2019. He made his La Liga debut for the capital club before moving to FC Cadiz, where he scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight, scoring from the penalty spot in a 3-2 defeat to Osasuna in May 2021. He scored 1 goal in 11 La Liga games.

In 2022, he joined Slovan Bratislava, where he became a two-time champion (in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons). He scored 8 goals in 43 games for Slovan and also provided plenty of assists to his teammates 8 times. His spell in Bratislava also included a loan spell in Turkey, before he left Slovan at the end of his contract.

"This winter I was approached by Fehérvár and I thought it was the best decision for me at the moment. I think I'm in the ideal position to be successful with the team and I want to play a big part in a successful period for Vidi. My first impressions are definitely positive, everyone has been welcoming and I have already had the opportunity to meet and talk to the head coach. I've watched several of the team's autumn matches, and based on these, I think Vidi have a strong squad, and I think 7-10 days will be enough for me to settle in with my teammates. I would like to prove that this contract has been a win-win situation for both parties," the Serbian striker told our website, and you can read our full interview with him soon.

Ivan Saponjic will wear the number 9 shirt. Good luck at Vidi, Ivan!