Ex-St.-Pauli striker
© Imago
Ante Budimir contributed a goal and four templates in 20 games in the 2014/15 season for FC St. Pauli. The striker had cost one million euros, it was only the second time at the time that Hamburg’s Hamburg spends so much money on a player. It was “a difficult time” at the neighborhood, he once told the “Mallorca newspaper”, even if he “liked the time there and loved the club”. In the Spanish Pamplona, Budimir is constantly working on his personal monument around ten years later – he entered the historical books of CA OSASUNA at the weekend.
In the 3: 3 against Valencia, the Croatian converted a penalty to the meantime 3: 2 in the 45th minute. It was not only his 14th goal of the season in Laliga, but his 58th for the club from Navarra, for which he has been storming since 2020. Budimir is the sole record scorer of Osasunas in the Spanish upper house (for statistics).
“After almost seven seasons for Mallorca and Osasuna, Ante Budimir is already a classic of Spanish football,” says Iván Turmo, Area Manager Spain for the transfer market. “The Croatian striker has incredible numbers and, above all, effectiveness year after year. In fact, in the six complete seasons he played in Laliga, he was always his team’s best scorer. ”
Budimir at CA Osasuna: record shooter and record access
For the RCD Mallorca, which Budimir looted to Spain after three and a half years in Italy, he contributed 19 goals in 57 games – 13 of them after the promotion in the 2019/20 season. In 2021, Osasuna cost his services after a one -year loan of EUR 8 million, the highest in club history (for statistics) until today. Budimir has shown that he is worth this sum year after year: In the pre -season, he reached fifth behind Artem Dovbyk (24), Alexander Sørloth (23), Robert Lewandowski and Jude Bellingham (19 each) – since he was a professional footballer. With now 14 goals in 26 games, he is on the best way to be able to equalize this. Also this year only Lewandowski (21) and Kylian Mbappé (17) are in front of him.
“With a rather modest club like the Navarese and in a relatively small city like Pamplona, he felt wonderful from the start and always felt very comfortable since he enjoyed the trust of his two coaches Jagoba Arrasate and this year Vicente Moreno,” says Spain expert Turmo. “Despite the internal competition, Budimir always managed to be one of Osasuna’s key players, which underlines his best brand now achieved. A fact that is remarkable in view of the potential of the association, whose top goal is always to stay in the class. “
Budimir in Krotiens national team: “has his justification in the squad”
Budimir has now also found its permanent place in the Croatian national team squad. Since his debut in October 2020, he has been part of the squad regularly, including at the Pan European EM 2020, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Croatia ranked third, and the disappointing European Championship in Germany.
“If he stays healthy and keep it up for Osasuna, then he will surely be in the squad for the next World Cup,” says Transfermarkt’s Croatia expert and data scout “Stodra” about the 28-time international. A lot would have to happen for a regular place in the event of a possible participation in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The reason for this is the system that trainer Zlatko Dalic has been practicing for years.
“Both Andrej Kramaric and Bruno Petkovic are more likely to be played in the center forward who can drop and participate in the game structure,” explains “Stodra” and explains the fact that Budimir is often only substituted. “He is more of a waiting striker who benefits from flanks. That is and has not been the Croatia play area in recent years with the strong midfield and the playing strikers. ”
With Igor Matanovic, a striker received a lot of playing time last year, which is similar to Budimir from the player type, but only convinced and is currently outside at Eintracht Frankfurt. In addition, Budimir got used to the joker role. “Because he is completely different from the style than Kramaric and Petkovic, he also has his justification in the squad because he provides Dalic further options in other game situations. The game becomes more variable if you have different strikers to choose from. The fact that Croatia has become more and more calculated in recent years and that he largely held on to the same players has harmed our game. ”