Source text: © LAOLA1
from Simon Urhofer
It would have been almost too perfect.
As a substitute in his first competitive match since Austria's World Cup exit, Sasa Kalajdzic almost headed LASK to a draw against AEK Athens in injury time during their Champions League premiere - similar to what happened in Kansas City against Algeria.
"At that moment, I just had to put it in," the Viennese player lamented to "Sky" after his header went too high.
First Champions League Match of His Career
Overall, September 8, 2026, is nonetheless a positive day in Kalajdzic's eventful history. For him, it was the first Champions League appearance of his career, albeit a relatively short one.
The striker was substituted on in the 74th minute and visibly brought fresh impetus to LASK's attack. An earlier substitution was not an option.
Kühbauer: "We don't just need Sasa against AEK"
"We don't just need Sasa against AEK, but for the whole year. It would have been foolish to bring him on earlier. The devil never sleeps. If something happened, I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore," Dietmar Kühbauer cautioned.
However, in the few minutes he played, it was already evident "that a different type of player is on the pitch when he comes in," added the LASK coach.
Kalajdzic: "You could see I still have some catching up to do"
Kalajdzic, as is well known, returned to Linz shortly before the transfer deadline and signed a permanent contract. Between the end of his loan spell at LASK and his current return, the 29-year-old had been training with his former club Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he didn't accumulate any competitive minutes.
"You could already see that I still have some catching up to do. These were the first 15 minutes since the World Cup," Kalajdzic noted.
He therefore doesn't want to rush anything: "For me personally, it's important that I come back step by step."
