Nicolas Seiwald: Who is the RB Leipzig and Austria midfielder?
Nicolas Seiwald is in Ralf Rangnick's UEFA Euro 2024 squad. bundesliga.com has the lowdown on the RB Leipzig midfielder...
Stats correct as of 10 June 2024
Age: 23 (born 4 May 2001)
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Midfielder
Country: Austria
Key stats
Seiwald, who hails from the idyllic mountain town of Kuchl, joined his local club Salzburg at U9 level - and progressed though every age group of the club's youth ranks.
The first sign that Seiwald might be destined for the big time came as he featured in the Salzburg team that made the semi-finals in the 2019/20 UEFA Youth League. He played in all 10 matches of the campaign, scoring and assisting in a 7-2 win against Napoli in the group stages, alongside a young Karim Adeyemi. His first appearance for the Salzburg first team came in the following season, in November 2020 - the first of 15 league appearances that season, laying the foundations for his rapid rise to prominence since.
The 2021/22 season saw increased responsibilities for Seiwald under new Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle. The then 20-year-old was entrusted with a start in all eight of the club's UEFA Champions League appearances as they made it through the group stage for the first time ever, before being knocked out by Bayern Munich.
Seiwald finished the season with a third straight Austrian Bundesliga winner's medal - his last before moving to Leipzig. The 5'9" midfielder got his hands on the Supercup in his first competitive game for the club - one of 27 appearances in 2023/24. He has enjoyed more regular minutes at international, starting Austria's last 15 games heading into the Euros, even playing a few at right-back.
Plays a bit like: Konrad Laimer
Just like former Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer, Seiwald learnt his trade amid the pressing-focused philosophy of Salzburg, and will get stuck into any midfield battle. Seiwald even has a similar size and stature to Laimer, and will gladly drop into defensive midfield when needed but is more comfortable in a central position where his intelligent bursts forward can help attacks.
Watch: The best of Nicolas Seiwald
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What they're saying
“He’s a Salzburg lad, and there's nothing better for us as a club to see players and people develop like Nici has, and that makes me very proud that he is ready to take the next step to a top club. He'll play a big part there right away, I think." - Red Bull Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund
"I've known the boy for three or four years, and it was really obvious he will play abroad. He is an extraordinary player for his age." - Rangnick in June 2022
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