Jaka Bijol: Slovenia’s Modern Center Back
Slovenia returned to the Euros for the second time in the nation’s history, ending a 24-year drought from the competition. The Dragons picked up four draws from four matches against Denmark, Serbia, England and Portugal, coming within inches of a quarterfinals berth only to be denied on penalties by the impenetrable Diogo Costa in goal, who denied Benjamin Šeško from close range before making three consecutive saves in the shootout.
The Zmajčeki fought hard in their heartbreaking defeat in Frankfurt thanks in large part to their defensive resilience. One player who proved essential in their resolute backline was Jaka Bijol.
Born on February 5, 1999 in Vuzenica, Slovenia, Bijol joined the youth academy of NK Bravo in 2010 where he played as a midfielder and a defender, acquiring a versatile skill set and earning a move to Rudar Velenje, a top-tier club in Slovenia, in the summer of 2017 and played a crucial role in their season. He played 30 games and contributed with 3 goals, drawing the attention of Russian giants CSKA Moscow.
Bijol played 10 matches and contributed 4 goals and 2 assists in 2018/19. The freedom given to him to push forward allowed him to contribute more from an attacking point of view. In his next season he played 25 matches but only started 4 of them, finishing the season with a goal and an assist. He completed 9 dribbles, won 74 duels, 54 aerial duels and completed 11 interceptions, and whilst he displayed great potential in both attack, there was plenty of room for improvement for the 20-year-old.
Both the club and Bijol realized the need for him to get more experience outside Russia, prompting him to be loaned to Hannover 96, a German second division club. He started 25 out of the 30 matches he played, completing 1019 passes, 108 long balls, 12 dribbles of 1744 touches, created 20 chances, won 29 tackles, 177 duels and 96 aerial duels and registered 74 interceptions and 214 recoveries, displaying great skill and maturity in Germany.
Coaches at Moscow were convinced that Bijol was ready to become a starter for them. In the 2021-22 season, he played 28 matches, providing a goal and an assist. He completed 1467 passes, 182 long balls, 4 dribbles and created 4 chances. Defensively he won 116 duels, 74 aerial duels and completed 138 recoveries. Bijol’s physical dominance and all-round ability made him an important part of the team.
“Jaka Bijol is a versatile player who has shown great maturity and adaptability. His ability to play both in midfield and defense has been invaluable to the team, ” said former CSKA Moscow manager Viktor Goncharenko.
In the summer of 2022, Bijol took a big step in his career and moved to Serie A club Udinese for a fee of around 4 million euros. He started 32 matches in his first season for Udinese contributing 3 goals and 2 assists in the season, standing out thanks to his physical presence and set-piece threat.
Bijol excels at putting in slide tackles and intercepting the balls in dangerous areas of his own box, winning ground and aerial duels, heading the ball in and using his speed to make up long distances and recover on the counter. His impressive vision allows him to read the game well and make vital interventions, constantly staying right behind his opponents and remaining vigilant with his marking. Bijol’s quality in possession and ability to play long balls has seen him become a creative outlet for Udinese, playing 24 matches in 2023/24 as Udinese narrowly staved off relegation.
“He has a great understanding of the game, and his performances for the national team have been consistently impressive. Jaka is a key part of our plans for the future. Bijol’s maturity on the field is beyond his years. He shows great leadership qualities and a strong work ethic, which are essential for our team,” said national team manager Matjaž Kek.
At 25 years of age, Bijol has already racked up 53 appearances with Slovenia’s senior team and played a crucial role in their memorable Euros run in Germany, and it seems that his performances may very well could land him a big move. With Inter, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa reportedly keen on a deal, it seems all but certain that Udinese will be unable to keep him at the Stadio Friuli for much longer.
Since staving off the drop on the final day, Udinese have replaced manager Fabio Cannavaro with Kosta Runjaic and shedded various veterans like 29-year-old Walace (€8 million), 30-year-old Adam Masina (€1 million) and 33-year-old Roberto Pereyra (free). With a contract until 2027, it seems all but certain that Jaka Bijol will be following in the footsteps of Beto (€25 million), Nahuel Molina (€20 million) and Destiny Udogie (€18 million) and become the next player to earn a big-money transfer away from Udinese.
By: @TSpec1al
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Richard Pelham / Getty Images