GUDELJ REACHES A HALF-CENTURY OF LEAGUE APPEARANCES

Gudelj is a key man in the dressing room, and that became clear last summer, at the end of the LaLiga season. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to travel to Germany with his teammates for the final phase of the UEFA Europa League. However, after missing the matches against AS Roma in the Round of 16 and Wolves in the quarter finals, Nema finally tested negative, and was able to fly to the team hotel just before the semi final against Manchester United. As he was welcomed by the squad, it was very clear that Gudelj was not just any old player in this team. 

Days later, the Serbian international made his return to action, coming off the bench late on against the Red Devils as the side reached the final. He was brought on in that game too, as the Nervionenses lifted the trophy for the sixth time. Last Sunday, the midfielder made his 50th LaLiga appearance for the club, with 26 appearances last season and 24 this season, with five games left to play. The midfielder is a player that Julen Lopetegui takes into account a lot, especially when it comes to the closing stages of matches.

In total, he has already made 78 appearances since he joined the club back in the summer of 2019. Alongside his half-century of league appearances, he has featured on 10 occasions in the Copa del Rey, 10 in the UEFA Europa League, seven in the UEFA Champions League and once in the UEFA Super Cup. He is yet to score his first goal for the club, but, although he is by no means a goalscoring specialist, he will certainly look to break that duck soon. He is also a key player for the Serbian national team, with 36 caps. Although they narrowly missed out on qualification for EURO 2020, they are now fighting for a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.