Mario Pašalić
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Mario Pašalić | |
| |
| Full Name | Mario Pašalić |
| Date of Birth | 9 February 1995 |
| Place of Birth | Mainz, Germany |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2014 - 2020 |
| Debut | n/a |
| Games (goals) | n/a |
| Other clubs | Hajduk Split Elche CF (loan) AS Monaco (loan) Milan (loan) Spartak Moscow (loan) Atalanta (loan) |
Mario Pašalić is a Croatian international midfielder who signed for Chelsea from Hajduk Split in July 2014.
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Before Chelsea
Born in Germany to Croatian parents, Mario came through the ranks at Hajduk Split and became something of a prolific goalscorer from midfield. He made his senior debut as an 18 year-old in April 2013 and after signing a four-year deal in the following off-season began to establish himself as a regular member of Hajduk's first team squad. His most notable performance came in the famous derby against Dinamo Zagreb when he scored twice to secure victory.
Chelsea career
News of Chelsea's interest in Pašalić emerged on transfer deadline day in January 2014 and although neither club officially confirmed the move, the necessary agreements had been made for him to join the Blues in the summer. He continued his strong season in the 1.HNL and finished with 11 goals from 36 appearances before officially signing for Chelsea on July 9th.
Lacking a work permit to continue his career in England, he joined Elche CF on loan for the entire 2014-15 season. After taking some to acclimatise to what Loanee Director Eddie Newton described as 'the dark arts of senior football', Pašalić began to excel for a club fighting a relegation battle. He weighed in with three late-season goals to ensure mathematical survival, although the club's financial situation saw their La Liga status uncertain as of the end of his stay.
In July 2015 it was announced that he would join French side AS Monaco on a season-long loan. He got off to a good start with goals in their Champions League qualifiers away to Young Boys and Valencia respectively, and carried that goalscoring form into the season with a total of seven goals before missing the last three months of the campaign with a back injury. A spell in Serie A in 2016-17 saw him gain more experience at AC Milan, and he spent the following pre-season back at Chelsea under Antonio Conte, before joining his former Assistant Manager Massimo Carrera at Spartak Moscow in another loan move that saw him play Champions League football.
A year later, he embarked upon a return to Serie A with Atalanta, who retained an option to buy. They extended his stay by an additional year, triggering a permanent €15m signing in June 2020.
International
Pašalić is a Croatian international who was named in their 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, he did not make the cut down to the final 23, eventually making his senior international debut in May 2015.
Statistics
| Season | Club | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 2014-15 | Elche (loan) | 31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| 2015-16 | AS Monaco (loan) | 16 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 |
| 2016-17 | AC Milan (loan) | 24 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 5 |
| 2017-18 | Spartak Moscow (loan) | 21 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 5 |
| 2018-19 | Atalanta (loan) | 32 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 8 |
| 2019-20 | Atalanta (loan) | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 |
| Total | 147 | 26 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 189 | 35 | |
Statistics correct as of the end of Mario's Chelsea career
