Lazar Samardzic is one of the leading figures of the new generation of Serbian footballers. Despite his young age, he has already gained valuable experience in both the Bundesliga and Serie A. He is seen as one of the key players who could lead Serbia to major international success in the future. Below, you can find all the essential information about Samardžić and his career.
PERSONAL INFO
Full name: Lazar Vujadin Samardžić
Date of birth: February 24, 2002
Place of birth: Berlin 🇩🇪
Height: 184 cm
Position: Midfielder, attacking left
Shirt number: 10 (previously: 17, 19, 20, 24)
Although born and raised in Germany, Samardžić chose to represent Serbia — unlike many other players of Serbian descent who opted for different national teams. Standing at 184 cm, he is a left-footed midfielder. In one interview, he mentioned that his father is a passionate Red Star Belgrade fan and that it is his dream to play for the club one day.
CLUB CAREER
Selon “Sky Sport Deutschland”, Lazar #Samardzic (Milieu Offensif, 18 ans, Hertha Berlin) intéresserait le RB Leipzig, la Juventus, le Bayern et surtout le Barça.
Malgré seulement 3 apparitions cette saison, le grand espoir allemand attire la convoitise. pic.twitter.com/L3wBzupjtt
— 𝑷𝒂𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒐 (@AmateurDuFoot) September 4, 2020
Samardžić started playing football in Germany at a very young age — by the age of six, he was already a member of Blau-Weiß Spandau and Schwarz-Weiß Neukölln. He later joined Grün-Weiss Neukölln, a Berlin-based club, before moving to the famous Hertha Berlin academy in 2009.
🚨 Lazar Samardžić (Udinese) rêve du FC Barcelone.
➡️Il a déjà été lié au club, il y a quelques saisons, lorsqu’il jouait au Hertha Berlin. @relevo 🎖️ pic.twitter.com/5OseBaHN4l— revuebarca💙❤️ (@revuebarca) March 18, 2023
He made his senior debut for Hertha at only 18 years old. At the time, he was already being talked about as one of the biggest talents in the Bundesliga, with several European giants showing interest in signing him. In September 2020, RB Leipzig secured his transfer. The following season, 2021–22, he joined Italian side Udinese.
Known for his precise long-range shot, Samardžić scored several spectacular goals from outside the box while playing for Leipzig and Udinese. He quickly became one of the key players for the Italian club. Although there were rumors linking him to Inter Milan, in August 2024 he joined Atalanta on loan with an option to buy.
TEAMS
2020–2020 🇩🇪 Hertha Berlin – 3 appearances (0 goals)
2020–2021 🇩🇪 RB Leipzig – 9 appearances (0 goals)
2021–2025 🇮🇹 Udinese – 98 appearances (13 goals)
2024–present 🇮🇹 Atalanta – 49 appearances (7 goals)
With Atalanta, Lazar also made his debut in the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first goal in the competition in November 2024 during a 6–1 victory against Young Boys. In the summer of 2025, Atalanta decided to make his move permanent.
Ma quanto diavolo è forte Lazar #Samardzic? Per me sarà il nuovo gioiello di questa #Atalanta. Va solo lucidato, ma è pronto a brillare. Ha mostrato forse il 20% di quel che è in grado di fare. Magico. pic.twitter.com/MfkeQBIMNu
— Alessandro Giovanni Pagliarini (@APaglia7) December 19, 2024
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Lazar was born in Berlin, Germany, on February 24, 2002. Both of his parents are ethnic Serbs originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina. His father, Mladen, was reportedly born in the village of Tupković near Živinice. Lazar’s middle name, Vujadin, was given after his grandfather, who is believed to have played a key role in his decision to represent Serbia.
𝟭𝟵 Lazar Samardžić 🇷🇸#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/tSaffy0FWN
— Fudbalski savez Srbije | FA of Serbia (@FSSrbije) June 16, 2024
Although he played for all of Germany’s youth national teams, Samardžić officially announced in March 2023 — through an Instagram post — that he would represent Serbia at senior level. At the 2019 UEFA Under-17 Championship, he played for Germany and scored one goal.
INTERNATIONAL RECORD
2017–2018 🇩🇪 Germany U16 – 7 caps (2 goals)
2019-2019 🇩🇪 Germany U17 – 5 caps (1 goal)
2019-2019 🇩🇪 Germany U19 – 6 caps (2 goals)
2020-2020 🇩🇪 Germany U20 – 5 caps (2 goals)
2022–2023 🇩🇪 Germany U21 – 5 caps (2 goals)
2023–present 🇷🇸 Serbia – 24 caps (1 goal)
He made his debut for Serbia’s senior team on March 25, 2023, in a 2–0 win over Lithuania in Belgrade. His first major tournament with Serbia was UEFA Euro 2024, where he appeared in two matches — against Slovenia and Denmark. Serbia failed to advance past the group stage.
🔵⚫️ Atalanta have asked for info on Lazar Samardzić as potential new offensive midfielder.
Samardzić and O’Riley are both on Atalanta list.
Atalanta will follow up with contacts after official bid for €52m plus €7m add-ons bid received from Juventus for Koopmeiners. pic.twitter.com/bmSnQdHATb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 15, 2024
Samardzic scored his first international goal for Serbia against Austria in Vienna on March 20, 2025, during the Nations League A relegation playoff.
