Sanel Šaljić extends his contract until 2030

Austria Wien and Sanel Šaljić have agreed to extend his contract early until 2030. The 20-year-old homegrown player will wear the number 10 shirt from next season onwards.

"The contract extension means a lot to me because Austria Wien is my football home. I went through the academy here and always dreamed of playing for the professionals one day – now being able to continue on this path is something special. I am grateful for the club's trust and am really looking forward to the next steps. My goals are clear: I want to continue to improve, help the team with my performance and commitment, and be successful with Austria. I want to take on even more responsibility, play at a consistently high level and compete for the top places as a team," says Sanel Šaljić.

The attacking midfielder is considered a prime example of the purple path, having played for all teams in the Austria Academy and made the leap to the professional squad via the Young Violets and several appearances in the 2nd division with former partner club SV Stripfing. On 3 May 2024, the Austrian U21 international finally made his debut for Austria Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga under Michael Wimmer.

In the current season, the skilful left-footed player has become a permanent fixture. From the 5th round against SCR Altach onwards, he was a regular starter in head coach Stephan Helm's line-up. In his very first start, he provided the assist for his teammate and close friend Dejan Radonjić. A few weeks later, he put in one of his best performances of the season in the home game against Ried. His impressive assist for Manfred Fischer in the 3-2 win against SV Ried is particularly memorable.

In the match against WSG Tirol on 18 October 2025, Šaljić suffered a torn syndesmotic ligament and was subsequently unavailable. He is now back in training with the Violets. The 20-year-old is currently completing his basic military service with the Austrian Armed Forces.

Sporting director Michael Wagner: "We are extremely pleased that we have been able to secure the long-term services of Sanel Šaljić, one of the most talented Austrian U21 team players, ahead of schedule. He had already shown flashes of his talent before his injury. Now it's up to Sanel to establish himself as a regular starter for the pros and deliver the performances he has already shown consistently over a longer period of time."