Žan Celar

Žan Celar (born 14 March 1999) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers and the Slovenia national team.

Žan Celar

Personal information
Date of birth	(1999-03-14) 14 March 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Kranj, Slovenia[1]
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Queens Park Rangers
Number	18
Youth career
0000–2012	Šenčur
2013–2014	Triglav Kranj
2014–2017	Maribor
2017–2019	Roma Primavera
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2017	Maribor	1	(0)
2018–2021	Roma	1	(0)
2019–2020	→ Cittadella (loan)	10	(1)
2020–2021	→ Cremonese (loan)	38	(4)
2021–2024	Lugano	95	(40)
2024–	Queens Park Rangers	19	(2)
International career‡
2014	Slovenia U16	4	(1)
2015–2016	Slovenia U17	16	(6)
2016–2017	Slovenia U18	11	(4)
2017	Slovenia U19	5	(5)
2019–2021	Slovenia U21	10	(1)
2021–	Slovenia	17	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2024

Club career

Celar made his Serie A debut for Roma on 11 March 2019 in a game against Empoli, as an 86th-minute substitute for Patrik Schick.^[2]

On 10 July 2019, Celar joined Serie B club Cittadella on loan until January 2020.^[3] On 30 January 2020, he moved on loan to Cremonese.^[4] After scoring two goals in eleven appearances during the 2019–20 Serie B season, his loan was extended for another season in August 2020.^[5][6]

In the summer of 2021, Celar joined Swiss Super League club Lugano on a contract until 2025, joining his countryman Sandi Lovrić. He was given the number 19 jersey.^[7] In his first season with the club, Celar won the 2021–22 Swiss Cup, and also scored in the final against St. Gallen as Lugano won 4–1.^[8] Overall, he scored 40 goals in 95 appearances in the Swiss Super League over the course of three seasons, and was also the league's top scorer in the 2023–24 season.^[9]

Queens Park Rangers

On 19 July 2024, Celar transferred to the EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee.^[9][10] He made his debut for the club on 10 August in a 3–1 loss against West Bromwich Albion.^[11] On 23 November 2024, having still yet to score for the club, Celar missed a penalty in a 1–1 draw with Stoke City.^[12] Having retained the support of manager Martí Cifuentes following the miss,^[13] he scored twice in the following match as QPR secured their second league win of the season.^[14]

International career

Between 2014 and 2021, Celar played for all Slovenian youth teams from under-16 to under-21, making 46 appearances for all teams combined and scoring 17 goals.^[15]

On 14 November 2021, Celar debuted for the senior team in a World Cup qualifying match against Cyprus.^[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 June 2024^[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Maribor	2015–16	PrvaLiga	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Roma	2018–19	Serie A	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Cittadella (loan)	2019–20	Serie B	10	1	3	2	—		13	3
Cremonese (loan)	2019–20	Serie B	11	2	—		—		11	2
	2020–21		27	2	2	0	—		29	2
	Total		38	4	2	0	0	0	40	4
Lugano	2021–22	Swiss Super League	29	10	5	4	—		34	14
	2022–23		30	16	3	0	1[a]	0	34	16
	2023–24		36	14	5	6	7[b]	1	48	21
	Total		95	40	13	10	8	1	116	51
Career total			145	45	18	12	8	1	171	58

1. Appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League
2. Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, five appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Lugano

• Swiss Cup: 2021–22^[8]

Individual

• Swiss Super League top scorer: 2023–24^[9]

References

1. "Žan Celar". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
2. "Roma vs. Empoli – 11 March 2019". Soccerway. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
3. "Cittadella, arriva il centravanti Celar dalla Roma". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian). 11 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
4. "Celar nuovo attaccante grigiorosso" (Press release) (in Italian). U.S. Cremonese. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
5. "Celar ancora in grigiorosso" (Press release) (in Italian). U.S. Cremonese. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
6. "Ufficiale: la Cremonese rinnova il prestito di Zan Celar". IlRomanista.eu (in Italian). 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
7. "Lovrić in Celar bosta soigralca" (in Slovenian). Siol. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
8. Mlakar, Anže (15 May 2022). "Celar poskrbel za lovoriko Lugana". Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 15 May 2022.
9. "Striker Žan Celar signs for the R's". Queens Park Rangers F.C. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
10. "QPR sign Slovenia striker Zan Celar from Lugano". BBC Sport. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
11. "Queens Park Rangers 1–3 West Bromwich Albion: Josh Maja hits hat-trick as Baggies secure opening win". Sky Sports. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
12. "Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Stoke City: QPR still seek first home win". BBC Sport. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
13. Evans, Dan (23 November 2024). "Marti Cifuentes explains why Zan Celar took QPR penalty in Stoke City draw". London News Online. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
14. Marsh, Philip (27 November 2024). "Celar double moves QPR off bottom of Championship with win at Cardiff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
15. "Žan Celar – Nogometna zveza Slovenije" (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
16. "Slovenija za konec nogometnih kvalifikacij premagala Ciper". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). 14 November 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
17. Žan Celar at Soccerway

External links

• Žan Celar at Soccerway
• Žan Celar at NZS (in Slovene)