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Anton Gaaei (born 19 November 2002) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Eredivisie club Ajax.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 November 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Viborg, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajax | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bruunshåb/Tapdrup IF | |||
| Overlund GF | |||
| Viborg | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2023 | Viborg | 38 | (0) |
| 2023– | Ajax | 32 | (1) |
| 2023– | Jong Ajax | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Denmark U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023– | Denmark U21 | 7 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:12, 30 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:50, 30 December 2023 (UTC) | |||
Viborg FF
Anton Gaaei started his career in Bruunshåb/Tapdrup IF and then passed by Overlund GF, before he moved to Viborg.[1] From the summer 2020, Gaaei began training regular with the first team. On 2 September 2020, Gaaei got his official debut for Viborg, as he came on from the bench in the 76th minute against FC Fredericia in the Danish Cup.[2] Three months later, in December 2020, Gaaei signed a new deal with Viborg until June 2023.[1]
In his youth, Gaaei was primarily a winger, but was later converted to right-back. On 1 April 2022, Gaaei got his league debut for Viborg and Danish Superliga debut in a game an against SønderjyskE.[3] Gaaei ended the 2021–22 season with six appearances.
Ajax
On 17 August 2023, Gaaei officially joined Eredivisie side Ajax for a reported fee of DKr35 million[4] (about €4.5 million),[5] signing a five-year contract with the Dutch club.[4][5][6] In the process, he broke the transfer record as Viborg's highest-grossing sale.[4][7]
Gaaei made his competitive debut for the club on 3 September, replacing Devyne Rensch in the 62nd minute of a 0–0 away league draw against Fortuna Sittard.[8][9] He faced criticism for his early performances, with analysts highlighting his deficient defensive skills and frequent loss of possession.[10] In De Klassieker on 24 September, Gaaei started in the lineup, and went on to make two pivotal mistakes resulting in goals by Santiago Giménez. Consequently, he was substituted for Rensch in the 32nd minute, before the match was temporarily halted due to disruptions from the crowd. Gaaei's performance received scathing reviews, being labeled as "poor" and "naive", and analyst and former coach Mario Been stated that Gaaei did not meet the standards expected to play for Ajax.[11][12] On 25 February 2024, in a match against AZ, Gaaei again was substituted in the first half after a weak performance.[13]
Gaaei won the Ajax Goal of the Month award for April 2024, after scoring a stunning volley in the home match against Go Ahead Eagles.[14]
On 15 August 2024, Gaaei scored the winning penalty in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round shootout against Panathinaikos, helping his club advance to the play-off round.[15] As the taker of the 34th penalty, Gaaei played the decisive role in the longest-ever penalty-shootout in UEFA competition.
Anton Gaaei is the son of former Viborg FF player, Carsten Gaaei, who later also coached at several clubs.[16][17]
Club
- As of match played 7 November 2024[18]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Viborg | 2021–22 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 28 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5[b] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 38 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 1 | ||
| Ajax | 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 48 | 1 | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 8 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 78 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 102 | 2 | ||
- Includes Danish Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Five appearances in UEFA Europa League, three appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
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