Sergio Padt

Sergio Vincenzo Roberto Padt (born 6 June 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad.

Padt previously played on loan from Ajax for HFC Haarlem in the Eerste Divisie, and later for Go Ahead Eagles and in the Belgian Pro League for Gent. He represented the Netherlands U-17 team at the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.

Club career

Ajax Prior to joining Ajax, Padt played for R.K.S.V. Pancratius and SV Hoofddorp. On 28 March 2008, he signed his first contract for Ajax. It would turn out to be his only match for Haarlem because the club soon afterward went into bankruptcy, meaning he had to return to Ajax for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. On 16 August 2010, he made his Eerste Divisie debut for the club in the first league match against Sparta Rotterdam. Padt became the first keeper at his start in Deventer.

Gent On 30 June 2011, Padt came to an agreement with AA Gent, and on 6 July, the transfer was completed. He signed his contract until 2013 on that day. On 27 November 2011, he made his official debut in the Belgian Pro League for Gent in the 2–0 victory against RC Genk.

Groningen On 22 June 2014, it was announced that Padt would sign a deal with FC Groningen. He helped the Green-White Army win the KNVB Cup in 2014–15 against defending champions PEC Zwolle. It was their first major trophy and they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Ludogorets Razgrad In early 2021, it was reported that he had signed a pre-contract with the Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad and joined the club officially on 2 June 2021.

International career Padt represented the Netherlands U-17 team at the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Padt was in the starting line-up for all three group games against Belgium, Iceland, and England, but the team failed to qualify for the second round.

Since 2009, Padt has been playing for the Netherlands U-21 team, although Tim Krul is first-choice keeper in the squad for now. He received his first call-up from manager Cor Pot for a 2011 European U-21 Championship qualification match against Finland. On 18 May 2010, Padt made his debut for the U-21 side in a match against Portugal.

He was called up to the senior Netherlands squad for friendlies against Slovakia and Italy in May 2018, but remained on the bench for both matches.

Personal life Padt's full name, Sergio Vincenzo Roberto Padt, reflects his family background: his mother, Lorena Tomè, is half-Italian, and he was named after her father Vincenzo; his middle name Roberto comes from his paternal grandfather, Robert, with the Italian form chosen for aesthetic reasons. His father is Jeffrey Padt. His parents never married, and he has no siblings.

Train incident On 23 September 2018, following a 3–1 defeat against AZ, Padt was arrested at Kropswolde railway station while travelling home without a valid ticket. He was about to be issued a fine, disagreed with this, and an altercation ensued involving two Arriva employees. He spent a night in custody and the following day handed the captain's armband to defender Mike te Wierik.

At trial in January 2019, Padt admitted he had been drinking four to six mixed drinks on an empty stomach before the incident and that the frustration of the defeat had contributed to his behaviour. He admitted to insult and threatening conduct but denied assault, claiming he had only pushed away a conductor's finger which had come close to his face; a witness he brought to court stated that Padt had struck the conductor with an open hand.

Career statistics Club

Honours Groningen KNVB Cup: 2014–15

Ludogorets Razgrad Bulgarian First League: (4) 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024-25 Bulgarian Supercup: (4) 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Bulgarian Cup: (2) 2022–23, 2024–25