Xaver Schlager

Xaver Schlager (; born 28 September 1997) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Nottingham Forest and the Austria national team.

Club career Red Bull Salzburg After playing for the youth team of St. Valentin, Schlager joined the Red Bull Salzburg Academy in 2011, where he played in all teams. In 2015, Schlager was transferred to FC Liefering, the feeder team of Red Bull Salzburg.

During the 2017–18 season, Salzburg had their best ever European campaign. They finished top of their Europa League group, for a record fourth time, before beating Real Sociedad and Borussia Dortmund thus making their first ever appearance in the UEFA Europa League semi-final. On 3 May 2018, he played in the Europa League semi-finals as Marseille beat Salzburg 3–2 on aggregate to secure a place in the final.

VfL Wolfsburg On the 26 June 2019, Schlager signed for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. During his time with Wolfsburg, Schlager made 81 appearances in all competitions, including 69 in the Bundesliga. Schlager helped Leipzig to win the German Cup and German Super Cup in 2023, starting the latter, coming on as substitute in the former.

On 3 May 2024, Schlager was playing for Leipzig against TSG Hoffenheim, when he was substituted off with an injury in an eventual 1–1 draw. Later tests confirmed that his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was torn and he underwent surgery, subsequently missing the European Championship in the summer.

In February 2026, Leipzig announced that Schlager would leave the club when his contract would expire in June.

Nottingham Forest On 23 July 2026, Schlager joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest as a free agent on a two-year contract. He reunited with Oliver Glasner, who previously was his manager at Wolfsburg.

International career On 23 March 2018, Schlager debuted for the Austrian senior squad in a friendly 3–0 victory over Slovenia. The same year on 18 September, he scored his first goal in a 2018–19 UEFA Nations League match against Northern Ireland.

He was not included in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024, having sustained an ACL injury.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Schlager goal. + List of international goals scored by Xaver Schlager No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 18 November 2018 Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1–0 2–1 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B 2 6 June 2022 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria 1–1 1–2 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A 3 20 November 2022 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria 1–0 2–0 Friendly 4 26 March 2024 Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria 1–0 6–1 Friendly

Honours Red Bull Salzburg Austrian Bundesliga: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 Austrian Cup: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19 DFL-Supercup: 2023