Ermedin Demirovic, from Juventus’s call to a hat trick in the Champions League: Who is Stuttgart’s star striker?

For several weeks, his name was a hot topic in Juventus’s transfer rumors before the Bianconeri decided to pursue other options. But Ermedin Demirovic ultimately remained with Stuttgart, and on Wednesday night, in the first match of the Champions League group stage, he made a massive impact, leading the Germans to a 3‑1 victory over Viking with a hat trick in twelve minutes (20′, 26′, and 32′). It was a devastating performance that nipped the Norwegian club’s enthusiasm in the bud on their debut in the main phase of the continental competition.

Demirovic’s feat confirms the growth of a now-mature forward who, not surprisingly, has become a mainstay not only for VfB but also for the Bosnian national team: in fact, he was one of the “executioners” of Italy on that dark night in Zenica, playing 115 minutes before being substituted for Hadziahmetovic.

Born in Hamburg on March 25, 1998, Demirovic developed as a soccer player in Germany, moving from Hamburg’s youth academy to Leipzig’s, where he shone in the youth teams: 15 goals in 25 games with the U-17s, 26 goals and 8 assists in 57 games with the U-19s. Those numbers caught the attention of Alavés, which brought him to Spain in 2017. He is remembered for his excellent first-team debut in the Copa del Rey against Formentera, in which he scored a brace.

From there, he went on a series of loan spells to develop and gain playing time: Sochaux, St. Gallen (where he racked up 14 goals and 7 assists), and finally a return to the Bundesliga with Freiburg, where he began scoring consistently against top-tier opponents. In 2022, he was signed by Augsburg, the club where he truly broke out: 8 goals and 6 assists in his first season, followed by a second season as captain and a key player, which ended with 15 goals and 10 assists in the Bundesliga.

In the summer of 2024, Stuttgart invested 23 million euros to bring him to the team, a move that has paid off so far: a goal on his debut against Freiburg, braces against Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen, and his first Bundesliga hat trick against Bochum. And now his Champions League hat trick, which propels him among the stars of the new European season.

Demirovic is a forward who combines physicality with technical finesse, capable of playing with his back to the goal, making runs into space, and finishing. A profile that had caught Juventus’s eye and that is now driving Stuttgart forward, as the club becomes increasingly convinced it has an international-caliber center forward on its hands.