Nikola Maraš

Nikola Maraš (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Мараш, pronounced [nǐkola mǎraʃ]; born 19 December 1995) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish club Sporting de Gijón, on loan from Deportivo Alavés.

Club career

Rad

On 26 May 2013, Maraš made his senior debut for Rad, coming on as a second-half substitute for Uroš Vitas in a 3–1 home league win over Radnički Niš. He scored his first goal for the club on 16 August 2014, giving his side a 2–1 win over Borac Čačak also at the Stadion Kralj Petar I. Over the course of the 2014–15 Serbian SuperLiga, Maraš established himself as a regular member of the team's defensive line, recording the full 90 minutes in all of his 23 appearances. He was subsequently named as the team's captain, being an undisputed starter in the following two seasons (2015–16 and 2016–17). On 5 August 2017, Maraš made his 100th league appearance for Rad in a 1–2 loss to Mladost Lučani.

Chaves

On 31 August 2017, Maraš was officially transferred to Portuguese club Chaves on a four-year deal.

Almería

On 15 August 2019, Maraš joined Spanish club Almería on a one-year loan. On 22 August of the following year, after being a regular starter, he signed a permanent four-year deal with the club.

On 31 August 2021, Maraš moved to La Liga side Rayo Vallecano on loan for the 2021–22 season.

Alavés

On 11 August 2022, Maraš moved to second division side Deportivo Alavés also in a temporary one-year deal. On 26 June 2023, after the club's promotion to the top tier, he signed a permanent four-year contract.

On 1 February 2024, after failing to make any league appearances for the first half of the 2023–24 campaign, Maraš returned to the second division after being loaned out to Levante UD. On 30 August, he moved to fellow league team Sporting de Gijón on a one-year loan deal.

International career

On 29 September 2016, Maraš played the full 90 minutes in Serbia's 0–3 friendly loss to Qatar. He also appeared in a 0–0 draw against the United States on 29 January 2017, playing the entire match.