Leonidas Stergiou
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 March 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Wattwil, Switzerland[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
1. FC Heidenheim (on loan from VfB Stuttgart) | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wil | |||
| 2015–2019 | St. Gallen | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | St. Gallen II | 5 | (0) |
| 2019–2024 | St. Gallen | 139 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | → VfB Stuttgart (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2024– | VfB Stuttgart | 13 | (1) |
| 2024– | VfB Stuttgart II | 5 | (0) |
| 2026– | → 1. FC Heidenheim (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016–2017 | Switzerland U15 | 6 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Switzerland U16 | 8 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Switzerland U17 | 9 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Switzerland U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2020–2024 | Switzerland U21 | 24 | (1) |
| 2022– | Switzerland | 6 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 April 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 June 2024 | |||
Leonidas Stergiou (Greek: Λεωνίδας Στεργίου; born 3 March 2002) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for German Bundesliga club 1. FC Heidenheim, on loan from VfB Stuttgart, and the Switzerland national team.[2]
Stergiou initially made his competitive debut for the senior St. Gallen side on 6 February 2019, participating in a 3–1 victory against FC Zürich.[3]
On 22 August 2023, Stergiou joined VfB Stuttgart in Germany on loan.[4] Stergiou played just 39 minutes in the first half of the season, but made his first start in February and then became a regular starter.[5] On 4 May 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3–1 win over Bayern Munich.[6]
On 15 May 2024, the loan deal was made permanent and Stergiou signed a contract until June 2028 with VfB Stuttgart.[7]
On 15 January 2026, Stergiou joined 1. FC Heidenheim on loan for the remainder of the season.[8]
International career
Stergiou played four games for Switzerland U15[9] and five for Switzerland U16.[10] He was the captain of Switzerland U21 at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they reached quarter-finals.[11]
Stergiou made his debut for the Switzerland senior national team on 12 June 2022 in a Nations League game against Spain. He replaced Ricardo Rodriguez in the 79th minute as Switzerland won 1–0.[12]
In June 2024, he was named in the Swiss squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. He replaced Silvan Widmer as a substitute in the 68th minute of the team's opening Group A match against Hungary.[13]
Personal life
Stergiou was born in Wattwil in the Canton of St. Gallen, to a Greek father and a Serbian mother. After joining the FC St. Gallen academy at a young age he progressed through the ranks to the first team.[14][1]
