Kai Cipot

Kai Cipot
Personal information
Date of birth	28 April 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Mura
Number	4
Youth career
2008–2013	Mura 05
2013–2020	Mura
Senior career*
Years	Team
2019–	Mura
International career
2019	Slovenia U18
2019–2020	Slovenia U19
2021	Slovenia U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 August 2024

Kai Cipot (born 28 April 2001) is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a defender for NŠ Mura in the Slovenian PrvaLiga.^[2] Initially a forward, he switched to his current position in 2022. Cipot was capped for Slovenia at under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.

Career

Mura

A graduate of Mura's youth academy, Cipot made his competitive debut for the club on 11 July 2019 in a 2–0 defeat to Maccabi Haifa during the UEFA Europa League qualifying stages.^[3] He scored his first goal later that season, netting the go-ahead goal in a 3–1 victory over Aluminij.^[4] In August 2020, Cipot extended his contract with the club for a further two years, to 2024, while it was previously set to expire in June 2022.^[5]

During the 2021–22 season, Cipot underwent a position change, switching from forward to defender.^[6] He cemented his place in the first team over the course of the 2022–23 season, appearing in almost every league match for the club over the course of the season. In January 2023, he once again signed a contract extension, tying him to the club until 2026.^[7] During the opening match of the 2023–24 season, Cipot suffered a thigh injury which sidelined him through April 2024.^[8] As a result, he appeared in just six league matches over the course of the campaign.

Personal life

Cipot's father, Fabijan, played internationally for Slovenia.^[9] His younger brother, Tio, is also a professional footballer.^[10] His grandfather, Emil, also played in Mura's youth ranks during his early career.^[11]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 May 2024^[2]^[12]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Mura	2019–20	Slovenian PrvaLiga	16	2	3	1	1^[a]	0	20	3
	2020–21		32	3	1	0	2^[a]	0	35	3
	2021–22		19	3	1	0	12^[b]	0	32	3
	2022–23		34	2	1	0	2^[c]	0	37	2
	2023–24		6	0	1	0	—		7	0
	Total		107	10	7	1	17	0	131	11
Career total			107	10	7	1	17	0	131	11

^ ^a ^b Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
^ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League, five appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Mura

References

^ ^a ^b "Kai Cipot". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Slovenia – K. Cipot – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Maccabi Haifa vs. Mura – 11 July 2019 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Aluminij vs. Mura – 5 June 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Kai Cipot v Muri še dve leti" [Kai Cipot in Mura for another two years]. vestnik.si (in Slovenian). 25 August 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Tio Cipot odšteva dneve do odhoda v Italijo, Kai Cipot podaljšal sodelovanje z Muro: V Murski Soboti vsaj do leta 2026" [Tio Cipot is counting down the days until he leaves for Italy, Kai Cipot has extended his cooperation with Mura: In Murska Sobota at least until 2026]. Planet Nogomet (in Slovenian). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023. Only 21-year-old footballer who followed in his father's footsteps, as he initially played as a striker, but now he is proving himself as a defender...
^ "Kai Cipot ostaja pri čarno-bejlih" [Kai Cipot remains with The Black-Whites]. Vestnik.si (in Slovenian). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
^ "Injured defender Kai Cipot believes he will be able to help Mura again in the spring: 'So far, I haven't had any issues whatsoever'". Football Planet. 24 December 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
^ Iskra, Uroš (8 June 2020). "Kai Cipot: sin legende, ki opozarja" [Kai Cipot: the son of a legend who warns]. siol.net (in Slovenian). Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Branilec Mure Kai Cipot o svoji preobrazbi in (kot še nikoli) o mlajšem bratu, ki je na radarju mnogih evropskih klubov" [Mura defender Kai Cipot on his transformation and (like never before) his younger brother, who is on the radar of many European clubs]. ekipa.svet24.si (in Slovenian). 27 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
^ Bakal, Oste (30 December 2020). "Oče Emil, sin Fabijan, zdaj še vnuka Kai in Tio" [Father Emil, son Fabijan, now grandchildren Kai and Tio]. Slovenske novice (in Slovenian). Retrieved 6 April 2023.
^ "Kai Cipot – Nogometna zveza Slovenije". nzs.si (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 7 November 2022.