Stefan Lainer

Stefan Lainer (born 27 August 1992) is an Austrian professional footballer^[2] who plays as right-back for Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg and the Austria national team.

Stefan Lainer

Lainer with Red Bull Salzburg in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-08-27) 27 August 1992 (age 33)
Place of birth	Salzburg, Austria[1]
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Red Bull Salzburg
Number	22
Youth career
	Seekirchen
2009–2013	Red Bull Salzburg
2011–2012	→ SV Grödig (loan)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2014	FC Liefering	62	(3)
2014–2015	SV Ried	34	(1)
2015–2019	Red Bull Salzburg	110	(9)
2019–2025	Borussia Mönchengladbach	138	(5)
2025–	Red Bull Salzburg	15	(1)
International career‡
2017–	Austria	39	(2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:24, 14 December 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:13, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Early career

Lainer started his career with the local club SV Seekirchen. In 2006, he came to Red Bull Salzburg. In 2010, he played his first match for the second team of Red Bull. His next step was SV Grödig, where he played on loan. In 2012, he returned to Salzburg where he was in the squad of FC Liefering, the second team of FC Red Bull Salzburg.

Lainer is the son of Leo Lainer, who played for SV Austria Salzburg and the Austria national football team.^[3]

Red Bull Salzburg

On 1 July 2015, Lainer transferred to FC Red Bull Salzburg on a three-year contract for £140,000.^[4]

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, Borussia Dortmund and Lazio, thus making their first ever appearance in the UEFA Europa League semi-final.^[5] On 3 May 2018, he played in the Europa League semi-finals as Marseille played out a 1–2 away loss but a 3–2 aggregate win to secure a place in the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final.^[6]

Return to Red Bull Salzburg

On 8 June 2025, Lainer returned from Germany to Red Bull Salzburg on a two-year deal.^[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 14 December 2025

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
SV Grödig	2011–12	Austrian 2. Liga	23	3	3	0	—		—		26	3
FC Liefering	2012–13	Austrian Regionalliga West	28	2	—		—		2	0	30	2
	2013–14	Austrian 2. Liga	34	1	—		—		—		34	1
	Total		62	3	—		—		2	0	64	3
Ried	2014–15	Austrian Bundesliga	34	1	2	0	—		—		36	1
Red Bull Salzburg	2015–16	Austrian Bundesliga	21	1	4	1	3[b]	0	—		28	2
	2016–17	Austrian Bundesliga	31	6	5	2	9[c]	0	—		45	8
	2017–18	Austrian Bundesliga	33	1	4	0	18[d]	1	—		55	2
	2018–19	Austrian Bundesliga	25	1	4	0	14[e]	0	—		43	1
	Total		110	9	19	0	44	0	—		173	13
Borussia Mönchengladbach	2019–20	Bundesliga	31	1	2	0	6[f]	0	—		39	1
	2020–21	Bundesliga	33	2	4	0	8[g]	0	—		45	2
	2021–22	Bundesliga	21	1	2	0	—		—		23	1
	2022–23	Bundesliga	17	0	1	0	—		—		18	0
	2023–24	Bundesliga	15	0	1	0	—		—		16	0
	2024–25	Bundesliga	19	1	1	0	—		—		20	1
	Total		136	5	11	0	14	0	—		161	5
Red Bull Salzburg	2024–25	Austrian Bundesliga	—		—		—		3[h]	0	3	0
	2025–26	Austrian Bundesliga	15	1	2	0	10[i]	0	—		27	1
	Total		15	1	2	0	10	0	3	0	30	1
Career total			380	22	37	1	68	1	5	0	490	24

1. Includes Austrian Cup, DFB-Pokal
2. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
3. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearance in UEFA Europa League
4. Sixteen appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, ten appearances in UEFA Europa League
6. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
7. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
8. Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
9. Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 23 March 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Austria	2017	3	0
	2018	9	0
	2019	6	1
	2020	7	0
	2021	8	1
	2022	5	0
	2024	1	0
Total		39	2

Scores and results list Austria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lainer goal.^[8]

List of international goals scored by Stefan Lainer

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	16 November 2019	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	North Macedonia	2–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
2	13 June 2021	Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania		1–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2020

Honours

Red Bull Salzburg

• Austrian Bundesliga: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Austrian Cup: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19

Individual

• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2017–18^[9]
• Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Year: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19