Paderborn's Klaus Gjasula Hacks Down Long-Standing Bundesliga Bookings Record

Klaus Gjasula receiving a booking
Klaus Gjasula receiving a booking / Pool/Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

Klaus Gjasula isn't the most illustrious name in football. Admit it, before we mentioned him just now, you'd never even heard of him had you?

Bouncing between clubs in the German lower leagues for much of his life, his shot at the big time finally came when Paderborn secured an unlikely promotion to the Bundesliga last season. It looks like he and his club's stay in the top flight is going to be short as well, with Steffan Baumgart's side firmly rooted to the foot of the table.

While many of the names in the Paderborn squad seemed destined to be forgotten when the 2020/21 season rolls around, Gjasula has ensured that his Bundesliga legacy will live on in infamy.

Klaus Gjasula has made 26 Bundesliga appearances for Paderborn this season
Klaus Gjasula has made 26 Bundesliga appearances for Paderborn this season / Pool/Getty Images

How, you ask?

Well, by completing a woefully, clumsy lunge against Werder Bremen this afternoon, the 6'4 Albanian earned his way into the record books. His terrible tackle saw him his receive 17th yellow card of the season - a new Bundesliga record.

According to Archie Rhind-Tutt, Gjasula overtakes ex-Schlake defensive destroyer Tomasz Hajto's record of 16 cautions in a single campaign

To put his achievement into some sort of context, that's a full seven more than Robert Andrich, Kaan Ayhan and Adam Bodzek, who are all tied for second place.

Looking across the continent, Gjasula could be in with a shout for winning Europe's dirtiest player this season. Without wanting to sound like a click baity internet advert - his main rivals will shock you.

Over in La Liga, Tottenham flop Roberto Soldado has already racked up a remarkable 12 bookings while Milan's Ismael Bennacer is leading the way in Italy with the same number of cautions.

The Premier League, meanwhile, is lagging behind. Jorginho is Gjasula's closest competitor with ten yellows and will need to step up his tactical fouling game to even greater levels if he has any hope of catching up.