He played a major role in VfL Bochum’s promotion to the Bundesliga over four years ago. Now, the attacking midfielder is once again traveling halfway around the world.

Former Bochum player Robert Zulj has found a new challenge. At the age of 33, the Austrian is leaving his home country once again and signing for Buriram United in the Thai first division. He is following in the footsteps of his brother Peter, who has been playing there for six months. Zulj is expected to expand the champions’ attacking options, the club said on social media. In the past season, Buriram United secured the title with a one-point lead over closest rival Bangkok United. Zulj himself, however, did not fare so well at the end of last season. Nine goals and seven assists in the league are impressive, as are four goals and two assists in four ÖFB Cup games.

However, his former club, Linzer ASK, suffered a bitter defeat with Zulj. In the final of the qualifying round for the Conference League, Rapid Vienna managed to overturn a 1-3 deficit from the first leg against LASK. In the second leg, thanks in part to Guido Burgstaller’s goal to make it 1-0, Rapid won 3-0 and will now play in the Conference League qualifiers.

Zulj did not join VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga

The 32-year-old midfielder contributed 29 goals in 31 games to VfL Bochum’s second division championship in 2021, playing a total of 45 competitive games for Bochum in two years (17 goals and 20 assists).

After a season with Ittihad Kalba (United Arab Emirates), Zulj ended up in Linz, where he is continuing his performances from his days in Bochum. The Austrian’s record: 100 games, 37 goals, and 26 assists.

The move to LASK also marked a return to his roots for Zulj. After all, he learned to play soccer in the Linz youth team before joining SV Ried and later RB Salzburg.

From there, he made the leap to SpVgg Fürth in Germany in the summer of 2014. This was followed by spells at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and 1. FC Union Berlin before he joined VfL Bochum in the winter of 2020. Just one and a half years later, he was to become a big part of one of the greatest successes in Bochum’s recent history.