Leonidas Stergiou

Leonidas Stergiou (Λεωνίδας Στεργίου; born 3 March 2002) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for German club VfB Stuttgart and the Switzerland national team.

Club career
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.

On 22 August 2023, Stergiou joined VfB Stuttgart in Germany on loan. 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. On 4 May 2024, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3–1 win over Bayern Munich.

On 15 May 2024, the loan deal was made permanent and Stergiou signed a contract until June 2028 with VfB Stuttgart.

International career
Stergiou played four games for Switzerland U15 and five for Switzerland U16. He was the captain of Switzerland U21 at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they reached quarter-finals.

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.

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.

Personal life
Stergiou was born in Wattwil in the Toggenburg area of Switzerland, to a Serbian mother and a Greek father. After joining the FC St. Gallen academy at a young age he progressed through the ranks to the first team.

Honours
Individual
 * Swiss Super League Young Footballer of the Year: 2020–21