en Nemanja Gudelj: how the Sevilla midfielder rebuilt his hairline
Summary
Nemanja Gudelj was 31 and had already won more than most players manage in a career. He was also going bald, and it bothered him more than he let on.
The player who pointed him towards a solution was sitting in the same dressing room.
A midfielder made at the highest level
Gudelj was formed in the Netherlands, in the NAC Breda academy, which is where most of the technical foundation was laid. The dynamic defensive midfielder established himself quickly as a Serbian football star, on the back of a tireless work rate and slick passing.
His performances in the Eredivisie earned him a call-up to the Serbian national team. The box-to-box style and the vision drew praise from fans and coaches alike.
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Thriving at Sevilla FC
In 2019, Sevilla FC came for him. He arrived as a free agent, his contract in China having just expired, which is the kind of signing a club makes without expecting much noise.
He made some anyway. Under coaches like Julen Lopetegui, Gudelj became indispensable. He won two Europa League titles with the club, in 2020 and 2023, and the Sánchez-Pizjuán adopted him.
Premature baldness, with youth on his side
Alongside the trophies, there was a quieter problem. Gudelj was dealing with premature baldness, which sat awkwardly against his age and his physical condition.
It is a common combination and rarely a comfortable one. Nothing about being fit, young and successful protects a hairline.
A technique chosen for his case
The recommendation came from Ivan Rakitić, a teammate who had been through the procedure himself. Gudelj went to see Dr Cinik, Sevilla FC’s hair restoration partner.
The plan was a dual approach: Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) combined with the Sapphire FUE technique.
Each does a different job. DHI places the follicle directly, which gives fine control over angle and direction at the front, where a hairline either looks natural or does not. Sapphire FUE opens the micro-incisions with sapphire blades, which supports graft survival and speeds up healing.
More than 3,500 grafts were implanted in total, distributed to restore the density he had lost.
What he said about the day itself
Long sessions have a reputation. Gudelj’s account, recorded in a video testimonial shortly afterwards, is more mundane than the reputation suggests:
“Everything happened without pain, very quickly, about 6-7 hours of operation. In my case, I was asleep around 80% of the time, with no pain. Top treatment from Dr Cinik’s team, very professional and excellent care on the second day as well. I want to thank the doctor and his entire staff!”
The results showed a few weeks later. The density was back.
His verdict
Gudelj is direct about it:
“I 100% recommend Dr Cinik’s clinic! Thanks to the successful hair transplant, I feel completely confident both on and off the pitch.”
That is the part that tends to matter most to players. The hair is visible; the confidence is what they actually came for.
