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Elbasan Arena
Elbasan Arena ( sq, Elbasan Arena, formerly known as Ruzhdi Bizhuta) is a multi-purpose stadium in Elbasan, Albania. The stadium was completed in 1967 and has been the home ground of KF Elbasani ever since. The stadium was under reconstruction and was officially inaugurated on 8 October 2014 in time for the match against Denmark, valid for the qualifiers of UEFA Euro 2016, with total capacity of 12,800, making it the 3rd largest in Albania, after the Air Albania Stadium in Tirana. History Elbasan Arena first opened in 1967 under the name of Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadion who was one of KF Elbasani’s most famous players. Constructed in the 1960s, the ground was built to replace the club’s former ground which had slowly become a set of outdated facilities. For the majority of Ruzhdi Bizhuta’s history, the stadium has been used exclusively by KF Elbasani but in January 2014 it was announced that the ground would host Albania’s qualification matches of Euro 2016. This decision was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elbasan
Elbasan ( ; sq-definite, Elbasani ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in central Albania. Etymology The Albanian name is derived from the Ottoman Turkish ''il-basan'' ("the fortress"). is also the Aromanian name of the city. According to Saliaj the name in antiquity ''Scampa'' is derived from the word ''Shkamba'' ("The Rock or Cliff") in Albanian. Comparing with the name of the river of Elbasan ,''Shkumbini'' ("Scampini in Antiquity"). History In August 2010 archaeologists discovered two Illyrian graves near the walls of the castle of Elbasan. In the second century BC, a trading post called '' Mansio Scampa'' near the site of modern Elbasan developed close to a junction of two branches of an important Roman road, the Via Egnatia, which connected the Adriatic coast with Byzantium. It was one of the most imp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viktor Kassai
Viktor Kassai (''Kassai Viktor'', Hungarian pronunciation: ; born 10 September 1975) is a Hungarian football official and a former referee who is the current head of refereeing department of the Bulgarian Football Union. He participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and refereed the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2003. He retired as a referee on 30 December 2019. Career 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, where he refereed the group stage match between Brazil and South Korea, as well as the Argentina-North Korea match. Kassai refereed in UEFA Euro 2008 as the fourth official in several matches. During 2008, he also officiated in the 2008 Olympic Games, including in the final. 2010 World Cup Kassai was preselected as a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He refereed in the first leg of the AFC 5th vs OFC winner qualifier between Bahrain and New Zealand. On 5 July, it was announced that he would be in charge for the Ger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debatik Curri
Debatik Nazmi Curri (born 28 December 1983) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player who is the current assistant manager of Prishtina. From 2006 to 2015 he was also part of Albania national team, collecting 44 appearances and scoring once. He began his career as a defensive midfielder, but his position was changed to a centre back when he joined the Albania national team in 2006. Club career Early career Curri began his professional career with Prishtina. Vorskla Poltava On 1 July 2005, Curri signed with Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava. He played for many years on the team, together with fellow Albanians, Armend Dallku & Ahmed Januzi. Genclerbirliği On 16 May 2010, Curri signed a three-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig side Gençlerbirliği. Hoverla Uzhhorod On 23 July 2013 he returned to Ukrainian Premier League by signing a two-years contract with FC Hoverla Uzhhorod. Sevastopol After he prematurely ended his contract with FC Hoverla Uzhhorod, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alban Hoxha
Alban Bekim Hoxha (; born 23 November 1987) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Albanian club Partizani and the Albania national team. Club career Dinamo Tirana Hoxha started youth football at age of 6 and was raised through the ranks at his hometown team Turbina before joining the youth team of Dinamo Tirana in 2004. He was loaned back out to Turbina for the 2005–06 campaign, where he played in the Kategoria e Parë. He returned the following season and joined the first team at Dinamo as Ilion Lika understudy. He made his top flight debut with Dinamo on 10 March 2007 in a home game against Elbasani. He featured in 11 league games between March and the end of the season due to first choice keeper Lika being sidelined with injury. The following season, he became second choice to Elvis Kotorri following the departure of Ilion Lika, and he made 2 league appearances as Dinamo were crowned Kategoria Superiore champions for the first time since 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orges Shehi
Orges Shehi (born 25 September 1977) is an Albanian professional former football player and current coach of Tirana. In July 2010, he joined Skënderbeu and won 6 consecutive league titles (2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16). Club career Teuta Shehi began his career with local side Teuta as a teenager at age of 12, and made his professional debut for the club in the Kategoria Superiore during the 1994–95 campaign. He had to wait another two seasons to become the regular second choice keeper, behind Kujtim Shtama. He made his Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) debut in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup on 24 July 1996 in the second leg against MFK Košice, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Shtama. Teuta ended up losing the game 2–1 and the tie 6–2 on aggregate. Overall, he ended up making 9 league appearances as his side finished in mid-table, as well as reaching the quarter-final of the Albanian Cup, narrowl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bekim Balaj
Bekim Balaj (born 11 January 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Albanian club Vllaznia Shkodër and the Albania national team. Balaj started his football career with his hometown club Vllaznia and made his professional debut at the age of 17 before going on to score 17 goals in 38 games for the club before moving to Turkey to join Gençlerbirliği. After little success in Turkey he returned to Albania and played for Tirana where he scored 15 league goals in 37 games before joining Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic in January 2013. During his time at Sparta Prague he was loaned out to Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok for the entire 2013–14 campaign where he scored 9 goals in 36 games in all competition before return to his parent club for the first half of the following season. He joined Croatian club HNK Rijeka in January 2015 for a fee of €600,000. Balaj begun his international career with under-19 squad in 2008, and two years ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andi Lila
Andi Lila (born 12 February 1986) is a former Albanian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder for the Albania national team. He was a versatile player, having played primarily as a right back early in his career as well as left back, but in recent years he played predominately in a defensive midfield role, as well as a right midfielder. Lila began his career with local side Besa Kavajë, where he made his debut in 2002 as a 16-year-old and soon became a regular first team player, which earned him a move to Greek club Iraklis in January 2007. He soon returned to Besa Kavajë after failing to settle at Iraklis, and he shortly became the club captain, guiding them to a third-place finish in the Albanian Superliga before moving to KF Tirana after just one year back in Kavajë. He was a fan favourite at KF Tirana as during his three years at the club, and he won the Albanian Superliga title in his first season there, as well as helping his side reach the Albania ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taulant Xhaka
Taulant Ragip Xhaka (born 28 March 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Swiss Super League club Basel. Born in Switzerland, he represented the Albania national team. Early life Xhaka was born in Basel, Switzerland, to Albanian parents originally from Kosovo. He is the elder brother of Granit Xhaka, who is a professional footballer who plays for Arsenal and the Switzerland national team. The family moved from Yugoslavia to Switzerland in 1990, where both brothers were born. Club career Early years Taulant Xhaka started playing football at the age of 6 and entered at FC Concordia Basel in 2000 before moving along with his brother to FC Basel two years later. He played for various FC Basel youth teams and from 2008 became a regular member of the under-21 team for two years in the Swiss 1. Liga playing overall 37 games, scoring six goals. Basel At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, he and his brother Granit moved up into the first team ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amir Abrashi
Amir Malush Abrashi (born 27 March 1990) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Swiss club Grasshoppers and the Albania national team. Club career Early career Abrashi was born in Bischofszell, Switzerland, to Albanian parents from Gjakova, Kosovo who had emigrated in Switzerland before his birth. He grew up in the Canton of Thurgau region and began his career in 2002 at the age of 12 with his hometown club, FC Bischofszell. A year later, he moved to FC Weinfelden-Bürglen, where he spent two years before returning to his hometown club FC Bischofszell. However, just a month after his return, at age of 16 Abrashi moved to Winterthur along with his family, where he joined local side FC Winterthur, the club where he would remain for the remainder of his youth career. Winterthur Reserve team Following impressive performances with the youth teams, Abrashi was first called up to the reserve side towards the end of the 2006–07 season, making ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burim Kukeli
Burim Nue Kukeli (born 16 January 1984) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current coach of Grasshopper Club Zürich U-21 squad. A Zofingen product, Kukeli started his professional career in the 2004–05 season where he played 24 matches before earning a transfer to Schötz where he played in the next two seasons. In 2008, he joined Luzern where he made more than 100 top flight appearances. Between 2012 and 2017, he played more than 80 league matches for Zürich. However, his spell was marred by injuries. In 2017, he joined Sion, also in the top flight. An Albanian international, Kukeli has more than 20 caps to his name since making his debut in 2012. He also was part of UEFA Euro 2016 squad. Club career Early career Kukeli was born in Gjakova, Kosovo in the then Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but moved to Switzerland at the age of four following his father road along with other part of his family. He starte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ansi Agolli
Ansi Agolli (born 11 October 1982) is an Albanian former professional footballer who captained the Albania national team. He played primarily as a left back or left midfielder, but he also operated as a right-back. Prior to March 2019, he was attached to Qarabağ in the Azerbaijan Premier League. He is the most decorated Albanian player in the history, winning 16 trophies, the first being the Albanian Superliga title in 2003–04 season. Club career Tirana Agolli began his career with his hometown club Tirana as a child aged nine, progressing through the ranks of the club. He eventually joined the first team in the 2000–01 campaign, where he made his debut as a teenager. In the following season he featured in the 2001–02 Albanian Cup First round against Laçi and scored three goals in both legs respectively on 18 and 24 August 2001 as Tirana advanced in the next round winning 6–0 aggregate. He made overall 10 league appearances for Tirana in his first three seasons be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mërgim Mavraj
Mërgim Mustafë Mavraj (born 9 June 1986) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Born in Germany, he represented the Albania national team from 2012 until 2020. Mavraj previously played for Germany U21 team, as well as spending his professional career in Germany, his place of birth, from 2005 to 2018 and again from 2019. Club career Early career Mavraj was born in Hanau, West Germany to ethnic Albanian parents from Istok, Kosovo. He started playing football at age of 10 where and his first club was Sportfreunde Seligenstadt in 1996. Then he joined Kickers Offenbach in 1997, where he stayed for six years until 2003. He spent the 2003–04 season at SG Rosenhöhe Offenbach before joining SV Darmstadt 98, where he played for the under-19 side for the 2004–05 campaign. He became a key member of the U-19s, starting in 23 league games and scoring three goals in the process, but his side finished bottom of the table with just four wins in 26 games all sea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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