Blerim Kotobelli (born 10 August 1992) is an

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

n professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who plays as a

left-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

for

Teuta Teuta (Illyrian languages, Illyrian: *''Teutana'', 'mistress of the people, queen'; grc, Τεύτα; lat, Teuta) was the queen regent of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 228/227 BC. Following the death ...

Club career

Teuta Durrës

In June 2014, Kotobelli completed a transfer to

Teuta Durrës Teuta ( Illyrian: *''Teutana'', 'mistress of the people, queen'; grc, Τεύτα; lat, Teuta) was the queen regent of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 228/227 BC. Following the death of her spouse Agro ...

by penning a one-year contract. He debuted with the team on 23 August 2014 in the opening league match of 2014–15 season against

Flamurtari Vlorë Flamurtari FC is a professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria e Parë, which is the second tier of football in the country. Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Albania, and it is also one ...

. Following this, Kotobelli become a regular starter in the lineup, playing 35 matches throughout the campaign, including 32 in league, as Teuta barely avoided relegation. He also scored two goals in the defeats against

Apolonia Fier KF Apolonia is an Albanian football club based in Fier. The club was founded on 17 June 1925 and took its name from the nearby ruins of the ancient city of Apollonia. The club currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë and they play their home ...

and

Skënderbeu Korçë , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

. Kotobelli was distinguished for his performances in the first part of 2015–16 season, as Teuta become a contender for a European spot next season. He was able to make 34 league appearances, all of them as starter, as Teuta gained the right to play in Europa League first qualifying round by finishing fourth, tied with Kukësi. He kicked off 2016–17 season on 30 June by making his European debut in the match against Kairat, playing full-90 minutes in a 0–1 home defeat. He also played in the returning leg of week later, as Teuta were smashed 5–0, its second biggest defeat of all time, eliminated from the competition with the aggregate 6–0. On 27 May of the following year, in the final matchday, Kotobelli made his 100th league appearance for Teuta by starting in a 2–1 away defeat at Laçi. Only four days later, it was confirmed that Kotobelli left the club after three seasons, where he collected 114 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times, being one of the most valued players of the team.

Partizani Tirana

On 9 June 2017, Kotobelli joined fellow

Albanian Superliga The Kategoria Superiore, officially known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football compet ...

side

Partizani Tirana Futboll Klub Partizani, or FK Partizani for short, is an Albanian professional football club based in Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's curren ...

by signing a one-year contract with an option of a further one. He was presented by

Luciano Moggi Luciano Moggi ( born 10 July 1937) is a former Italian association football administrator. He was a club executive for A.S. Roma, Roma, S.S. Lazio, Lazio, Torino F.C., Torino, S.S.C. Napoli, Napoli, and Juventus, leading them to win six leagues ...

and was handed squad number 15. He played his first match for his new club on 10 September by starting in a 2–0 home loss to Laçi. The 2017–18 season was below expectation for Kotobelli, as he struggled to keep his spot in the starting lineup, making 31 appearances in all competitions, including 25 in league, collecting 1658 minutes. On 16 June 2018, Partizani Tirana announced via its official website the departure of Kotobelli after one year.

Return to Teuta

After 4 years of leaving the club with spells at

, and Kukësi, on 26 June 2021, Kotobelli returned to Teuta Durrës signing to a 2-year contract.

International career

In November 2013, Kotobelli received his first call-up to the under-21 squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches against

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. He made his debut on 14 November by playing full-90 minutes in Albania's 2–0 away win at Hungary. He also played full-90 minutes in the next match against Spain, as Albania slumped into a 0–2 home defeat.

Career statistics

References

External links

FSHF profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kotobelli, Blerim 1992 births Living people People from Skrapar Albanian footballers Albania under-21 international footballers Association football fullbacks KF Tirana players KF Teuta Durrës players FK Partizani Tirana players Flamurtari Vlorë players FK Kukësi players Kategoria e Dytë players Kategoria Superiore players