Gentian Selmani (born 9 March 1998) is an Albanian 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 ...

who plays as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

for Albanian club Laçi and the

Albania national football team The Albania national football team ( sq, Kombëtarja e futbollit të Shqipërisë) represents Albania in men's international football, and is governed by the Albanian Football Association, the governing body for football in Albania. Albania com ...

Club career

Early career

Selmani began playing football as a young child and was coached by former Albania national team goalkeeper Perlat Musta at Partizani from the age of just 5. He joined the Olimpic youth setup in 2011, where he remained for two years before returning to Partizani in 2013 where he joined the under-17 side as a 15-year-old.Gentian Selmani profile

FSHF The Albanian Football Association ( sq, Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. The association is based in Tirana, Albania. It organises the national football leagues of the Albanian Superliga, the Fir ...

.org After impressive performances for the under-17s he was invited by the head coach

Shpëtim Duro Shpëtim Duro (born 24 December 1959) is an Albanian professional football coach. Managerial career Duro was named the manager of Macedonian First League side FK Shkëndija on 24 November 2013, just 15 hours after the sacking of Gjore Jovanovs ...

to train with the first team during the 2014–15 season and he was an unused substitute in the

Kategoria Superiore 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 ...

for a home game against Kukësi on 23 November 2014. This, however, proved to be the closest Selmani got to first team action for the club as he left only months later.

Kastrioti

He joined

Kategoria e Parë Kategoria e Parë is the second level of professional football in Albania, behind the Kategoria Superiore and above the Kategoria e Dytë. Format Kategoria e Parë was founded in 1930. It is made up of 14 teams. The 2 best ranked teams gain prom ...

side

Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) was an Albanian noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in the ...

in January 2015 and immediately established himself as the club's first choice goalkeeper, making his professional debut on 7 February 2015 in an away game against Iliria that his side lost 1–0. In total he made 14 league appearances during the second half of the season, as his side finished 5th and safely avoided relegation. After establishing himself as a first choice keeper at the age of 16, he attracted the interest of

sides and left Kastrioti at the end of the 2014–15 season in order to search for a new club in the top flight.

Laçi

On 1 August 2015, Selmani completed a transfer to Kategoria Superiore side Laçi for an undisclosed fee. Priror to that, he had travelled to Germany where he had been training with the goalkeeping team at

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...

side

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ...

. He was given squad number 1, and made his debut eleven days later in the

Albanian Supercup The Albanian Supercup is a single match usually at the beginning of the season between the winners of the Kategoria Superiore and Albanian Cup. Supercup final was not played in the occasions when the champion team won the Double. However, after ...

against Albanian champions

Skënderbeu , 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 ...

where Laçi won after

penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

. His decisive save versus Bruno Lulaj made Laçi lift their first ever trophy. Selmani played his first Kategoria Superiore match on 21 August in the opening match of 2015–16 season, conceding a free-kick in the second half as Laçi begun their campaign with a draw. He played another match, before making way for veteran Miroslav Vujadinović, returning in the lineup only in December, keeping his first clean-sheet in the 4–0 home win versus bottom side Tërbuni. Selmani became the starting keeper in the second part of the season, finishing it with 19 league appearances, keeping 5 clean-sheets as Laçi retained their top flight status. He also played 7 matches in team's run in cup, including the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

against Kukësi where Laçi was defeated on penalty shoot-out. Selmani's spot as regular keeper became permanent in the 2016–17 season, in which he played 33 league matches out of 36 with Laçi escaping relegation in the final matchday at the expense of

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

. He kept 15 clean-sheets throughout the season, and was ranked 5th in the clean-sheet list. He played his first match as skipper on 1 February 2017 in a

cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...

match versus Skënderbeu, receiving the armband in 60th minute following the substitution of Erjon Vucaj. He set the record by becoming the youngest ever captain of Laçi. His 50th Kategoria Superiore appearance occurred later 11 May 2017 in the goalless draw versus his ex side Partizani. In the 2017–18 season, Selmani played 31 league appearances as Laçi finished fourth to return to

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...

after three years. He became the permanent captain in the second part of the season. In March 2018, he suffered a muscular injury which kept him sidelined for a month, returning on action on 22 April in the draw against Kukësi. Selmani played 5 cup matches as Laçi lost the

again, this time at the hands of Skënderbeu. At the end of the season, Selmani was named as one of the talents of the season by association "Sporti na bashkon". Selmani made his 100th Kategoria Superiore appearance in a 2–1 win over

on 15 December 2018. Later, on 11 February, he scored his first goal in club level, netting a late penalty kick in a 2–1 away defeat at Skënderbeu.

Spells in Turkey

In August 2019, Selmani joined Turkish side

Menemenspor Menemenspor, formerly Menemen Belediyespor, is a Turkish professional football club located in the Menemen district of İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the provi ...

in the

TFF First League The TFF 1. Lig, officially known as Spor Toto 1. Lig for sponsorship reasons, is the second level of the Turkish football league system. The league was founded in 2001 as the ''Turkish Second League Category A'' after the reorganization of the ...

, inking a two-year contract. In January 2021, Selmani signed with fellow First League side

Boluspor Boluspor is a Turkish professional football club located in the city of Bolu. The clubs plays in red and white kits, and have done so since their formation in 1965.Albania national under-17 football team The Albania national under-17 football team represents Albania in international football at this age level in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, as well as any other under-17 international football tournaments. I ...

coach Džemal Mustedanagić to participate in the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying round on match-dates 8–13 October 2014. He debuted in international level for Albania U17 in the closing group match against San Marino U17 by playing the full 80-minutes match which finished in a 5–1 victory but anyway were not enough as Albania U17 were eliminated since the second match as they lost both first group matches. For two other matches, Selmani was an unused substitute as a second choice behind the

PAOK FC P.A.O.K. FC ( el, ΠΑΕ ΠΑΟΚ, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών, '' Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstadinoupolitón'', "Pan-Thessalonian Sports club, Athlet ...

academy goalkeeper Jorgo Muça.Gentian Selmani matches
Soccerway

Under-19

He advanced higherly at international level as he was called up in Albania national under-19 football team by coach

Altin Lala Altin Dodë Lala (born 18 November 1975) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and former manager. He spent his entire playing career in Germany and represented the Albania national football team. He ...

for the double

Friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

es against Bosnia and Herzegovina U19 on 21 & 23 April 2015. Selmani was called up by a new appointed coach of Albania U19 Arjan Bellaj for two last friendly matches before the competitive tournament start against Kosovo U19 on 13 & 15 October 2015. His impressive form shown in friendly matches convinced the coach Arjan Bellaj to include him in the squad to participate in the

2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification The 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification was a men's under-19 football competition organised by UEFA to determine the seven national teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Germany in the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Champ ...

from 12–17 November 2015. In the opening match against Austria U19, Albania U19 played with Elhan Kastrati as a first choice in a 2–1 loss. Selmani played the full 90-minutes match in the second match-day against Georgia U19 but lost against 1–0. For the closing match against Wales U19 Selmani was an unused substitute in a 3–2 win which resulted an elimination from the tournament for Albania U19 as they were ranked in the 3rd out 4 place collecting 1 win, 2 losses and a total of 4-5 goals collected.

Under-21

Following his arrival at Laçi and his games there as a starter, Selmani was called up in Albania national under-21 football team by coach

Redi Jupi Redi Jupi (born 31 May 1974) is an Albanian retired footballer. He played in the central midfield for KS Dinamo Tirana and has 19 caps for the Albania national team since his debut in 1995. Jupi is currently the manager of Albania U21 for the ...

for the

2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification The 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying competition was a men's under-21 football competition that determined the 11 teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Poland in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship tournament ...

matches against

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

on 3 & 8 September 2015 as an alternative 3rd choice, after two regular national members Thomas Strakosha &

Aldo Teqja Aldo Teqja (born 4 May 1995) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Albanian club FK Partizani Tirana. Club career Anorthosis Famagusta Teqja joined Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta in January 2011 from Dinamo T ...

. He wasn't included in the 18-man squad who participated in both qualifying matches. He was re-invited at the national under-21 side by a new coach

Alban Bushi Alban Bushi (born 20 August 1973) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player who is the current manager of Albania under-21 and under-20 team. He is nicknamed "Loku". During his playing career he played as a striker. Bushi ...

for a double

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

against Moldova U21 on 25 & 27 March 2017. Selmani was called up for the

against France U21 on 5 June 2017 and the

2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification The 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying competition was a men's under-21 football competition that determined the 11 teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Italy in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tourn ...

opening match against Estonia U21 on 12 June 2017. He made his competitive debut for Albania U21 against Estonia U21 on 12 June 2017 playing the full 90-minutes match and kept the clean-sheet by making several notable saves to help his side to take a goalless draw. He received his first call up for the Albania under-20 side by same coach of the under-21 team Alban Bushi for the

against Georgia U20 on 14 November 2017. Selmani scored his first professional goal on 8 June 2018 by netting in the 93rd minute in a friendly versus

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

, preventing his side from losing. In total, earned 17 caps for the under-21 team from 2017 to 2020, and scored one goal.

Senior

On 25 May 2018, Selmani received an urgent call-up from

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 ...

for the

friendly matches An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

against

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, to replace the injured Thomas Strakosha. He made his debut for the senior team on 5 June 2021 in a friendly against Wales, he played the full game and kept the clean sheet in a 0–0 draw.

Personal life

Selmani is a fan of Italian club Juventus and his favourite footballer is goalkeeper

Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded pl ...

Career statistics

Club

Honours

Club

;Laçi * Albanian Cup Runner-up: 2015–16 *

: 2015

References

External links

*
Gentian Selmani
at the

Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Association ( sq, Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. The association is based in Tirana, Albania. It organises the national football leagues of the Albanian Superliga, the F ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Selmani, Gentian 1998 births People from Krujë Living people Albanian footballers Albania youth international footballers Albania under-21 international footballers Albania international footballers Association football goalkeepers FK Partizani Tirana players KS Kastrioti players KF Laçi players Menemenspor footballers Boluspor footballers Kategoria Superiore players Kategoria e Parë players TFF First League players Albanian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Turkey Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey