Liridon Latifi
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Liridon Latifi (born 6 February 1994) 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 le ...
who plays as a
right midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for Albanian club Vllaznia Shkodër and the Albania national team. Latifi starter his youth career at
Flamurtari 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 on ...
in 2005, where he remained until 2011. Next year, he joined his hometown club
Prishtina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
where he also made his professional debut. In January 2015, Latifi signed with Albanian champions of
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 ...
and later aided the club to win its fifth-consecutive league title. Latifi was called up for the first time in Albania U-19 side in 2012 where he made his competitive debut. In March 2015, he was called up to play with Albania U-21 side in their bid to qualify in the
2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2017) was the 21st edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, a biennial international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men's under-21 na ...
.


Club career


Early career

Latifi joined local side
Flamurtari Prishtina KF Flamurtari is a professional football club based in Pristina, Kosovo. The club plays in the Football Superleague of Kosovo, which is the top tier of football in the country. History It was founded in 1968 by four friends, brothers Rizah and ...
at the age of 11 in 2005, initially joining the youth club and eventually working his way up the ranks to the first team which he joined in 2011. Soon after joining the first team he left Flamurtari and joined Kosovo's most successful club
Prishtina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
in January 2012. He first played for the club's youth team before progressing through to the first team the following season. While at Prishtina, Latifi along with his teammates Enis Gavazaj and Lorik Aliu went on trial with German giants
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
which initially lasted a week, but was then extended so they players could feature in the Blue Stars FIFA Youth Cup and the RUHR-Cup International youth tournament. Three players were not offered contracts at the end of their trials and subsequently returned to FC Prishtina.


Skënderbeu

On 28 December 2014, Latifi joined
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
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 ...
by signing a three-year deal, taking the vacant number 27 for the second part of 2014–15 season. During his presentation, Latifi said: "My goals are the same as those of the club." Latifi ended his first season with the club by winning the
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 ...
title, playing 18 matches in all competitions and scoring 5 league goals. Following the end of the season, Latifi agreed a contract extension with Skënderbeu Korçë, keeping him at
Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...
for one more year.


2015–16 season

On 19 November 2015, Latifi received his first-ever career red-card during the 2–1 away lose to Kukësi; he was sent off for his violent behavior after he attacked the opposite player
Gledi Mici Gledi Mici (born 6 February 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Kosovan club Prishtina. Club career Kukësi On 4 January 2015, Mici declared that he had terminated his contract with Flamurtari through mutual ...
. After that, he was suspended for 5 matches for his behaviour by the Disciplinary Committee of AFA. At the end of the season, he was named Albanian Superliga Talent of the Season by association "Sporti na bashkon".


Loan to Kukësi

Due to Skënderbeu's ban from European football over match-fixing allegations, on 8 July, Latifi was sent on loan at Kukësi for their European campaign along with teammates
Sabjen Lilaj Sabien Lilaj (born 10 February 1989) is an Albanian professional footballer who most recently played as a central midfielder for Albanian Superliga club Dinamo Tirana and the Albania national team. He is a versatile midfielder who mainly operate ...
and
Masato Fukui is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Albanian club Kamza. Club career Gainare Tottori In 2011, he joined Gainare Tottori in J2 League, on 6 March 2011 he made his first appearance for the team. Home United In 2013 ...
. Four days later, he played full-90 minutes in the first leg of UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against
Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (; known in English as Austria Vienna, and usually shortened to Austria (German: Österreich) in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the mos ...
which ended in a 1–0 defeat. He also featured in the entire second leg at
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 a ...
as the match finished in a 1–4 defeat, which confirmed Kukësi elimination from the competition with the aggregate 1–5. Following the elimination, Latifi returned to Skënderbeu with Lilaj and Fukui.


Historical European campaign

Latifi was the main instrument in Skënderbeu's historic run in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, as the team achieved
group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concent ...
for the second time ever and also become the first Albanian club to pass four rounds. He scored three goals in the first qualifying round against Sant Julià as Skënderbeu progressed 6–0 on aggregate. The second leg match was his 100th Skënderbeu match in all competitions. In the first leg of second round tie versus Kairat, his shot was turned into a rebound for
Bakary Nimaga Bakary Nimaga (born 6 December 1994) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder playing for Radnički Niš in the Serbian SuperLiga.
, who scored the team's only goal for a 1–1 draw. In the second leg, however, Skënderbeu outclassed Kairat by winning 2–0 to advance to the third round. In the first leg of third round against
Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; german: Jungbunzlau) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 42,000 inhabitants. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region and a major centre of the Czech automotive ind ...
on 27 July 2017, Latifi's shot from outside the area was touched by Pavel Čmovš and finished in the net. The goal was credited to the defender, and the match was lost 2–1. In the returning leg at
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 a ...
, Skënderbeu won 2–1 at regular time. After the extra time ended with the same result, the match went to extra time and later penalty shootout where Latifi successfully converted his penalty shootout attempt, as Skënderbeu won 4–2 to progress to the play-off round for the second time in history. In the play-off round, Skënderbeu was placed against
Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
; in the first leg away, Latifi scored his team's only goal as Skënderbeu lost the win in the last seconds. In the second leg, Latifi produced a Man of the Match performance by helping the team to earn a goalless draw with a man down in the last minutes, meaning that Skënderbeu has qualified to the
group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concent ...
on away goal rule for the second time in their history. A day after the qualification in group stages, Latifi was sold to Puskás Akadémia. He finished his Skënderbeu career by playing 106 matches in all competitions, including 76 in league, 11 in cup and 19 in European competitions. He also scored 26 goals, including 21 in league. During his spell in Korçë he won 2 Albanian championships.


Puskás Akadémia

On 25 August 2017, Latifi completed a transfer to
Nemzeti Bajnokság I The Nemzeti Bajnokság (, "National Championship"), also known as NB I, is the top level of the Hungarian football league system. The league is officially named OTP Bank Liga after its title sponsor OTP Bank. UEFA currently ranks the league 28th ...
side Puskás Akadémia for a reported fee of €1 million. The player signed a four-year contract worth €30,000 a season. He was presented on the same day, stating: I'll help Puskás Akadémia to achieve the goals." He scored his first goal for the club on 25 August 2018 in a league match against Paksi which ended in a 3–2 away defeat. Later on 26 February of the following year, Latifi scored his first cup goals in form of a hat-trick against the same opponent, leading his team to a 3–1 away win. He left the club following the end of 2018–19 campaign after two troublesome seasons in Hungary.


Sheriff Tiraspol

On 24 June 2019, Latifi was announced as the new player of
Sheriff Tiraspol Fotbal Club Sheriff (russian: ФК Шериф Тирасполь), commonly known as Sheriff Tiraspol or simply Sheriff, is a Moldovan professional football club based in Tiraspol, a city located in the unrecognised breakaway state of Transnist ...
. He made his official debut for the club on 5 July in the second leg of 2019–20 Moldovan Cup Round of 16 tie against the amateur side FC Sireți, scoring a hat-trick as his side won with the astonishing score of 15–0, progressing to next round 27–0 on aggregate.


Vllaznia

On 1 July 2021, Vllaznia announced to have signed Latifi on a deal until 2023, with the midfielder making his return to Kategoria Superiore after four years. He made his debut on 28 August as Vllaznia lost the 2021 Albanian Supercup to Teuta. Latifi's first goal for his new side came on 11 September in the opening week of
2021–22 Kategoria Superiore The 2021–22 Kategoria Superiore is the 83rd official season, or 86th season of top-tier football in Albania (including three unofficial championships during World War II) and the 22nd season under the name Kategoria Superiore. The season began in ...
, netting a first half penalty in a 5–3 away win over Laçi. On 31 May 2022, Latifi won his first trophy with Vllaznia, the
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup ( sq, Kupa e Shqipërisë) is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit (English:"The King's Cup"). Just after a year the cup was suspended as the Second World War st ...
, helping his team to beat Laçi 2–1 in 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 cont ...
played at
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 a ...
; Vllaznia's first goal was assisted by Latifi, who got past two opposition players before delivering a cross which was finished by Ardit Hoxhaj.


International career


Albania U19

Latifi was called up to the
Albania national under-19 football team The Albania national under-19 football team represents Albania in international football at this age level in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, as well as any other under-19 international football tourna ...
to participate in the
2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification The 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (qualifying round) was the first round of qualifications for the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final tournament. The 48 participating teams were divided into 12 groups of four teams, with eac ...
, coached by
Foto Strakosha Fotaq "Foto" Strakosha (born 29 March 1965) is an Albanian retired goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach of Lazio Youth. Strakosha is regarded as one of Albania's most popular and greatest goalkeepers. In his 20-years playing career he pla ...
. Latifi made his international debut with Albania U19 on 17 October 2012 by playing as a half-time substitute for
Lorenc Shehaj Lorenc Shehaj (born 7 April 1994) is an Albanian professional footballer who most recently played as a striker for Oriku in the Albanian Second Division. Club career Flamurtari Vlorë Shehaj is a product of Flamurtari Vlorë academy and was c ...
in the 2–0 home defeat to Belarus U19.


Albania U20

Latifi was called up at
Albania national under-20 football team The Albania national under-20 football team, also known as Albania U20(s), is the national under-20 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania. The under-20 squad is often cited as a feeder squad to the ...
by coach
Skënder Gega Skënder Gega (born 14 November 1963) is an Albanian retired football player and current manager. Playing career Club Gega played the majority of his career at Partizani, an Albanian team, whilst also having a two-year stint with German side ...
to participate in the 2013 Mediterranean Games football tournament which began on 19 June 2013 in
Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin Province, Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and dis ...
,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. However he was not selected in the final squad which participated in the tournament.


Albania U21

He debuted with the
Albania national under-21 football team The Albania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, which is held every two ye ...
under coach Skënder Gega in a friendly against Iran U23 on 21 January 2015 held in
Antalya Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...
, Turkey. Following a good run of form since joining
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 ...
in March 2015, he received his first Albania under-21 call up by
Skënder Gega Skënder Gega (born 14 November 1963) is an Albanian retired football player and current manager. Playing career Club Gega played the majority of his career at Partizani, an Albanian team, whilst also having a two-year stint with German side ...
for a 2017 European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Liechtenstein U21 on 28 March 2015. He made his debut for the Albania under-21 side against Liechtenstein U21 and managed also to score in his debut in the 29th minute of the match for the opening goal after an assist in the area by Enis Gavazaj and with the second goal scored in the 52nd minute by
Rey Manaj Rey Aldo Manaj ( sq, Rei Manaj; born 24 February 1997) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker the Albania national team. He is currently a free agent, after his contract with Watford was terminated by mutual consent. Club ...
they signed the Albania U21s' 0–2 away victory. Latifi was called up by a new appointed coach at the Albania U-21,
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
qualifying Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to: * Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
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 ...
and
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 and 8 September 2015. He played as a starter on 3 September 2015 against Israel and was substituted off in the 62nd minute for
Endri Çekiçi Endri Çekiçi (born 23 November 1996) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Turkish club Konyaspor and the Albania national team. Club career Early career Çekiçi started his career with his local club Pogradeci i ...
which then scored the equalising 1–1 goal in the 82nd minute to make Albania U-21 taking a draw.


Senior team

Latifi got his first call up to the senior
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 ...
side by coach
Gianni De Biasi Giovanni "Gianni" De Biasi (, sq, Xhovani "Xhani" De Biazi), born 16 June 1956 is an Italian football coach and former player. He holds dual Italian and Albanian citizenship. De Biasi was the first coach of the Albania national team to lead th ...
for the
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 ...
matches against
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
on 6 October 2016 and against
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 ...
on 9 October 2016. He didn't featured in any of both matches. He was called up then for the 5th 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification fixture against
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
on 24 March 2017 and the
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
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
on 28 March 2017. Latifi made his first senior debut on 24 March 2017 against Italy coming on as a substitute in the 88th minute in place of
Migjen Basha Migjen Xhevat Basha (born 5 January 1987) is a former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Born in Switzerland, he represented that nation at youth international levels but played for Albania at senior level. Early life ...
.


Personal life

In June 2022, Latifi tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Career statistics


Club


International

Liridon Latifi - national football team player
EU-Football.info


Honours


Club

;Prishtina * Superleague of Kosovo: Runner-up 2013–14 ;Skënderbeu *
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 ...
: 2014–15, 2015–16 *
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup ( sq, Kupa e Shqipërisë) is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit (English:"The King's Cup"). Just after a year the cup was suspended as the Second World War st ...
: Runner-up 2016–17 *
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 (association foot ...
: Runner-up
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
;Vllaznia *
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup ( sq, Kupa e Shqipërisë) is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit (English:"The King's Cup"). Just after a year the cup was suspended as the Second World War st ...
: 2021–22


Individual

* Albanian Superliga Talent of the Season: 2015–16


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Latifi, Liridon 1994 births Living people Sportspeople from Pristina Albanian footballers Association football midfielders Football Superleague of Kosovo players Kategoria Superiore players Nemzeti Bajnokság I players Moldovan Super Liga players FC Prishtina players KF Skënderbeu Korçë players Puskás Akadémia FC players FC Sheriff Tiraspol players KF Vllaznia Shkodër players Albania youth international footballers Albania under-21 international footballers Albania international footballers Albanian expatriate footballers Kosovan people of Albanian descent Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Hungary Expatriate footballers in Hungary Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Moldova Expatriate footballers in Moldova