Arbër Avni Zeneli (born 25 February 1995) is a 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 lea ...

who plays as an

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

left winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

for

Allsvenskan Allsvenskan (; ), also known as Fotbollsallsvenskan (, ) is a professional association football league in Sweden and the highest level of the Swedish football league system. Founded in 1924, it operates on a system of promotion and relegatio ...

club

IF Elfsborg Idrottsföreningen Elfsborg, more commonly known as IF Elfsborg or simply Elfsborg (), is a professional association football, football club based in Borås, Sweden, and is affiliated to the Västergötlands Fotbollförbund. They play in the Alls ...

and the Kosovo national team. Born in Sweden, he previously represented the country at the international youth level and was part of the Sweden U21 team that won the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Club career

IF Elfsborg

Youth teams

Zeneli started playing football for Hälsinggården, but left as a 12-year old for IF Elfsborg's youth academy. On 29 October 2011, he scored a late winning goal in the final of List of Swedish youth football champions#Champions, Swedish Under-17 Championships against IF Brommapojkarna, Brommapojkarna. The following year he helped his team reach the final in the same competition and he scored another goal, although this time IF Elfsborg lost to Malmö FF, Malmö. On 5 November 2013, he won the Allsvenskan U21 with IF Elfsborg against BK Häcken, Häcken after coming on as a substitute at 63rd minute in place of Arjan Mostafa.

First team

Having been promoted to the senior team in December 2013. On 1 March 2014, he made his debut with IF Elfsborg in the 2013–14 Svenska Cupen#Group 4, group stage of 2013–14 Svenska Cupen against Östersunds FK, Östersund after being named in the starting line-up and he went on to play a total of three games in the competition which IF Elfsborg later won beating Helsingborgs IF, Helsingborg in the final. Zeneli made his first

appearance on 31 March after coming on as a substitute at 75th minute in place of injured Simon Hedlund in a 2–1 away defeat against Åtvidabergs FF, Åtvidaberg. He played 16 games during the 2014 Allsvenskan, 2014 season and finished the season by scoring his first senior goal that subsequently sealed the win for his team against IF Brommapojkarna, Brommapojkarna and he dedicated the goal to his former coach Klas Ingesson who had died a couple of days earlier.

Heerenveen

On 10 November 2015, Zeneli signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen, Heerenveen. Heerenveen reportedly paid a €2 million transfer fee. On 16 January 2016, he made his debut in a 5–2 home win against PEC Zwolle after being named in the starting line-up. On 23 January 2016, Zeneli scored his first goal for Heerenveen in a 3–1 win against Willem II (football club), Willem II in Matchday 19 of 2015–16 Eredivisie, and his performance earned him the man of the match award.

Reims

2018–19 season

On 25 January 2019, SC Heerenveen, Heerenveen announced for the contract negotiations between Zeneli and Stade de Reims, Reims. A day later, he joined Ligue 1 side Reims after agreeing to a five-year deal. Reims reportedly paid a €4 million transfer fee. On 2 February 2019, he made his debut in a 2–1 home win against Olympique de Marseille, Marseille after coming on as a substitute at 73rd minute in place of injured Mathieu Cafaro.

2019–20 season

During international duties in June 2019, he Anterior cruciate ligament injury, tore his anterior cruciate ligament and was sidelined for most of the 2019–20 Stade de Reims season, 2019–20 season. After returning from injury, the Ligue 1 season was suspended indefinitely and since cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France, COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–21 season

Zeneli returned to the pitch for the 2020–21 Stade de Reims season, 2020–21 season, and made a total of 36 appearances in which he scored three goals. He also featured in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers with Reims, who were eventually knocked out by Fehérvár FC, Fehérvár in the third round. In August 2021, Zeneli tore his anterior cruciate ligament again, sidelining him for another extended period of time.

International career

Sweden

From 2010, until 2016, Zeneli has been part of Sweden at Sweden national youth football team, youth international level, respectively has been part of the Sweden men's national under-17 football team, U17, Sweden men's national under-19 football team, U19 and Sweden national under-21 football team, U21 teams and he with these teams played 35 matches and scored 7 goals. On 2 June 2015, he was named as part of the Sweden U21's 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship squads#Sweden, 23-man squad for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Czech Republic, where was declared the champion even though he was an unused substitute in those matches.

Kosovo

On 24 August 2016, Zeneli decided to represent Kosovo at Kosovo national football team, senior international level. On 2 October 2016, he received a call-up from Kosovo for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I, 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Croatia national football team, Croatia and Ukraine national football team, Ukraine. On 6 October 2016, Zeneli made his debut with Kosovo in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Croatia after being named in the starting line-up.

Personal life

Zeneli was born in Säter, Sweden to Albanian parents from Selac, a village near Mitrovica, Kosovo, Mitrovica, but grew up in Falun, before moving to Borås with his family when he was 11 years old. Zeneli has named his father Avni as his greatest role model in life. He is the older brother of the Swedish footballer Besfort Zeneli. In 2022, Zeneli married Dafina Hyseni in Mitrovica, Kosovo, Mitrovica.

Career statistics

Club

International

;International goals
''Scores and results list Kosovo's goal tally first.''

Honours

IF Elfsborg *Svenska Cupen: 2013–14 Svenska Cupen, 2013–14 Sweden U21 *UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, 2015

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zeneli, Arbër 1995 births Living people Footballers from Mitrovica, Kosovo People from Säter Municipality Footballers from Dalarna County Men's association football wingers Kosovan men's footballers 21st-century Kosovan sportsmen Kosovo men's international footballers Swedish men's footballers Sweden men's youth international footballers Sweden men's under-21 international footballers Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Expatriate men's footballers in France Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in France Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Swedish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Swedish expatriate sportspeople in France Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Allsvenskan players IF Elfsborg players Eredivisie players SC Heerenveen players Ligue 1 players Stade de Reims players Süper Lig players Adana Demirspor footballers 21st-century Swedish sportsmen