Altin_Zeqiri
Altin Zeqiri
Kosovar footballer (born 2000)
Altin Zeqiri (born 18 July 2000) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor. Born and raised in Finland, Zeqiri represents the Kosovo national football team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Altin Zeqiri | ||
| Date of birth | (2000-07-18) 18 July 2000 (age 23) | ||
| Place of birth | Espoo, Finland[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Çaykur Rizespor | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000 | EBK[1] | ||
| 0000–2016 | Honka[2] | ||
| 2016–2018 | Espoo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2019 | Espoo | 30 | (11) |
| 2019–2023 | Lahti | 87 | (18) |
| 2023– | Çaykur Rizespor | 30 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | Kosovo U21 | 11 | (0) |
| 2023– | Kosovo | 3 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2023 | |||
Born in Espoo, Finland, Zeqiri started to play football in the youth sectors of local clubs EBK, FC Honka and FC Espoo.[1][2]
Zeqiri started his senior career in 2017 with FC Espoo, playing in Kakkonen.[3]
Lahti
On 23 July 2019, Zeqiri signed a two-year contract with Veikkausliiga club Lahti and received squad number 24.[4] Eighteen days later, he made his debut in a 4–0 away defeat against HJK after coming on as a substitute at 85th minute in place of Josu.[5] On 5 October 2021, he extended his contract with Lahti until the end of the 2023 season.[6][7]
Çaykur Rizespor
On 9 August 2023, Zeqiri was acquired by Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor on a three-year deal, with an option for an additional year, for an undisclosed fee.[8] He debuted in Süper Lig on 13 August 2023, after being named in the starting line up in a 2–1 away loss against Adana Demirspor, playing full 90 minutes in the match.[9] Zeqiri scored his first goal in the league on 21 October 2023, in a 3–1 away loss against Kayserispor.[10]
On 15 March 2021, Zeqiri received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for the friendly matches against Qatar U23.[11] Eleven days later, he made his debut with Kosovo U21 in first match against Qatar U23 after being named in the starting line-up.[12]
In August 2023, Zeqiri received his first call-up to the Kosovo senior national team by head coach Primož Gliha, for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Switzerland and Romania.[13][14] He scored a goal in his full international debut for Kosovo on 12 October 2023, in a 0–3 away win against Andorra.
Club
- As of 14 April 2024[15]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Other | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Espoo | 2017 | Kakkonen | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 3 | ||
| 2018 | Kakkonen | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | Kakkonen | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | — | 13 | 5 | ||
| Total | 30 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 11 | ||
| Lahti | 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2021 | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 7 | |||
| 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 3] | 3 | — | 34 | 7 | ||
| 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5[lower-alpha 3] | 3 | — | 23 | 8 | ||
| Total | 87 | 18 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 26 | ||
| Çaykur Rizespor | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 147 | 34 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 42 | ||
- Includes Suomen Cup
- Includes Finnish League Cup
International
- As of match played on 18 November 2023.
| National team | Year | Competitive | Friendly | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kosovo | 2023 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
- Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualification.
International goals
- As of match played on 18 November 2023. Scores and results list Kosovo's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 October 2023 | Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 1. |  Andorra | 3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualification |
- "Altin Zeqiri | FC Lahti" (in Finnish). FC Lahti. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, A.Zeqiri, Finnish FA/ Palloliitto
- Altin Zeqiri siirtyy Turkin pääsarjaan, fclahti.fi, 10 August 2023
- "Nuori Altin Zeqiri FC Lahteen" [Young Altin Zeqiri to FC Lahti] (in Finnish). FC Lahti. 23 July 2019.
- "HJK vs. Lahti 4–0". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- Altin Zeqiri jatkaa Lahdessa, fclahti.fi, 5 October 2021
- "FC Lahden Altin Zeqiri siirtyy Joel Pohjanpalon ex-seuraan Turkin pääsarjaan". YLE. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ADANA DEMIRSPOR VS. RIZESPOR 2-1, soccerway
- KAYSERISPOR VS. RIZESPOR 3-1, soccerway
- "Përzgjedhësi Nees publikon listën e futbollistëve për dy miqësoret kundër Katarit" [Selector Nees publishes the list of footballers for the two friendlies against Qatar] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 15 March 2021.
- "Kosova U21 pëson humbje në miqësoren e parë kundër Katarit U23" [Kosovo U21 loses in the first friendly against Qatar U23] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 26 March 2021.
- "Përzgjedhësi Gliha publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjet e shtatorit" [Selector Gliha publishes the list of footballers for the September matches] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- "Publikohet lista e Kombëtares së Kosovës për ndeshjet e shtatorit". Kosova Press (in Albanian). 31 August 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- "Altin Zeqiri". flashscore.
- Altin Zeqiri at Soccerway
