Erjon Vucaj

Erjon Vucaj
Personal information
Full name Erjon Vucaj
Date of birth (1990-12-25) 25 December 1990
Place of birth Shkodër, Albania
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Tirana
Number 10
Youth career
2004–07 Vllaznia Shkodër
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Vllaznia Shkodër 1 (0)
2009–2014 Laçi 122 (23)
2014–2015 Flamurtari Vlorë 32 (0)
2015– Tirana 23 (1)
National team‡
2008 Albania U19 1 (0)
2010–2011 Albania U21 8 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 May 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 August 2015

Erjon Vucaj (born 25 December 1990 in Shkodër, Albania) is an Albanian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for KF Tirana in the Albanian Superliga.[2]

Grown up as a player at Vllaznia Shkodër, he has spent three years at Laçi, proving to be a pivotal player for this team's midfield and notably bringing the team to the qualifiers of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. In July 2012 he was loaned to Skënderbeu Korçë for their UEFA Champions League qualification campaign. He received second place, after winner Bekim Balaj, of an individual prestigious prize given from the sports association "Sporti na bashkon" to the best football talents of the Superliga's 2011–12 season. At the beginning of the 2012–13 season Laçi's coach promoted Vuçaj to team captain, which made him the youngest captain of the Superliga.

Vucaj represented Albania at youth levels, playing for the under-19, and -21 levels. He was called up for the first time in senior team in August 2012 but didn't make his debut.

Club career

Vllaznia Shkodër

Vucaj began his career at his local club Vllaznia Shkodër as a youth, where he was eventually promoted to the senior team by the coach Mirel Josa during the 2007–08 season. Josa handed Vuçaj his professional debut on 14 May 2008, during the penultimate game of the season against Dinamo Tirana. Vucaj came on at half time in a match which ended in a 3–0 defeat for Vucaj's side. That game proved to be his first and only league appearance for Vllaznia.[3]

Josa left the club right before the 2008–09 season, with Agim Canaj taking over as manager. The change of coach made it difficult for Vucaj to break into the first team. His only appearances during the entire 2008–09 season came in both legs of the Albanian Cup first round against Sopoti Librazhd, which Vllaznia won 8–1 on aggregate.[4][5] At the end of the season Vucaj refused to sign a new three-year contract at the club when his current deal ended in one year on 30 August 2010.[6] He was not included in the club's mini pre-season training plans and was eventually given permission from the directors to leave the club.[6]

Laçi

Vucaj spent the following three seasons (2009–10, 2010–11, and 2011–12) at Laçi during which he logged 69 presences and scored 5 goals. In the first season with Laçi he contributed to an unexpected historical qualification of Laçi to the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, being fourth. In the 2010–11 season, Laçi was again fourth in the Superliga, but failed to qualify for the Europa League, whereas in the 2011–12 season Laçi came 8th within the 14 teams of Superliga. During this season Vucaj left his mark especially in a game against his former home team, Vllaznia, when he was declared the best player of the match. In that game Vucaj scored the decisive goal and was confirmed as the decisive leader of his team.[7]

At the end of the 2011–12 season, Vucaj received the second prize dedicated to the best football talents of Albania for 2011–12 from the sports association "Sporti na bashkon", the first prize being awarded to Bekim Balaj.[8]

In July 2012 Vucaj joined the Superliga champions Skënderbeu Korçë as a loan for their UEFA Champions League qualification campaign. He went on trial at their summer training camp in Austria, and coach Stanislav Levý was impressed after seeing him in two consecutive friendlies against Torpedo Kutaisi and Vaslui. This led to an agreement struck between Laçi and Skënderbeu to allow Vuçaj to be sent out loan for the European qualification campaign.[9]

In the beginning of the 2012–13 season, it was reported that Vucaj became the captain of Laçi, which is going to make him the youngest player in the Superliga with the honor of captaining a team.[10]

Flamurtari Vlorë

On 13 August 2014, Vucaj joined fellow Albanian Superliga side Flamurtari Vlorë by signing a two-year contract, taking the squad number 25 in the process.[11] He made his league debut with the club later ten days later in the opening match against Teuta Durrës, where Flamurtari emerged victorius by winning 2–1.[12] Throughout the season Vucaj would appear in 34 matches in all competitions, including 32 in league, failing to score in the process. He left the team in August 2015 after claiming that he was not paid by the club during his time there, sending the issue to the "Conflict Settlement Chamber" of AFA, becoming a free agent in the process.[13]

Tirana

On 12 August 2015, after he became a free agent after winning the trial against Flamurtari Vlorë,[14] Vuçaj signed with the most successful team of Albania, Tirana, for an undisclosed fee.[15] On 17 October 2015, he scored his first goal against his former club Flamurtari Vlorë in the opening moments of the game in the Qemal Stafa Stadium.[16] Vucaj was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in a 2–1 away defeat to Kukësi in the last day of the Albanian Superliga season.[17]

International career

Vuçaj received his first senior international call-up from Albania's coach, Gianni De Biasi for a friendly of against Moldova on 15 August 2012.[18][19] In an interview to the Panorama Sport newspaper, Vuçaj said that he was extremely happy about De Biasi's call.[20] He was an unused substitute in the goalless draw.[21]

Career statistics

Club

As of 13 August 2015[22]
Club Season League Cup Continental[lower-alpha 1] Other[lower-alpha 2] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vllaznia Shkodër 2007–08 1000——10
2008–09 0020——20
Total 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
KF Laçi 2009–10 20120——222
2010–11 2912020—331
2011–12 20492——296
Total 69 6 13 2 2 0 0 0 84 8
Skënderbeu Korçë 2012–13 ——200020
Laçi 2012–13 249103——3412
2013–14 2986220103310
2014–15 ——30—30
Total 53 17 16 5 5 0 1 0 75 22
Flamurtari Vlorë 2014–15 320100010340
Total 32 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 34 0
Tirana 2015–16 0000——00
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 155 23 32 7 11 0 2 6 201 30
  1. ↑ Including continental competitions, such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  2. ↑ Including other competitions, such as Albanian Supercup

Honours

Club

Vllaznia Shkodër[22]
Laçi[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Erjon Vucaj". FSHF. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Erjon Vuçaj Football Database profile". Football Database. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Vllaznia Shkodër 0–3 Dinamo Tirana". Football Database. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Sopoti Librazhd 0–4 Vllaznia Shkodër". Football Database. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  5. ↑ "Vllaznia Shkodër 4–1 Sopoti Librazhd". Football Database. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  6. 1 2 "Vila firmos për Dinamon e Zagrebit". Shkodra online. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  7. ↑ Ardi Hasani (15 March 2012). "Laçi u bëhet makth kuqebluve të Vatës, Vllaznia akuzon kryesorin Kridens Meta" (in Albanian). Panorma Sport. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  8. ↑ "Bekim Balës i jepet çmimi "Talenti i sezonit 2011-2012"" (in Albanian). Gazeta Shqip. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Vuçaj, vetem per sfidat e Championsit me Skenderbeun" (in Albanian). Time.ikub.al. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  10. ↑ Mario Nikolli (25 August 2012). "Laçi, kapiten është një i kombëtares" (PDF) (in Albanian). Sportekspres. p. 6. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Adriatik Balla (13 August 2014). "Flamurtari mbyll merkaton me Erjon Vucaj" (in Albanian). Sot.com.al. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Flamurtari Vlorë vs. Teuta Durrës 2 – 1". Soccerway. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Gjergji Stefa (11 August 2015). "Vucaj dhe Veliu largohen nga Flamurtari" (in Albanian). Super Sport Albania. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Treshja Veliu-Vucaj-Arbri fitojnë gjyqin përballë Flamurtarit" (in Albanian). Minuta90.com. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Tirana zyrtarizon Erjon Vucajn" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Tirana vs. Flamurtari Vlorë 1 – 1". Soccerway. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Sotir Kora (18 May 2016). "Kukësi fitore me Tiranën për Europa League" (in Albanian). Super Sport Albania. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "De Biasi, tre surpriza në listën anti-Moldavi" (in Albanian). Gazeta Tema. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "De Biasi fton tre debutues me Moldavinë" (in Albanian). Mesazhi. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "Shqipëria nis grumbullimin me 5 kosovarë" (in Albanian). Ora Info. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  21. ↑ "Pa fitues dhe pa gola, Shqipëria barazon me Moldavinë" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  22. 1 2 3 "Albania - E. Vucaj - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.