Xherdan Shaqiri

Xherdan Shaqiri

Personal information
Full name	Xherdan Shaqiri
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Basel
Number	17
Youth career
1999–2001	SV Augst
2001–2009	Basel
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–	Basel	79	(13)
International career‡
2008	Switzerland U17	4	(0)
2008	Switzerland U18	2	(0)
2009–	Switzerland U21	7	(1)
2010–	Switzerland	17	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 December 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2011

Xherdan Shaqiri (see names^[a]) (born 10 October 1991) is a Swiss footballer, who plays as a midfielder for FC Basel in the Swiss Super League as well as the Swiss national team. Since his breakthrough into Basel's first team Shaqiri has drawn widespread praise for his speed, both on and off the ball. Shaqiri is left-footed.

Early life and career

Born to an ethnic Albanian family, he moved to Basel, Switzerland as a child and played for SV Augst and FC Basel's youth team. While on Basel's youth team, he played in the Under-15 Nike Cup 2007 and was named the best player of the tournament, and, despite having several other clubs attempting to sign him, he decided to stay with Basel. Just two years later, Shaqiri signed his first professional contract with Basel on 2 January 2009. The new contract will keep him at St. Jakob-Park until June 2014.

Shaqiri made his Basel debut as a substitute on 12 July 2009, in Basel's 2009–10 season opening game against FC St. Gallen at the AFG Arena. On 9 November, he scored his first goal for Basel in a 4–1 win over Neuchâtel Xamax at home. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Shaqiri won the national Double with Basel and a year later won League Championship title again.

On 7 December 2011, Shaqiri provides two assists in the match against 2010–11 Champions League runner-up Manchester United. The match ended with a score of 2–1 to Basel. This was the first time since the 2005–06 season which saw United fail to reach the knock-out stage of the Champions League.

International career

Shaqiri made his debut for the Switzerland under-21 side on 11 November 2009 in a 3–1 win against the Turkey under-21s in a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifier. He scored his first goal on 11 June 2011 in the 2011 Under-21 Championship opening game against the Denmark under-21 side.

In 2010, Shaqiri was promoted to the senior team, making his debut on 3 March 2010 in a 1–3 friendly loss against Uruguay. He was included in the 2010 World Cup squad, after receiving a surprise call-up from manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. On 7 September 2010, Shaqiri scored his first goal, a long range left footed shot, in a 1–3 loss against England in a Euro 2012 qualifier. In another Euro 2012 qualifier, on 6 September 2011, he netted a hat-trick, as Switzerland came from behind to defeat Bulgaria 3–1.

Career statistics

Club	Season	League			Cup			League Cup			Europe			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
FC Basel
	2009–10	32	4	5	5	1	0	-	-	-	10	2	0	47	7	5
	2010–11	29	5	5	2	0	1	-	-	-	11	2	4	42	7	10
	2011-12	18	4	2	1	0	0	-	-	-	4	0	2	23	4	4
Total		79	13	12	7	1	1	0	0	0	25	4	7	111	18	19

International goals

Scores and goals list Switzerland's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 September 2010	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	England	1–2	1–3	Euro 2012 qualifier
2.	6 September 2011	St. Jakob-Park, Basel	Bulgaria	1–1	3–1	Euro 2012 qualifier
3.				2–1
4.				3–1

Honours

Basel

• Swiss Cup (1): 2009–10
• Swiss Super League (2): 2009–10, 2010–11
• Uhrencup (1): 2011

References

a.	^ Albanian spelling: Xherdan Shaqiri, Serbo-Croatian spelling: Džerdan Šaćiri

External links

• Profile at FC Basel Template:De icon
• Profile at SwissSuperLeague
• Soccerway profile