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Shefki Kuqi

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Shefki Kuqi
Kuqi warming up for Ipswich Town
Personal information
Full name Shefki Kuqi
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Hibernian
Youth career
Trepça
KaPa-51
MiKi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 MP 50 (10)
1997–1999 HJK 72 (18)
2000 FC Jokerit 33 (19)
2001–2002 Stockport County 35 (11)
2002–2003 Sheffield Wednesday 64 (19)
2003 → Ipswich Town (loan) 11 (4)
2003–2005 Ipswich Town 79 (30)
2005–2006 Blackburn Rovers 34 (7)
2006–2009 Crystal Palace 78 (17)
2007–2008 → Fulham (loan) 10 (0)
2008 → Ipswich Town (loan) 4 (0)
2009–2010 TuS Koblenz 17 (7)
2010–2011 Swansea City 20 (5)
2010 → Derby County (loan) 12 (2)
2011 Newcastle United 6 (0)
2011–2012 Oldham Athletic 40 (11)
2012- Hibernian 0 (0)
International career‡
1999–2010 Finland 62 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:55, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2009

Shefki Kuqi[a] (pronounced [ˈʃɛfki ˈkuci]; born 10 November 1976) is a Finnish professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian. Kuqi plays predominately as a striker. He has spent most of his career in the English league, and has played for clubs including Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Swansea City. He has made over 500 career league appearances, scoring almost 150 goals.

Kuqi represented the Finland national football team at international level, with seven goals from sixty two appearances. His trademark goal celebration of bellyflopping onto the ground has led to his nickname of the "Flying Finn".

Football career

Kosovo

Kuqi was born in Vučitrn, SAP Kosovo, SR Serbia. He started his youth career at Trepça, he played several games for the youth team, but he and his family later moved to Finland as Kosovar Albanian immigrants.[citation needed]

Finland

Kuqi started his playing career with Kangasniemen Palloseura. He later played for Mikkelin Kissat, Mikkelin Palloilijat, HJK and FC Jokerit in Finland's Veikkausliiga. Kuqi played in UEFA Champions League in autumn 1998 with HJK. Kuqi was the league top scorer in the 2000 season, representing FC Jokerit side.

Stockport County

Kuqi joined Stockport County in January 2001. Regarded by many as the saviour of County's 2000–01 season as he impressed with his speed and strength, he went on to score six goals in eighteen games to help County retain their division one status. Kuqi is still the club's second most internationally capped player.

Sheffield Wednesday

He then had a spell at Sheffield Wednesday where he scored 19 times between January 2002 and September 2003, unfortunately with Wednesday being relegated to Division Two (or League One as it is now known) during his time at Hillsborough. Many Wednesday fans were bemused though at then manager Chris Turner's decision to let Kuqi leave for Ipswich for free. Whilst in Sheffield, Kuqi also scored a goal against Sheffield United in The Steel City Derby. He scored the second goal in the 81st minute at Hillsborough to ensure a win after Lloyd Owusu had opened the scoring with his very first touch of the ball on his debut.

Ipswich Town

Kuqi joined Ipswich Town in September 2003. He scored 20 goals in the Championship for Ipswich in the 2004–05 season, which made him the club's leading top scorer along with Darren Bent.

Blackburn Rovers

His form with Ipswich earned him a move to the Premier League with Blackburn. Kuqi scored seven Premier League goals for Blackburn in the 2005–06 season.

Crystal Palace

He joined Crystal Palace for a reported £2.5 million transfer fee at the end of the August transfer window in 2006.

Kuqi did not have a prolific first season at Selhurst Park, scoring only seven goals in 38 games, and at the end of August 2007, he signed for Fulham on a four-month loan deal, where he made ten league appearances, scoring no goals.

Kuqi was placed on the transfer list and fined two weeks wages by Neil Warnock after signalling an offensive gesture to Palace fans when they cheered as he was substituted following a particularly poor performance in the 2–0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 23 February 2008.[2] Other reasons behind him being transfer listed were due to his weight gain and lack of fitness.

In March 2008, Kuqi returned to Ipswich on loan until the end of the season. He began the 2008–09 campaign with his first team prospects seemingly irretrievable but Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock named (and used) him as a substitute for the away draw at Ipswich Town and home victory over Charlton in September and on 4 October he scored the second goal of Palace's 2–0 victory at Nottingham Forest. Kuqi's return to the first team completed a remarkable sequence of events, and he ended his season as the top scorer of his team. Kuqi was offered a new contract on 27 January 2009 which he rejected.

Koblenz

After Kuqi's contract ran out at Crystal Palace on 1 July 2009, he signed a two years deal with TuS Koblenz[3] He spent half a season playing with his brother Njazi Kuqi.

Swansea City

Kuqi signed for Swansea City on a free transfer from TuS Koblenz on 25 January 2010.[4] He scored his first goal for Swansea in a 1–0 win at former club Crystal Palace on 9 February 2010.[5]

Despite scoring seven goals in 16 starts, after less than nine months at Swansea, Kuqi joined fellow Championship side Derby County on a three month emergency loan deal on 13 September 2010.[6] His first Derby goal, in his third appearance, also, came against Crystal Palace in a 5–0 Derby victory at Pride Park. After latching onto a sloppy stray backpass from former-Derby defender Claude Davis to complete the rout with a goal Kuqi joked that the strike was "the worst of the five!"[7] On 26 January 2011 Kuqi's contract with Swansea was terminated by mutual consent after he failed to break through into the first team.

Newcastle United

On 10 February 2011, Kuqi joined Premier League side Newcastle United for the remainder of the season. [8] He was given the number 42 shirt[9] and made his debut against former club Blackburn Rovers on 12 February 2011 coming on in the 90th minute in a goalless draw. Newcastle United. [10] He was released on 25 May 2011 after making six appearances, all as a substitute, without scoring.[11]

Oldham Athletic

In August 2011, following his release by Newcastle, Kuqi signed a one-year contract with Oldham Athletic.[12] The signing has been considered as something of a coup for the Latics, as Kuqi was playing in the Premier League the previous season.[13] He scored early in his first game for his new club in a home game against Huddersfield Town which finished 1–1 and celebrated with his trademark bellyflop celebration in front of the away fans.[14] Kuqi made it two goals in two games for Oldham with a headed goal against Stevenage.[15] Kuqi scored his third for Oldham against Leyton Orient in a 3–1 victory; he scored the equalising goal and assisted the other two goals in a 3–1 victory.[16] Kuqi was on target again against the MK Dons in October 2011 taking advantage of a mistake by the MK Dons goalkeeper to help Athletic to a 2-1 victory. Kuqi added another two goals to his tally after scoring twice against Crewe Alexandra in the quarter finals of the Football League Trophy to help Oldham progress to the semi final of the tournament with a 3-1 victory, with Luca Scapuzzi also getting on the scoresheet.[17]

Kuqi left the club following the expiry of his contract on 1 July 2012 as the club could not afford to keep him for the 2012-2013 campaign.[18].

Style of play

Kuqi has received some media attention – especially from Match of the Day – for his spectacular, and unusual, diving goal celebration known as a Swan Dive. Kuqi jumps forward with both arms out, in what could be described as an attempt to glide like a bird, before crashing to the ground; the movement bears some resemblance to a bellyflop and has been referred to as a "Flying Finn".[19]

Club career statistics

(correct as of 17 March 2012)
Club Season League Cup[20] Europe Play-Offs Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
MP 1995 24 3 ? 0 0 ? - - - - - - 24 3 ?
1996 26 7 ? 0 0 ? - - - - - - 26 7 ?
Total 1995–96 50 10 ? 0 0 0 - - - - - - 50 10 ?
HJK 1997 25 6 ? - - - - - - - - - 25 6 ?
1998 22 1 ? - - - - - - - - - 22 1 ?
1999 25 11 ? - - - - - - - - - 25 11 ?
Total 1996–99 72 18 ? - - - - - - - - - 72 18 ?
FC Jokerit 2000 33 19 ? - - - - - - - - - 33 19 ?
Total 2000 33 19 ? - - - - - - - - - 33 19 ?
Stockport County 2000–01 17 6 ? 1 0 ? - - - - - - 18 6 ?
2001–02 18 5 0 2 1 0 - - - - - - 20 6 0
Total 2000–2002 35 11 0 3 1 0 - - - - - - 38 12 0
Sheffield Wed 2001–02 17 6 0 - - - - - - - - - 17 6 0
2002–03 40 8 0 3 0 0 - - - - - - 43 8 0
2003–04 7 5 0 1 0 0 - - - - - - 8 5 0
Total 2001–2004 64 19 0 4 0 0 - - - - - - 67 19 0
Ipswich Town 2003–04 38 11 4 1 1 0 - - - - - - 39 12 4
2004–05 43 19 5 3 0 0 - - - 2 1 0 48 20 5
Total 2003–2005 81 30 9 4 1 0 - - - 2 1 0 87 32 9
Blackburn Rovers 2005–06 33 7 4 8 1 3 - - - - - - 41 8 7
2006–07 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - - 1 0 0
Total 2006–2007 34 7 4 8 1 3 - - - - - - 42 8 7
Crystal Palace 2006–07 35 7 5 2 1 0 - - - - - - 37 8 5
2007–08 8 0 0 1 0 0 - - - 0 0 0 9 0 0
2008–09 35 10 1 2 0 1 - - - 0 0 0 37 10 2
Total 2006–2009 78 17 6 5 1 1 - - - 0 0 0 83 18 7
Fulham (loan) 2007–08 10 0 1 0 0 0 - - - - - - 10 0 1
Total 2007–2008 10 0 1 0 0 0 - - - - - - 10 0 1
Ipswich (loan) 2007–08 4 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 4 0 0
Total 2008 4 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 4 0 0
TuS Koblenz 2009–10 17 7 1 3 2 1 - - - - - - 20 9 2
Total 2009–2010 17 7 1 3 2 1 - - - - - - 20 9 2
Swansea 2009–10 8 4 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 8 4 0
2010–11 12 1 0 2 2 0 - - - - - - 14 3 0
Total 2010–2011 20 5 0 2 2 0 - - - - - - 22 7 0
Derby County (loan) 2010–11 12 2 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 12 2 0
Total 2010 12 2 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 12 2 0
Newcastle United 2010–11 6 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 6 0 0
Total 2011 6 0 0 0 0 0 - - - - - - 6 0 0
Oldham Athletic 2011–12 32 11 0 9 5 0 - - - - - - 41 16 0
Total 2011– 32 11 0 9 5 0 - - - - - - 41 16 0
Career totals 531 148 21 29 7 5 - - - 2 1 0 565 162 28

International career statistics

International goals

Finland's goal tally first. As of 20 August 2011.[21]

# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1. 23 February 2000 Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand  Estonia 4–2 2000 Kings' Cup
2. 16 August 2000 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway  Norway 3–1 Friendly
3. 1 September 2001 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania  Albania 2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qual.
4. 9 October 2004 Ratina Stadion, Tampere, Finland  Armenia 3–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qual.
5. 9 October 2004 Ratina Stadion, Tampere, Finland  Armenia 3–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qual.
6. 17 November 2007 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Azerbaijan 2–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qual.
7. 28 March 2009 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Wales 2–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qual.

International

As of 20 August 2010[22]

Template:Football player national team statistics |- |1999||2||0 |- |2000||11||2 |- |2001||7||1 |- |2002||7||0 |- |2003||6||0 |- |2004||4||2 |- |2005||5||0 |- |2006||5||0 |- |2007||5||1 |- |2008||0||0 |- |2009||8||1 |- |2010||2||0 |- !Total||62||7 |}

Honours

International career

Kuqi made his debut for the Finnish national team on 18 August 1999 against Belgium, soon after receiving Finnish citizenship. He was a regular member of the Finland squad from 1999 to 2010. He announced his retirement from international football on 24 November 2010[23]

Personal

He is the older brother of Njazi Kuqi and Albert Kuqi, and the cousin of Daut Kuqi.

Notes

a.   ^ The Serbo-Croat spelling of the name is Šefki Kući.

References

  1. ^ "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ "NW: "We Must Change Things"". cpfc.co.uk. 23 February 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  3. ^ Shefki Kuqi nach Koblenz to play together with his younger brother Njazi Kuqi.
  4. ^ Shefki Kuqi wechselt mit sofortiger Wirkung zu Swansea City
  5. ^ "Crystal Palace 0–1 Swansea". BBC. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Derby Land Kuqi On Loan". dcfc.co.uk. 13 September 2010.
  7. ^ "Any Goal Will Do!". dcfc.co.uk. 26 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Newcastle sign striker Shefki Kuqi". BBC Sport. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  9. ^ "Newcastle's Kuqi Coup". Newcastle United FC. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Blackburn 0–0 Newcastle". BBC Sport. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  11. ^ "Campbell and Kuqi released". Sky Sports. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  12. ^ Latics sign striker Kuqi Oldham Athletic 31st August 2011
  13. ^ http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~2438293,00.html
  14. ^ http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10337~58002,00.html
  15. ^ http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~2446727,00.html
  16. ^ Latics comeback kings "Oldham Athletic" 17 September 2011
  17. ^ http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10337~61204,00.html
  18. ^ "Kuqi, Morais Leave Latics". Oldham Athletic AFC. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Swansea City sign Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi". BBC News. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  20. ^ Includes FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy and FA Community Shield
  21. ^ "Kuqi Shefki" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto (Football Association of Finland). Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  22. ^ http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=2432
  23. ^ Shefki Kuqi's international retirement at Finnish FA Template:Fi icon

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