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Taulant Xhaka

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Taulant Xhaka
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-03-28) 28 March 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Basel, Switzerland
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 FC Basel
Number 34
Youth career
2000–2002 Concordia Basel
2002–2009 Basel
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Basel U21 30 (3)
2010– FC Basel 47 (4)
2012–2013 → Grasshopper Club (loan) 38 (0)
International career‡
2008–2009 Switzerland U17 14 (0)
2009–2010 Switzerland U18 6 (0)
2009–2010 Switzerland U19 9 (0)
2010–2011 Switzerland U20 8 (0)
2011–2013 Switzerland U21 4 (0)
2014– Albania 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 October 2014
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 October 2014

Taulant Xhaka (born 28 March 1991 in Basel[1][2]) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a Defender for the Swiss Super League club Basel and the Albania national football team.

Early life

Xhaka is the elder brother of Granit Xhaka, who is also a professional footballer. Their family moved from Kosovo to Switzerland before either were born.[3]

Club career

The brothers started their youth football by FC Concordia Basel and both moved to FC Basel in 2002. Taulant played for various FC Basel youth teams and from 2008 became a regular member of the U-21 team for two years in the Swiss 1. Liga.

At the beginning of the Season 2010/11 both brothers moved up into the first team squad. Taulant played as a defender. He made it his first team debut on 19 September 2010 in the 5:0 Swiss Cup win against FC Mendrisio-Stabio.[4] He gave his Super League debut on 27 February 2011 in the 1:0 away win against FC Luzern.[5] At the end of the 2010–11 Swiss Super League season Taulant Xhaka won the Super League Championship title with FC Basel.

Taulant Xhaka made it his UEFA Champions League debut for Basel on 27 September 2011 as a substitute in the 3:3 away draw in the Old Trafford Stadium against Manchester United.[6] On 18 January 2012 it was announced that Xhaka would be lent out to the Grasshoppers to gain first team playing experience. After a year and a half Basel recalled him into their squad.[7]

At the end of the 2013–14 Super League season Xhaka won his second league championship with Basel.[8] They also reached the final of the 2013–14 Swiss Cup, but were beaten 2–0 by Zürich after extra time. During the 2013–14 Champions League season Basel reached the group stage and finished the group in third position. Thus they qualified for Europa League knockout phase and here they advanced as far as the quarter-finals.

International career

Switzerland youth level national teams

Xhaka has played for Swiss youth squad at the U-17 level. He was part of the Swiss U-17 squad that played in the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Antalya, Turkey. During the years 2009 and 2010 he played for the Switzerland U-18 and the Switzerland U-19 teams. He made his Swiss U-20 debut on 6 September 2010 in the Stadion Breite, Schaffhausen, as right back in the 2:3 home defeat against Germany national under-20 football team.

Taulant Xhaka made his Swiss U-21 debut as substitute on 7 October 2011 in the 1:0 away win against Georgia U-21.[9] In the return game on 10 November, a 5:0 home win in the Cornaredo Stadium, he played in the starting team.

Albania

Media reported on May 2013 that Taulant Xhaka would welcome a call-up from Albania. [10] Taulant confirmed later in an interview that his choice of Albania was definitive.[11] In October 2013 he accepted that in his choise he was convinced by the younger brother Granit, which didn't wanted him to repeat his mistake, choosing Switzerland instead of their descence national team, Albania.[12] On 18 December 2013, Xhaka received Albanian citizenship and to be able to play for Albania national football team, he must receive the go ahead from FIFA.[13]

Xhaka received his first call up by Albania's coach Gianni De Biasi for a friendly match against Malta on 5 March 2014,[14] but he was replaced by Renato Arapi because he had been injured on 2 March 2014 during a match between Basel and Thun which finished in a 2–2 draw, where due to an injury he substituted off in the 72nd minute.[15] Xhaka received the second consecutive call-up for an trio friendly matches of Albania against Romania, Hungary & San Marino respectively on 31 May, 4 & 8 June 2014.[16] Days later he declared that withdrew again due to injury.[17] On 25 June 2014 Xhaka received the go ahead from FIFA, which answered the FSHF request and Xhaka became eligible to play for Albania also in the international official matches.[18]

Euro 2016 qualifiers

File:T.Xhaka.jpg
The portrait of Taulant Xhaka, drawn by Albanian fan after the match against Serbia .

Xhaka received his third consecutive call-up for the match against Portugal on 7 September 2014, valid for the start of UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers.[19] He made it his debut on 7 September 2014 playing the full 90-minutes in the 1-0 away victory against Portugal. [20] He played well and was included in the best eleven for the first round matches of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.[21] Xhaka was included in the starting line up for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I match against Serbia played on 14 October 2014. In the 40th minute of that match, the English referee Martin Atkinson halted the play for a second time after flares had been thrown from the crowd in the direction of Albanian players. Meanwhile, at the same time, a drone seemingly remote-controlled was seen hovering above the pitch, parallel to the top of the stand, before falling towards the pitch 15 yards into the Serbian half. The Greater Albania insignia referred to the notion of an extended area in which all ethnic Albanians reside one that would include Kosovo. The Serbia player Stefan Mitrović caught the flag and was immediately accosted by Xhaka and the fellow Albanian player Andi Lila who took the flag away from the Serbian player.[22] After the match Xhaka, along with Lorik Cana were declared citizens of honor from the mayor of the city of Mitrovica, Kosovo, for the bravery shown in protecting national symbols.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of 29 October 2014 [24][25]
Season Club League country League League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2008–09 Basel U21 1. Liga Promotion 1 0 - - - - 1 0
2009-10 12 0 - - - - 12 0
2010–11 16 3 - - - - 16 3
FC Basel Swiss Super League 6 0 1 0 1 0 8 0
2011–12 Basel U21 1. Liga Promotion 1 0 - - - - 1 0
Total Basel U-21 30 3 0 0 0 0 30 3
FC Basel Swiss Super League 5 1 0 0 1 0 8 1
Grasshopper 13 0 1 0 - - 14 0
2012–13 Grasshopper 25 0 2 0 - - 27 0
Total Grasshopper 38 0 3 0 0 0 41 0
2013–14 FC Basel Swiss Super League 23 2 4 0 14 0 41 2
2014–15 13 1 2 0 2 0 17 1
Total FC Basel 47 4 7 0 18 0 72 4
Career total 115 7 10 0 18 0 143 7

International

As of 11 October 2014
Albania national team [26]
Year Apps Goals
2014 2 0
Total 2 0


Honours

Basel

References

  1. ^ "Taulant Xhaka". Geburtsort:Basel
  2. ^ "Xhaka: Zgjodha pa hezitim Zvicrën, shqiptarët më thonë tradhtar!". Granit, familja juaj vjen nga Kosova, po ju ku keni lindur? Në Zvicër, në Bazel kam lindur. Ashtu si Taulanti, vëllai im. Disa burime informacioni, duke përfshirë këtu edhe "Ëikipedia", kanë njoftuar se kam lindur në Kosovë, por kjo nuk është e vërtetë
  3. ^ "Albanien hat schon telefoniert". Bei Granits Mutter beisst der albanische Fussballverband denn auch auf Granit: «Unsere Kinder sind hier geboren worden und zur Schule gegangen. Sie gehören in die Schweiz.»
  4. ^ Dünner, Urs (2010). "Der FCB gewinnt im Schweizer Cup mit 5:0 (2:0) gegen Mendrisio". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 19 September 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:De icon
  5. ^ Meister, Remo (2011). "Wichtiger 1:0-Arbeitssieg für den FCB". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 27 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:De icon
  6. ^ Simon, Remo (2011). "United strike late to deny Basel famous win". eufa.com. Retrieved 27 September 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ Basler Zeitung (2013). "Vieles ist klar – vielleicht". Basler Zeitung. Retrieved 3 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:De icon
  8. ^ Grossenbacher, Sacha (2014). "Fotos vom Spiel gegen Lausanne sowie den anschliessenden Feierlichkeiten". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 18 May 2014. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:De icon
  9. ^ nzz (2011). "U-21-Auswahl in Georgien mit Auswärtsieg". Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG. Retrieved 7 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:De icon
  10. ^ Panorama (2013). "Shqipëria i merr Zvicrës një Xhaka". Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:Sq icon
  11. ^ Shekulli (2013). "Taulant Xhaka: Zgjodha Shqipërinë, Zvicra s'më donte". Shekulli. Retrieved 20 October 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) Template:Sq icon
  12. ^ Taulant Xhaka: Graniti më tha të zgjidhja Shqipërinë Sporti Shqiptar
  13. ^ Taulant Xhaka merr shtetësi shqiptare (Foto Dekreti) | aSport.info
  14. ^ Risia per Malten, Taulant Xhaka vishet kuqezi | Lajme Futboll | SuperSport
  15. ^ Dëmtohet Xhaka, thërritet Arapi | aSport.info - Albania Sport
  16. ^ Aliti dhe Cikalleshi risitë, pritet prezantimi i Xhakës… | aSport.info - Albania Sport
  17. ^ Xhaka drejt refuzimit të Shqipërisë? | aSport.info - Albania Sport
  18. ^ FIFA jep “OK”, Taulant Xhaka zyrtarisht kuqezi | Panorama Sport
  19. ^ De Biazi flet për ndeshjen me Portugalinë - (Në fund trajneri i Kombëtares së Shqipërisë publikoi edhe listën me 24 lojtarë të grumbulluar për këtë takim. Ata janë:) - FSHF.org
  20. ^ Portugal vs. Albania - 7 September 2014 - Soccerway
  21. ^ Euro 2016 Team of the Week: Lewandowski & Muller unstoppable as Albania make their mark - Goal.com
  22. ^ Serbia v Albania abandoned after players and fans brawl on pitch | Football | The Guardian
  23. ^ Bahtiri shpall Xhaken e Canen qytetare nderi te Mitrovices
  24. ^ Taulant Xhaka | National Football Teams
  25. ^ Albania - T. Xhaka - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway
  26. ^ Taulant Xhaka - national football team player - EU-Football.info
  27. ^ FC Basel 1893 (2008). "Zwei weitere Nachwuchstitel für den FCB". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 15 June 2008. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Template:De icon


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