| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 January 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Shkodër, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | KF Tirana | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2009 | Vllaznia Shkodër | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2010 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 38 | (17) |
| 2010-2011 | Gençlerbirliği | 1 | (0) |
| 2011- | KF Tirana | 20 | (9) |
| National team | |||
| 2009-2010 | Albania U-19 | 6 | (4) |
| 2010- | Albania U-21 | 3 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Bekim Bala (born 11 January 1991) is an Albanian football player who currently plays for KF Tirana in Albanian Superliga. He can play in an attacking role in the midfield and also as a striker, his most preferred position is playing as a striker, and he has an eye for goal, scoring 17 goals in all competitions in the 2009–2010 season with Vllaznia.
Contents |
Bala joined the Vllaznia youth setup at the age of just 11. He was first tried as a goalkeeper because he was very tall and his father had told the manager of the team, Astrit Premçi, that he was a very able goalkeeper. However after a few training sessions with the player Premçi realised that the player was very good with his feet and so played him as a centre forward.[1]
An unnamed Turkish club had been tracking the young forward for most of the 2009–2010 season whilst he was at Vllaznia, the club was not identified in January 2010 as they did not make a bid,[2] however folling the huge interest shown by Gençlerbirliği S.K. in May and June it became clear who the unnamed Turkish club was. Bala signed a 4 year contract with Gençlerbirliği on 17 June 2010. The transfer fee was reported to be in the region of around €200,000 to €300,000 which was all given to his previous club Vllaznia in Albania.[3] Bala's manager Dritan Gjyrezi had only been a licenced FIFA agent for a year before managing this deal, this was his first deal in his career as an agent and he hoped to be able to send more Albanian players to Turkey as the two countries have very strong roots and the Albanian players who play in Turkey are treated very well.[4] Bala signed the contract earning him €150,000 for the first year, making the deal to be worth around €600,000 for the full four years.[5]
In January Bala received offers from both KF Tirana and his former club Vllaznia for a return back to Albania.[6] But after meeting with Refik Halili he signed a two year contract for KF Tirana on 20 January 2011, earning €70,000 a season, which was a higher offer than Vllaznia's €50,000.[7][8][9]
He made his debut for his new club on 3 February in a home match against Skënderbeu Korçë which ended in 0-0 draw, with Bala coming on at the start of the second half for Gilman Lika.[10] His first Tirana goal came in the Albanian Cup semi final second leg against Besa Kavajë on 6 April, scoring the equalising goal to secure his side's place in the final.[11] He then went on to score his first league goal just nine days later in a 6-1 thrashing of KF Elbasani.[12] Despite good performances since his January move, new coach Mišo Krstičević did not pick him to start in the final of the Albanian Cup. Bala came on for Gilman Lika in the 54th minute and helped his side win the trophy despite ending the game with ten men and Bala himself missing a penalty in the shootout which ended 4-3 after heroics from the keeper Ilion Lika.[13][14][15]
He scored the winning goal in the 2011 Albanian Supercup against the league winners Skënderbeu, in a match delayed and distrupted by crowd trouble.[16][17] His first league goal of the season came on 17 September in the second week of the campaign, away at Kastrioti Krujë. Starting the game as a lone striker, he equalised for KF Tirana in the 48th minute and helped his side win the game 3-2, earning their first three points of the campaign.[18][19] Following KF Tiran's first win in the league, it had become evident that Bala and Gilman Lika had formed an effective partnership from midfield to attack, both of who are from Shkodër.[20] His next goal came just four days later in the first round of the Albanian Cup against SK Himarë of the Albanian First Division. He scored in the 36th minute, a penalty in the 52nd minute and finally rounded off his hattrick in the 67th minute, before Julián Rubio being forced to replace the player following a strong challenge which left him with an ankle injury.[21][22] After scoring four goals in as many days he hoped he could one day force his way into the Albania national team, which he said would be a dream following a good start to the season.[23]
(correct as of 29 August 2011)
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Albania | League | Albanian Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2007-08 | Vllaznia Shkodër | Albanian Superliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| 2008-09 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | – | 12 | 1 | |||
| 2009-10 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 14 | ||
| Turkey | League | Türkiye Kupası | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2010-11 | Gençlerbirliği | Süper Lig | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| Albania | League | Albanian Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2010-11 | KF Tirana | Albanian Superliga | 13 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | 17 | 3 | |
| 2011-12 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | Albania | 51 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 0 | m | n | |
| Turkey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 52 | 11 | 17 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 75 | 19 | ||
The player has stated in an interview for 'Panorama Sport' that during his short time with Vllaznia he learnt many things from striking partner and Vllaznia legend, Vioresin Sinani. Although they only played together for half a season, Bala believes that Sinani is a great player and that it was an honour playing along side him.[24]
|
|||||