Taulant Xhaka

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Taulant Xhaka
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-03-28) 28 March 1991
Place of birthPristina, SFR Yugoslavia
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current clubFC Basel
Number34
Youth career
2000–2002Concordia Basel
2002–2009Basel
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2008–2010Basel U2134(3)
2010–2012FC Basel9(0)
2012–2013→ Grasshopper Club (loan)38(0)
2013–FC Basel16(2)
National team‡
2008–2009Switzerland U1714(0)
2009–2010Switzerland U186(0)
2009–2010Switzerland U199(0)
2010–2011Switzerland U208(0)
2011-2013Switzerland U214(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24:00, 2 February 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24:00, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

Taulant Xhaka (born 28 March 1991 in Pristina) is an Swiss footballer who plays for the Swiss club Basel.

Early life

Xhaka is the elder brother of Granit Xhaka, who is also a professional footballer. Their family moved from SFR Yugoslavia to Switzerland whilst the children were young.

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 plays as a defender. He played his first team debut on 19 September 2010 in the 5:0 Swiss Cup win against FC Mendrisio-Stabio.[1] He gave his Super League debut on 27 February 2011 in the 1:0 away win against FC Luzern.[2] At the end of the 2010–11 Swiss Super League season Taulant Xhaka won the Super League Championship title with FC Basel.

Taulant Xhaka gave 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.[3] 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.[4]

International career

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 deafeat against Germany national under-20 football team.[5]

Taulant Xhaka made his Swiss U-21 debut as substitute on 7 October 2011 in the 1:0 away win against Georgia U-21.[6][7] In the return game on 10 November, a 5:0 home win in the Cornaredo Stadium, he played in the starting team.

Media reported on May 2013 that Taulant Xhaka would welcome a call-up from Albania [8] Taulant confirmed later in an interview that his choice of Albania was definitive.[9] 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.[10]

Honours and titles

Basel

External links

References

  1. ↑ Dünner, Urs (2010). "Der FCB gewinnt im Schweizer Cup mit 5:0 (2:0) gegen Mendrisio". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 19 September 2010.  (German)
  2. ↑ Meister, Remo (2011). "Wichtiger 1:0-Arbeitssieg für den FCB". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 27 February 2011.  (German)
  3. ↑ Simon, Remo (2011). "United strike late to deny Basel famous win". eufa.com. Retrieved 27 September 2011. 
  4. ↑ Basler Zeitung (2013). "Vieles ist klar – vielleicht". Basler Zeitung. Retrieved 2013-06-03.  (German)
  5. ↑ Match report Swiss U-20 – Germany U-20
  6. ↑ Match report Georgia U-21 – Switzerland U-21
  7. ↑ nzz (2011). "U-21-Auswahl in Georgien mit Auswärtsieg". Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG. Retrieved 7 October 2011.  (German)
  8. ↑ Panorama (2013). "Shqipëria i merr Zvicrës një Xhaka". Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2013.  (Albanian)
  9. ↑ Shekulli (2013). "Taulant Xhaka: Zgjodha Shqipërinë, Zvicra s’më donte". Shekulli. Retrieved 20 October 2013.  (Albanian)
  10. ↑ http://asport.info/taulant-xhaka-merr-shtetesi-shqiptare-foto-dekreti/ Xhaka merr shtetesi shqiptare, FOTO Dekreti
  11. ↑ FC Basel 1893 (2008). "Zwei weitere Nachwuchstitel für den FCB". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2008-06-15.  (German)
FC Basel – current squad
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