Erando Karabeci

Erando Karabeci

Personal information
Full name	Erando Karabeci
Date of birth	(1988-09-06) 6 September 1988
Place of birth	Tiranë, Albania
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Centre midfielder
Club information
Current team	KF Tirana
Number	13
Youth career
2000-2006	FK Partizani
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006-2009	FK Partizani	31	(2)
2009-	KF Tirana	146	(1)
2013	→ FK Kukësi (loan)	0	(0)
National team
2007-2008	Albania U19	3	(0)
2008-2011	Albania U21	7	(2)
2014-	Albania	0	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2014. † Appearances (Goals).

Erando Karabeci (born 6 September 1988 in Tirana) is an Albanian professional footballer who currently plays for Albanian Superliga club KF Tirana as well as the Albanian national team. He mainly operates in the centre of midfield, but he can also play out wide as well as in a more defensive role in the midfield.

Career

Early career

Born in Tiranë, Albania, Karabeci first joined local side Partizani Tirana at the age of 11 in 2000, where he progressed to the under-17s and then the under-19s, where he won the national championship with both age groups. He was promoted to the senior side during the 2006-07 season, where he made his professional debut as an 18 year old in a home tie against Shkumbini Peqin on 23 December 2006. Karabeci came off the bench in the 89th minute for Gerhard Progni in the 2-0 win. He made another two league appearance that season in home wins over Kastrioti Krujë and Shkumbini Peqin once again.^[1] The following season he still didn't break into the first team and only managed 3 league appearances throughout the 2007-08 campaign, including coming off the bench in the closing stages of a memorable Tirana Derby which ended in a 4-1 win for Partizani.^[2]

His breakthrough season came in 2008, when Shpëtim Duro took charge of Partizani, and Karabeci became one of the club's regular midfielders alongside Artan Karapici, Dritan Babamusta and Viktor Gjyla. He scored his first professional goal in the Tirana Derby against KF Tirana on 7 December 2008 in a 2-2 draw.^[3] Partizani struggled throughout the season, which ended in them finishing third from bottom and having to play Kastrioti Krujë in a play-out game for a spot in the following season's Albanian Superliga. The play-out game with Kastrioti ended was surrounded by controversy and notoriety, as Partizani lost 1-0 and the club's president Albert Xhani attacked the referee Arjan Mali for disallowing a Partizani equaliser.^[4] Following the game Partizani were relegated to the Albanian First Division and Karabeci was allowed to terminate his contract and leave the club.

KF Tirana

On August 28, 2009 Karabeci signed for Albanian Champions KF Tirana. He joined up with the team ahead of the international break which he spent with the Albanian U-21 side.

He signed short term loan deal with FK Kukësi in July 2013 for their Europa League qualifying campaign, as a replacement for the suspended Besar Musolli.^[5]

Following the return of club legend Ervin Bulku in the summer of 2014, Karabeci handed his captaincy to Bulku as a sign of respect of the Albanian international, and became the vice-captain instead.^[6]

European statistics

National team

He was picked for the Albania U-21 by the coach Artan Bushati to help the team for the UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier and is still considered a very important part of the team. He even managed to score the winning goal in Albania U-21's Qualifying game with Azerbaijan U-21 shortly after signing for his current club, KF Tirana.

References