Andi Lila

Andi Lila

Lila on international duty in 2015.
Personal information
Full name	Andi Lila
Date of birth	(1986-02-12) 12 February 1986
Place of birth	Kavajë, Albania
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current team	PAS Giannina
Number	3
Youth career
2000–2003	Besa Kavajë
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	Besa Kavajë	72	(1)
2007	Iraklis	3	(0)
2007–2008	Besa Kavajë	29	(0)
2008–2011	Tirana	78	(11)
2011–	PAS Giannina	94	(6)
2015	→ Parma (loan)	13	(2)
National team‡
2002–2003	Albania U17	10	(0)
2003–2005	Albania U19	5	(0)
2006–2007	Albania U21	10	(0)
2007–	Albania	55	(0)
Honours Tirana Winner Albanian Superliga 2008–09 Winner Albanian Cup 2010–11 Runner-up Albanian Cup 2008–09
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 November 2015. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 November 2015

Andi Lila (born 12 February 1986 in Kavajë) is an Albanian footballer who plays for Greek club PAS Giannina and the Albania national team. He is a versatile player, having played primarily as a right back early in his career as well as left back, but in recent years he has predominately played in a defensive midfield role, as well as a right midfielder.

Lila began his career with local side Besa Kavajë, where he made his debut in 2002 as a 16 year old and soon became a regular first team player, which earned him a move to Greek club Iraklis in January 2007. He soon returned to Besa Kavajë after failing to settle at Iraklis, and he shortly became the club captain, guiding them to a third-place finish in the Albanian Superliga before moving to KF Tirana after just one year back in Kavajë. He was a fan favourite at KF Tirana as during his three years at the club, and he won the Albanian Superliga title in his first season there, as well as helping his side reach the Albanian Cup final which he missed and his side lost in. His last game with the club came in the 2011 Albanian Cup final which his side lost on penalties after extra time, before moving to Greece for a second stint, this time with PAS Giannina.

He quickly established himself in the first team at PAS Giannina and helped his side achieve a mid table finish in his first season back in Greece, and then reach the Superleague playoffs in his second season at the club before a bottom half finish in his third season. He joined struggling Serie A side Parma on loan for the second half of the 2014–15 campaign, but he could not help the club escape relegation and returned to his parent club PAS Giannina following the bankruptcy of Parma. Since his return he has struggled to recapture his place in the first team, and has been limited to mostly substitute appearances in the league.

Lila has represented Albania at under-17, under-19, under-21 and senior levels. He made his senior international debut in 2007 against Romania and has since earned 55 caps but has yet to score a senior international goal. He became Albania's first choice right back in 2010 under Josip Kuže, and he also began to play in the defensive midfield position. Under Gianni De Biasi he has primarily played as a right midfielder or right winger since 2014, and he has helped Albania qualify for its first major international tournament as they reached Euro 2016. He was also heavily involved in the infamous Serbia v Albania match on 14 October 2014, which resulted in the match being abandoned and Albania eventually being awarded a walkover victory over Serbia.

Career

Besa

Lila started his career with hometown club, Besa Kavajë. He made his debut for the club during the 2002–03 season in the Albanian Superliga on 14 December 2002 in an away match against Teuta Durrës. Lila came on as a substitute at half time by replacing Ervin Bardhi. However it was not a game to remember for the young Lila as it finished 5–0 to Teuta Durrës.

Iraklis

Since making his debut in 2002 he started to impress more and more people with his performances as a right back, this paved the way for his move to Greek club Iraklis FC in January 2007, where he joined fellow Albanians Enea Koliqi, Elvis Kaja and Indrit Fortuzi who were already at the club.^[1] Despite making his dream move abroad a reality, Lila struggled to settle in Greece and after only 6 months and 3 appearances he moved back to his original club Besa Kavajë.

Besa

Following his return, he was made captain of the team. During the 2007–08 season he played 26 times without scoring a goal.^[2] He was also a beaten Albanian Supercup finalist after losing 4–2 to KF Tirana.^[3] The defender played his final game with Besa Kavajë in the Intertoto Cup on 12 July 2008. He came off in the 57th minute of the game.^[4] The game ended in a 3–0 home loss and ended the club's run in Europe and Lila's time in Kavajë.

KF Tirana

Lila in action with Tirana in 2010.

Lila completed his move to KF Tirana on 21 July 2008 after him and his agent Sokol Haxhia agreed to terms with KF Tirana and its president Refik Halili.^[5] Since making his move to the capital, Lila has been able to settle quickly and he has played the best football of his career so far. His first game as a KF Tirana player was the opening game of the season against Vllaznia Shkoder, he played the full 90 minutes of the goalless draw.^[6] His first goal in a blue and white jersey came on only his third game with the club in a Tirana derby against Partizani Tirana, he scored the winner in the 90th minute and secured the three points for his club.^[7] Lila didn't have to wait long for another goal as it came less than a week later on 20 September 2008 against Apolonia Fier, his goal came in the 28th minute of the game.^[8] During the entire 2008–2009 season he became the club's first choice right back and he played 29 games, he also proved that he has attacking qualities as well by scoring 4 goals during the campaign.^[9]

PAS Giannina

He signed a three-year contract with Greek side PAS Giannina on 24 June 2011 worth €700,000 plus bonuses.^[10][11] He played his first game for the club on 27 August 2011 against Aris Thessaloniki in a goalless draw.^[12]

On 12 July 2014, Lila had even declared that his contract with PAS Giannina had come to an end, allowing him to sign a contract with Croatian side HNK Rijeka,^[13] however he eventually opted against this and signed a new three-year contract with PAS Giannina.^[14]

Parma

After much speculation over his future, on 28 December 2014 he confirmed his move to Serie A club Parma F.C.^[15] He would join the club on 1 January 2015, when the transfer window reopens.^[16] On 12 January 2015 Parma announced that the deal was a temporary deal with an option to purchase,^[17] due to ongoing financial difficulties of the club.

He made his debut for Parma on 14 January 2015, starting in the Coppa Italia match against Cagliari.^[18] After 13 minutes however Lila was forced off the field with a thigh muscle problem.^[19] In his first game back after returning from injury, Lila scored his first goal for Parma against Sassuolo on 15 March 2015, having played from the start, with the match ending as a 4–1 defeat for the Gialloblù.^[20][21]

As of August 2015 Lila started training with Skënderbeu Korçë, although he still doesn't have a contract with them.^[22]

International career

Lila was first called up to the Albania national team by Otto Baric in late 2007; it was his performances as a right back for Besa Kavajë in the Albanian Superliga that caught the eye of the Croatian. He made his debut for the senior team in a Euro 2008 Qualifiers against Romania in Bucarest on 21 November 2007. Lila started the game at right back and played the full 90 minutes. However it wasn't a debut to remember because the match ended 6–1 to Romania and the coach that had called the young defender up to the senior squad quit as the head coach of the Albanian National Team just one hour after the final whistle of the embarrassing defeat.^[23] The next manager of the National Team also liked Lila's play and this earned him a call up by Arie Haan to his first game in charge which was a friendly against Poland on 27 May 2008. Lila started the game but was substituted at half time for Endrit Vrapi.^[24] The game ended in a 1–0 loss but the Albanians played well after conceding in the 3rd minute. Andi Lila managed to play another two games under Arie Haan, in a friendly against Liechtenstein and a FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualifier against Malta. In both matches he came on as a substitute.^[25]

Personal life

On 16 July 2015 Lila was decorated with the "Honorary Citizen of Kavaja" award for protecting the national symbols and for his contribution to Albanian football.^[26]

Career statistics

Clubs

As of 9 November 2015 ^[27][28][29]

International

As of 16 November 2015^[28][30]

Honours

Club

Tirana

• Albanian Superliga: 2008–09
• Albanian Cup: 2010–11; Runner-up: 2008–09

Decoration

• Honorary citizen of Kavajë: 2015^[26]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andi Lila.

• Goal
• Andi Lila profile at Soccerway
• Andi Lila at National-Football-Teams.com
• Andi Lila – UEFA competition record