Endri Çekiçi

Endri Çekiçi (born 23 November 1996 in Pogradec) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a Midfielder for Dinamo Zagreb and the Albania under-21 national team.

Club career

Early career

Çekiçi started his career with his local club KS Pogradeci where he made his professional debut on 16 February 2013 at the age of 16 years, 2 months and 24 days old. He came on as a 56th-minute substitute for the goalscorer Vangjel Zguro in a home Albanian First Division fixture against Besëlidhja Lezhë which ended in a 1–0 win for Pogradeci.^[1] He was in the starting formation for his next game a month later on 16 March in a 3–0 home win against Naftëtari Kuçovë, where he was subbed off for Kristi Laçka in the 58th minute.^[2] He scored his first professional goal on 4 May 2013 against Burreli, scoring in the 11th minute to put his side 2–0 up, but it wasn't any enough as Burreli came from behind to take the 2–3 elite and to win the match.^[3] In total he made 6 league appearances for the club during the 2012–13 season, scoring one goal in the process to help his side finish 5th in the league.

He joined Albanian Superliga side Teuta Durrës in the summer of 2013 ahead of the club's Europa League qualifier against Moldovan side FC Dacia Chișinău.^[4] Çekiçi came on as an 81st-minute substitute in the home leg of the fixture which ended in 3–1 win for Teuta Durrës.^[5]

Dinamo Zagreb

Çekiçi had a successful trial with Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb in the summer of 2013 and eventually completed a transfer to the club after Dinamo Zagreb agreed to pay €60,000 to Teuta Durrës. He joined the club's youth team where he excelled in both domestic and international youth competitions.

On his 18th birthday on 23 November 2014, he signed a 5-year professional contract with the club, keeping him at the Maksimir Stadium until 2019.^[6][7]

First match with the first team of Dinamo Zagreb came in the opening day of the second-half season after the break, on 7 February 2015 against Lokomotiva Zagreb in which Çekiçi remained as an unused substitute for the entire match.^[8] He made it his first debut in the next upcoming game on 11 February 2015 against Istra, valid for the first leg of the 2014–15 Croatian Cup quarterfinals, coming on as a substitute in the 82nd minute in place of Marko Pjaca.^[9] He made it his league debut on 22 February 2015 against Osijek by coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute in place of Junior Fernándes in a match which finished in the 1–1 away draw.^[10] Soon after 23 minutes played in this match, Çekiçi managed to win the starting place for the next match against Split on 28 February 2015, where the commitment of him during training sessions throughout the week, convinced the coach Zoran Mamić to believe him the starting place. Çekiçi didn't even disappointed the believe of his coach and in the 16th minute of the game the advantage goal came from his foots, as he came in to the area and soon as he prepared to make his final shot, he got interrupted unregulary by the opponent's defenders and the referee accorded a penalty kick, which immediately turned to a goal by Ángelo Henríquez to bring the first elite 1–0. He continued with good performance when he participated in the second goal of Dinamo Zagreb scored again by Ángelo Henríquez, but his entire good performance would take a negative form in the end of the first half because he severely damaged his achilles tendon after a duel with an opponent. Initially doctors entered to the pitch, but seeing the hard damage, was required barrels and he accompanied in the dressing room immediately.^[11] This hard injury left him 3 months out of play and in the begin of May's month Çekiçi returned "where he left", because his first match after the injury placed him exactly against Split, which he was injured in the previous match. In his return, Dinamo Zagreb managed to beat Split 5–1 and to win the 2014–15 Croatian First Football League which became their 10 consecutive champions title and 17th in the entire history.^[12]

Çekiçi concluded his first season at Dinamo Zagreb with 5 appearances in total, including 1 match in the starting line and 3 others as a substitute in the league and 1 match as a substitute in the Cup. He collected both trophys, the 2014–15 Croatian First Football League and the 2014–15 Croatian Football Cup.

Lokomotiva Zagreb

In January 2016 Cekici joined NK Lokomotiva Zagreb on loan from Croatian giant Dinamo.

International career

Albania under-17

The talent of Çekiçi was discovered by the Albania national under-17 football team coach Džemal Mustedanagić when he hasn't completed the 15 years old age yet and was still part of KS Pogradeci youth teams. He was called up to participate in the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying round in the month October 2011. In the opening match against Slovakia U-17 on 13 October 2011 he played as a starter under the coach Džemal Mustedanagić and Albania U-17 won the match 1–2 with Frans Ymeralilaj scoring twice, first in the 43rd minute and second in the 58th minute, where 2 minutes after the second goal Çekiçi was substituted off for Dorian Hakrama.^[13] Then Çekiçi played the full 90-minutes in the second match against Germany U-17 two days later, where Albania lost 0–1.^[14] In the closing match of the group against Estonia U-17 on 17 October, Çekiçi played only as a substitute coming on in the 53rd minute in place of Amadio Gjonaj and Albania took a decisive 1–1 draw.^[15] With these results Albania ranked in the 2nd place of the table gaining qualification to the Elite round.^[16] For the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round Çekiçi retained his place again under the same coach Džemal Mustedanagić.^[17] The tournament developed in March 2012 from dates 22-27 and Çekiçi played every minute in all 3 matches. Albania lost two first matches against Serbia U-17 3–0^[18] and Netherlands U-17 4–0^[19] and beat Republic of Ireland U-17 2–1^[20] and however they got eliminated by finishing in the 3rd place.

Çekiçi was called up for the 3rd consecutive tournament of Albania U-17 as he confirmed another call up by the same coach Džemal Mustedanagić for the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying round. Once more he completed all full 90-minute matches where Albania lost two first matches with same 1–0 result against Italy U17 and Hungary U17 and beat Liechtenstein U17 6–0 but however they got eliminated.^[21] Çekiçi pointed an individual record himself, becoming the most capped player of all-time for Albania U-17 with 9 matches, equalling Aldo Teqja.

Albania under-19

Following his good performances with Albania under-17, Çekiçi received a call up highery at Albania national under-19 football team by the coach Foto Strakosha, for the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying round.^[22] He debutted with Albania under-19 playing in the starting line up in the opening match against Greece on 12 November 2013 and got substituted off in the 69th minute for Mario Kame, as the match finished in the 1–0 loss with a lately goal scored by Dimitris Popovic in the 89th minute.^[23] Then for the two other matches he played only as a substitute of the second half, coming on in the 90th minute for Bruno Lulaj against Slovakia on 14 November, finished in the 1–1 draw with the goal scored from Albania within Ardit Prendi in the 90'+1 minute soon as Çekiçi had came in,^[24] and for the closing match against Bulgaria on 17 November coming on in place of Damian Gjini in the 59th minute and the match finished for the second consecutive time as a 1–1 draw with Albania U19 scoring again with Ardit Prendi in the 74th minute, 15 minutes after Çekiçi had came in.^[25]

Çekiçi was called up by the coach Altin Lala to participate with Albania national under-19 football team in the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying round for the matches against Denmark, Portugal and Wales, in the match-dates 12–17 November 2014.^[26] Under the coach Altin Lala he played all matches as a starter where also he was named as Captain,^[27] including two as a full 90-minutes matches, the first against Denmark^[28] and the last against Wales,^[29] and for the second match against Portugal got substituted off in the second half 64th minute for Anderson Abrazhda.^[30] However Albania U19 lost all 3 matches with total of goals collected 2–7, where all two goals were scored by Esad Morina of FC Schalke 04 youth.^[31]

Albania under-21

Çekiçi continued higherly at international level as he was called up at the Albania national under-21 football team by the coach Skënder Gega for the friendly match against Romania U21 on 8 October 2014.^[32]

Çekiçi was called up by a new appointed coach at the Albania U21, Redi Jupi, for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Israel & Portugal on 3 & 8 September 2015.^[33] He made it his first competitive debut for Albania U21 on 3 September 2015 in a 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Israel coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute in place of Liridon Latifi. In this match Çekiçi managed to score his first goal as well by scoring a penalty kick won by Milot Rashica in the 84th minute to give Albania U21 an equalising 1–1 result.^[34]

Career statistics

Club

As of 9 May 2015 ^[35][4]

Honours

Club

Dinamo Zagreb

• Croatian First League: 2014–15
• Croatian Cup: 2014–15

References

External links

• Endri Çekiçi profile at Soccerway
• Endri Çekiçi – UEFA competition record