Donis Avdijaj

Donis Avdijaj

Avdijaj playing for Sturm Graz in 2015.
Personal information
Full name Donis Xhemë Avdijaj
Date of birth (1996-08-25) 25 August 1996
Place of birth Osnabrück, Germany
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Schalke 04
Number 33
Youth career
2001–2006 SV Atter
2006–2011 VfL Osnabrück
2011–2014 Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Schalke 04 II 11 (4)
2014– Schalke 04 12 (2)
2015–2016 → Sturm Graz (loan) 45 (13)
National team‡
2011 Germany U16 2 (2)
2012–2014 Germany U17 13 (10)
2013–2014 Germany U19 2 (0)
2017– Kosovo 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 December 2016.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 March 2017

Donis Xhemë Avdijaj (born 25 August 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for German club Schalke 04 and Kosovo national team. Avdijaj previously represented Germany at youth international level.

Career

Schalke 04

After scoring 59 goals in 53 matches for U-17 and 17 goals in 24 games for U-19, he became a first team player.[1] Avdijaj was called up for the first time on a major competition on 17 September 2014 to participate in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage match against Chelsea, where he didn't come in to play.[2] After interest from Liverpool, Schalke gave him a £41 million release clause.[3]

Sturm Graz

On 13 January 2015 in the winter transfer window, Avdiaj went on an 18-month loan deal at Austrian side SK Sturm Graz. Avdijaj made his debut for Sturm Graz in a friendly match against Kalsdorf and scored a goal.[4]

2014–15 season

He made his professional debut on 21 February 2015 in a 3–3 home draw against Wiener Neustadt. He came in as a substitute in the 81st minute in place of Bright Edomwonyi and just 2 minutes after, Avdijaj made an assist for the temporary advantage goal 3–2 scored by Martin Ehrenreich.[5] In his next second match even, Avdijaj played only as a substitute against Rapid Wien coming on in the 73rd minute in place of Daniel Offenbacher for the 1–0 loss.[6] Then his next third match Avdijaj played it for the first time in the starting line up against Austria Wien on 3 March 2015 where he substituted off in the 64th minute for exactly his rival Bright Edomwonyi, which Avdijaj previously in his first debut had taken his place.[7] He scored his first goal for Sturm Graz in his 7th match on 21 March 2015 against Admira, playing as a starter and scoring in the 28th minute the opening goal in the 3–1 victory.[8] After the 26th game week Avdijaj established himself in the starting line up playing as a side midfielder mostly at left side, attacking midfielder and also as a second striker.

He ended up the season with total of 17 appearances, 12 as a starter including 8 full 90-minute matches where he managed to score in total 6 goals and provided 3 assists. Sturm Graz finished 4th in the rank table to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.[9]

2015–16 season

Avdijaj started the 2015–16 with an impressive performance on 18 July 2015 against Hartberg valid for the 2015–16 Austrian Cup first round by scoring one goal, providing one assist and winning a penalty to help his side to take an away 0–6 victory.[10]

International career

On 11 October 2014. Avdijaj announced to have refused the Germany U19 as his intention was to represent Albania,[11][12] where he said: "It's better to have behind my own people, rather than foreigners" and he needed just an Albanian citizenship for him to be part of the national team managed by Gianni De Biasi.[13] In November 2014 the coach Gianni De Biasi declared that he spoke with his father and the FC Schalke 04 coach Roberto Di Matteo for the situation of Avdijaj if he would play for the first team as a professional, a condition of De Biasi to invite him in the national team.[14] In December 2014 Donis' father confirmed the family's desire that the footballer represents Albania in the future.[15] In March 2015 Avdijaj told Albanian media that he has personally met with De Biasi and is looking forward to a call-up.[16]

Kosovo

On 10 November 2016, two days before match with Turkey, he join with the Kosovo national football team in Antalya, but in the match with Turkey, can not play because that was not allowed by FIFA.[17] On March 20, 2017, he received the call-up from Kosovo in match against Iceland.[18] On 24 March 2017. FIFA accepted Avdijaj's request to play for Kosovo[19] and in same day he made his debut in a match of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iceland.[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 May 2017 [21]
Club Season National League National Cup Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Schalke 04 II 2014–15 Regionalliga 114——114
SK Sturm Graz 2014–15 Austrian Bundesliga 17600—176
2015–16 2532311287
Total 42923114513
FC Schalke 04 2016–17 Bundesliga 920030122
Career total 621523416819

References

  1. ↑ Donis Avdijaj: Why Did Schalke Send €49 Million Talent to Sturm Graz? Bleacher Report
  2. ↑ Chelsea vs. Schalke 04 - 17 September 2014 - Soccerway
  3. ↑ Schalke look to ward off Liverpool interest in wonderkid Avdijaj, Valencia back in for Hernandez and Everton target Fazio THE TRANSFER COLUMN Daily Mail
  4. ↑ Donis Avdijaj huazohet nga Schalke shënon gol në Austri Shqiptarja.com
  5. ↑ Sturm Graz vs. Wiener Neustadt - 21 February 2015 - Soccerway
  6. ↑ Rapid Wien vs. Sturm Graz - 28 February 2015 - Soccerway
  7. ↑ Sturm Graz vs. Austria Wien - 3 March 2015 - Soccerway
  8. ↑ Sturm Graz vs. Admira - 21 March 2015 - Soccerway
  9. ↑ Summary - Bundesliga - Austria - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway
  10. ↑ Hartberg vs. Sturm Graz - 18 July 2015 - Soccerway
  11. ↑ Bonn, Kyle (2014-10-14). "Germany suffers huge blow as 18-year-old Schalke youth star chooses Albania". NBCSports.com. Retrieved 2014-10-18.
  12. ↑ Avdijaj zgjedh Shqipërinë? Telegrafi
  13. ↑ Avdijaj: Pres me padurim debutimin kuqezi Albeu.com "Më mirë të kem pas shpinës popullin tim sesa popullin e huaj." "Tanimë 18-vjecarit të lindur në Osnabruck të Gjermanisë, i mbeten vetëm për të plotësuar dokomentacionin dhe të jetë pjesë e përzgjedhjes së Giani De Biasit, që gjithmonë e më shumë po i frikëson kombëtaret e tjera."
  14. ↑ De Biazi falenderon tifozët, flet për Ajetin, Avdijajn, Karabecin... aSport.al "Të henën bisedova me babain e tij, do të flas gjithashtu dhe me Di Matteon për situatën e futbollistit te Schalke. Nëse Avdiaj do të luajë për ekipin e parë të Schalkes nuk do të ketë asnjë problem për t’u grumbulluar në kombëtare"
  15. ↑ Familja Avdijaj: Donisi dëshiron të luaj për Shqipërinë, De Biazi nuk na e hapi telefonin! aSport.al
  16. ↑ Telegrafi 8 March 2015Eksluzive: Avdijaj rrëfen takimin me De Biasin
  17. ↑ "Donis Avdijaj i bashkohet Përfaqësueses së Kosovës" (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 10 November 2016.
  18. ↑ "Bunjaki publikoi listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjen kundër Islandës" (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 20 March 2017.
  19. ↑ "Ekskluzive: Donis Avdijaj merr leje nga FIFA" (in Albanian). Gazeta Express. 24 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Donis Avdijaj futët në lojë, vesh për herë të parë fanellën e Kosovës" (in Albanian). Kosova Press. 24 March 2017.
  21. ↑ Donis Avdijaj at Soccerway
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