Edvan Bakaj

Edvan Bakaj
Personal information
Full name Edvan Bakaj
Date of birth (1987-10-09) 9 October 1987
Place of birth Tiranë, Albania
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Tirana
Number 31
Youth career
2000–2004 Partizani Tirana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2004–2008 Partizani Tirana 20 (0)
2008–2009 Laçi 15 (0)
2009–2010 Besa Kavajë 18 (0)
2010–2011 Dinamo Tirana 2 (0)
2011–2012 Besa Kavajë 19 (0)
2012–2014 Laçi 36 (1)
2014– Tirana 36 (0)
National team‡
2003–2004 Albania U17 3 (0)
2004–2005 Albania U19 2 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:49, 30 March 2016 (GMT).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:49, 21 July 2011 (GMT)

Edvan Bakaj (born 9 October 1987 in Tiranë) is an Albanian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Tirana in the Albanian Superliga. His cousin Elis Bakaj is an Albania international midfielder and also his teammate at Tirana.

Club career

Besa Kavajë

During the winter break, Bakaj announced his departure from Laçi along with the striker Julian Malo,[1] and, in the first days of 2010, he joined Besa Kavajë on a free transfer for the second part of 2009–10.[2]

Romania

Following recommendation from his cousin Elis Bakaj, Edvan was given a trial at newly promoted Liga II side Alro Slatina. At first it was believed to be an unsuccessful trial as he did not impress in a friendly.[3] However, on 15 July 2011 he signed a contract at the club and joined his cousin and former team mate Elis in Romania.[4]

Return to Laçi

On 8 August 2012, Bakaj signed a one-year deal with Laçi.[5] He made his return debut with the club on 24 September 2012 during the league match away against Skënderbeu Korçë, where Bakaj conceled three times for a 3–0 defeat.[6]

On 4 May 2014, Bakaj scored his first career goal during the 6–0 thrashing of Kastrioti Krujë, valid for the 22nd week of 2013–14 season, scoring from the penalty kick.[7][8] He left the team after the end of the season by terminating his contract by mutual consensus.[9]

Tirana

On 25 July 2014, Bakaj signed a two-year contract with Tirana, taking the vacant number 31 for the 2014–15 season.[10] He made his league debut with the club on 30 November 2014 against his former side Laçi, keeping his first clean-sheet of the season in a goalless draw at home.[11]

During the 2014–15 season, he served mostly as a back-up for first goalkepper Stivi Frashëri, but he took his place in early March 2015 after the match against Partizani Tirana, were Frashëri made a mistake that was decisive for the faith of the match.[12] Bakaj ended the season with 16 appearances in all competitions, including 9 in league, with Tirana who finished it in the fourth place and was eliminated in semi-finals of 2014–15 Albanian Cup against Laçi with the 1–0 aggregate.

He left the club on 7 August 2015 after being told that he was not in the plans of the technical staff,[13] but, five days later, however, a call from the club's president Refik Halili made him to change his mind and return in training.[14]

International career

Bakaj has been a former youth international player of Albania, player three and two matches respectively with U17 and U19 side.[15]

Career statistics

As of 15 August 2015[16][17]
Club Season League Cup Continental[lower-alpha 1] Other[lower-alpha 2] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Laçi 2008–09 15010——160
2009–10 0020——20
Total 15 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 18 0
Besa Kavajë 2009–10 30———30
2010–11 150001010170
Total 18 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 20 0
Dinamo Tirana 2010–11 20———20
Total 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Besa Kavajë 2011–12 19040——230
Total 19 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
Laçi 2012–13 16090——250
2013–14 221502010301
Total 38 1 14 0 2 0 1 0 55 1
Tirana 2014–15 9070——160
2015–16 0000——00
Total 9 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 16 0
Career total 101 1 28 0 3 0 2 0 134 1
  1. ↑ Including continental competitions, such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  2. ↑ Including other competitions, such as Albanian Supercup

Honours

Besa Kavajë[17]
Laçi[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Malo e Bakaj ikin nga Laçi" (in Albanian). Arkiva Lajmeve. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Edvan Bakaj kalon te Besa" (in Albanian). Arkiva Lajmeve. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Bakaj nu rămâne la Alro" (in Romanian). Pro Sport. 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  4. ↑ Constantin Neacsu (15 July 2011). "Bakaj si-a trimis varul la Slatina" (in Romanian). Cancan. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Edvan Bakaj firmos për Laçin" (in Albanian). Info.al. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Llazi Saro (25 September 2012). "Skënderbeu s’e lëshon kreun, thyen Laçin. Josa: Duhet të përmirësohemi" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "Laçi, “tenis” për Europën me Kastriotin. Nica: Do t’ia dalim edhe ndaj Skënderbeut" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Laçi vs. Kastrioti Krujë 6 – 0". Soccerway. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Portieri Edvan Bakaj largohet nga Laçi" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Portieri Bakaj" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "Superliga Shqiptare/ Tirana ndal hapin, barazon me Laçin, Partizani merr kreun ndaj Teutës" (in Albanian). Standard.al. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "E ulin në stol, Stivi Frashëri shpërthen në “Facebook”: Te Tirana më shajnë nga nëna!" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Tirana, largohet edhe Edvan Bakaj" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "Bakaj bën prapaktheu, qëndron te Tirana" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Edvan Bakaj – UEFA.com". UEFA.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Football : Edvan Bakaj". Football Database. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 "Albania - E. Bakaj - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.

External links

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