Kristi Vangjeli

Kristi Vangjeli
Personal information
Full name Kristi Vangjeli
Date of birth (1985-09-05) 5 September 1985
Place of birth Korçë, Albania
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Full back
Club information
Current team
 Skënderbeu Korçë
Number 32
Youth career
1990–1995 Skënderbeu Korçë
1998–2001 Agios Georgios F.C.
2001–2004 Aris Thessaloniki
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2003–2011 Aris 106 (0)
2011–2013 Chornomorets Odessa 25 (0)
2013–2014 Aris 11 (0)
2014– Skënderbeu Korçë 52 (4)
National team‡
2004–2005 Albania U21 6 (0)
2007– Albania 35 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 March 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21 October 2014

Kristi Vangjeli (born 5 September 1985) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays for Skënderbeu Korçë in the Albanian Superliga and the Albanian national team. His preferred position is right back, but he can also play on the left as he has done for both club and country on a number of times, as well as defensive midfielder.

Early career

Skënderbeu Korçë

Vangjeli began playing football at the age of just 5 with local side Skënderbeu Korçë under the guidance of coach Benin Beta. As he lived near the Skënderbeu training ground, he would watch the first team players train which gave him the further ambition to succeed in the game. He stayed at Skënderbeu for 5 years until the age of 10, where he had been playing with his older brother Pavli.[1]

Move to Greece

In 1997 his parents sent his brother Pavli on a 2-month trial with PAOK F.C., and when the club signed Pavli, his family then moved to Thessaloniki in Greece along with Kristi. As his brother was already at the club, his father did not want Kristi to try out for the PAOK team as well, as there was discrimination at the fact that they were Albanian, which the father felt could ruin Pavli's chances at the club.[1]

Agios Georgios

Kristi had to wait for his chance, which was given to him while he was playing football at his school, a coach from a small local team was watching the young Albanian playing from outside the gates. As Kristi did not know Greek well at the time, he did not understand him very well but he understood that he was a football coach and that he would like for Kristi to train with his team, Agios Georgios F.C. After his first training session he joined the club and played for them the very next day. After 2 years at the club, he was promoted to the first team and began to train with them at the age of just 15. As he was tall, fast and lively he was playing as a forward at the time, which was noted in a friendly game by the coach of the Aris second team. In that friendly Vangjeli scored 2 goals for the 5th tier side and was immediately offered a trial at Aris.[1]

Aris

Without Agios Georgios knowing, Kristi went on trial at Aris at the end of the season, which was a successful one, leading to a 2,000,000 Drachma move to Aris. It was at Aris B that he changed his position from a forward, firstly as a defensive midfielder. At the age of 17 he was promoted to the Aris first team and in his first friendly for the senior team he was played at right fullback by Ole Skouboe due to injuries, in which he excelled and was offered his first professional contract just one month later.

Club career

Aris

Vangjeli is a defender who can play at either right back or left back. In 2003, Vangjeli signed for the Greek side Aris and since then made over 100 appearances.

Chornomorets

After eight years at Aris, Vangjeli made a €300,000 move to Chornomorets Odessa in the Ukrainian Premier League on 30 August 2011, signing a three-year contract.[2][3] On the third round of 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, Vangjeli's Chornomorets faced his childhood club Skënderbeu Korçë.[4][5] He left the club in January 2014.[6]

Return to Aris

On 28 January 2014, Vangjeli signed a contract with Superleague Greece club Aris Thessaloniki.[7]

Skënderbeu Korçë

On 30 June 2014, Vangjeli signed with Skënderbeu Korçëand returned to his hometown Korçë after 15 years absence.[8] During his presentation he said that playing with Skënderbeu Korçë is a "dream come true".[8] The contract that he signed with the club meant that he would play for them only in their Champions League campaign, and, if Skënderbeu were eliminated, he would return to Aris Thessaloniki.[9]

He made his European debut with Skënderbeu Korçë in the first leg of the second qualifying round against Belarusian side BATE Borisov, playing full 90 minutes in a goalless draw at Borisov Arena.[10] He played in the return leg at Skënderbeu Stadium, with Skënderbeu who didn't earn more than a 1–1 draw, being eliminated in the process due to away goal rule.[11]

After Skënderbeu's Champions League campaign ended, Vangjeli remained with Skënderbeu, signing a one-year contract to play for the White and Reds until the end of the 2014–15 season.[12][13] In the 2014 Albanian Supercup match against Flamurtari Vlorë, he played in the enire match that ended with a 1–0 win at Qemal Stafa Stadium for Vangjeli's side, winning his first silverware of the season.[14]

He made his Albanian Superliga debut in the opening match of the new season against the newcomers of Elbasani, helping the team to commenced the league season with a 1–0 win at neutral ground of Qemal Stafa Stadium, due to reconstruction of Elbasan Arena.[15] On 17 October, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Flamurtari in Flamurtari Stadium.[16] That was his first ever goal in his 11-year career.[17]

International career

Albania U–21

Vangjeli's first international call up came in 2004 under Hasan Lika, following the players promotion to the Aris senior team.[1] He made his debut for Albania U21s side against Greece in a 1–1 draw, which he played just two days before his 19th birthday.

Albania

Vangjeli has been playing for Albania since 2007 and has so far won 35 caps.[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of 16 April 2014[19][20][21]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total
2003–04Aris FCSuperleague Greece6010–70
2004–059040–130
2005–06Football League1700010180
2006–07Superleague Greece18010–190
2007–081702030220
2008–09800020100
2009–1011010–120
2010–111901080280
2011–121000–10
Ukraine League Ukrainian Cup Europe Total
2011–12ChornomoretsUkrainian Premier League15010–160
2012–1360100070
2013–14402060120
Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total
2013–14Aris FCSuperleague Greece11000–110
Total Greece 11701001401410
Ukraine 2504060350
Career total 14201402001760

International

As of 21 October 2014[22]
Albania national team
YearAppsGoals
200770
200860
200960
201070
201180
201210
Total350

Honours

Aris FC[19]
Chornomorets Odessa[19]
Skënderbeu Korçë[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Andi Matraxhiu (2011-03-18). "Vangjeli: Si më kërkuan para, që të luaja me kombëtaren Shpresa" (in Albanian). Sporti Shqiptar. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  2. ↑ Кристи Вангели заключил контракт с "Черноморцем" (in Russian). Official web-site of "FC Chornomorets Odessa". 30 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Kristi Vangjeli kalon tek Cernomorets" (in Albanian). Albania Soccer. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Skënderbeu kundër Cernomorets të Bakajt dhe Vangjelit, Kukësi sfidon Trabzonsporin" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ndeshja Skënderbeu-Çernomorets; Vangjeli dhe Bakaj kthehen si kundërshtarë në “Qemal Stafa”" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Kristi Vangjeli largohet nga Çernomorets" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Kristi Vangjeli rikthehet tek Aris i Selanikut, Valmir Berisha firmos 4.5 vjet me Romën" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 Llazi Saro (13 June 2014). "Vangjeli te Skënderbeu: Realizova ëndrrën. Një ditë do luaja në Korçë, Shkëmbi më bindi" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Bakaj dhe Vangjeli, bardhekuq “part time”" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Honours even as Skënderbeu hold on against BATE". UEFA.com. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "BATE eke out Skënderbeu success". UEFA.com. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Vangjeli firmos për një vit me Skënderbeun" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  13. ↑ "“Vangjeli, i Skënderbeut për gjithë sezonin”" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Skënderbeu e nis me trofe, fiton Superkupën e Shqipërisë" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Leonard Karaj (24 August 2014). "Kursehet Skënderbeu, shpërdoron Elbasani. File: Ishim Të pafat, prisni Elbasan ndryshe" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Ermal Sika (18 October 2014). "Tre të kuq dhe tre në spital vetëm për… 1 pikë, Flamurtari ndan pikët me kampionët" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Llazi Saro (20 October 2014). "Kristi Vangjeli, përplot 11 vite pritje për golin" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Appearances for Albania National Team". RSSSF.com. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Albania - K. Vangjeli - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "Kristi Vangjeli - Profile and Statistics - SoccerPunter.com". SoccerPunter.com. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  21. ↑ "Football : Kristi Vangjeli". Football Database. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  22. ↑ "Kristi Vangjeli". National Football Teams. Retrieved 14 March 2016.

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