Xherdan Shaqiri

Xherdan Shaqiri

Shaqiri with Switzerland in 2015
Personal information
Full name Xherdan Shaqiri[1]
Date of birth (1991-10-10) 10 October 1991
Place of birth Gjilan, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Playing position Winger
Club information
Current team
 Stoke City
Number 22
Youth career
1999–2001 SV Augst
2001–2009 FC Basel
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2007–2009 FC Basel II 19 (8)
2009–2012 FC Basel 92 (18)
2012–2015 Bayern Munich 52 (11)
2015 Inter Milan 15 (1)
2015– Stoke City 26 (3)
National team‡
2007–2008 Switzerland U17 10 (0)
2008–2009 Switzerland U18 5 (0)
2009 Switzerland U19 5 (3)
2009–2011 Switzerland U21 7 (1)
2010– Switzerland 51 (17)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:19, 30 April 2016 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2015

Xherdan Shaqiri (Albanian pronunciation: [dʒɛrˈdan ʃaˈciɾi]; born 10 October 1991) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Stoke City, and the Switzerland national team. FIFA's official website describes him as "unpredictable on the ball, adept with both feet, clinical in front of goal and possessing excellent vision."[3] He is nicknamed "the Alpine Messi"[3] and "the magic dwarf."[4]

He began his career at FC Basel, winning honours including three Swiss Super League titles, before moving to Bayern Munich, where he gained eight domestic and international honours despite playing less frequently. In January 2015, he moved to Inter Milan, and seven months later to Stoke City for a club record £12 million.

A full international since 2010, Shaqiri has earned over 50 caps for Switzerland. He represented the nation at the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

Early life

Shaqiri was born in Gjilan to Kosovar Albanian parents.[3][5] He emigrated to Switzerland in 1992 with his parents and three siblings.[6] He has dual nationality: Swiss and Albanian,[7] acquiring Swiss citizenship through naturalisation.

Club career

FC Basel

Shaqiri played for SV Augst's and FC Basel's youth teams. Whilst playing for Basel's youth team, he competed in the Under-15 Nike Cup 2007 and was named the best player of the tournament. Despite having several other clubs attempting to sign him, he decided to stay with Basel, where he played for their reserve team from 2007 to 2009 in the Swiss 1. Liga. Two years later, Shaqiri signed his first professional contract with Basel on 2 January 2009,[8] with the new contract keeping him at St. Jakob-Park until June 2014.

Shaqiri made his Basel club debut as a substitute on 12 July 2009 in Basel's 2009–10 season opening match against FC St. Gallen at the AFG Arena.[9] Four months later he scored his first goal for Basel in a 4–1 win over Neuchâtel Xamax at home on 9 November 2009.[10] At the end of the 2009–10 season Shaqiri won the national Double with Basel, and a year later won the League title again.

In December 2011, Shaqiri provided two assists in a match against Manchester United, with Basel winning 2–1.[11] At the end of the 2011–12 season, for the second time in his Basel stint, he won the Double, consisting of the League title,[12] and the Swiss Cup.[13]

Bayern Munich

On 9 February 2012, Basel announced that Shaqiri had accepted a transfer to German club Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga for the 2012–13 season.[14] The transfer fee was a reported €11.6 million, with Shaqiri signing a four-year contract with the German club which would last until 30 June 2016, and which paid him around €2 million per season.[15]

Shaqiri playing against CSKA Moscow in October 2014

On 10 July 2012, Shaqiri made his debut in a 1–0 friendly win against Bavarian neighbours SpVgg Unterhaching. His first competitive appearance for the club came on 20 August in a DFB-Pokal match at SSV Jahn Regensburg, as a half-time substitute. He scored Bayern's second goal as well as providing assists for Mario Mandžukić and Claudio Pizarro, with Bayern winning 4–0.[16] He helped Bayern secure the top spot in their Champions League group by scoring a goal and providing assists in a 4–1 defeat of BATE Borisov on 5 December, winning the Man of the Match award and avenging their defeat in Minsk.[17]

Shaqiri did not score his first Bundesliga goal until the final league match of the 2012 calendary year, rescuing a point for them in a 1–1 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach, leaving Bayern in first place at the winter break.[18][19] On 16 April 2013, Shaqiri also scored in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against VfL Wolfsburg with a long-range shot. Although he did not play in the final, Shaqiri won the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League title with Bayern, as well as the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal title, making him one of the Bayern Munich players to have won the first treble in club history.

Inter Milan

Shaqiri transferred to Italian club Inter Milan on 9 January 2015 for €15 million,[20] signing a four-and-a-half-year contract,[21] though English club Stoke City had previously declared interest in signing him.[22] With his previous number of 23 being taken by Andrea Ranocchia, Shaqiri chose the number 91 for his Inter shirt, representing his birth year.[23] He was an unused substitute in Inter's 3–1 victory over Genoa at San Siro.[24] He made his debut for Inter on 17 January, playing in the last 16 minutes as a substitute for fellow new signing Lukas Podolski.[25] Shaqiri made his Coppa Italia debut in a match against Sampdoria in the round of 16 on 22 January, scoring the first goal of the match and helping the team to a 2–0 win to progress into the quarter-finals.[26]

Shaqiri scored his first Serie A goal on 15 February 2015 in a 4–1 away win against Atalanta.[27] Four days later, he registered his first European tournament goal for Inter, scoring the opener from a Zdravko Kuzmanović assist in a 3–3 UEFA Europa League draw away to Celtic.[28]

Stoke City

That is the best goal I have seen this season. He knew exactly what he was doing, it is absolutely sublime.

“
”

— Garth Crooks, pundit on the BBC's Final Score, describing Shaqiri's second goal for Stoke against Everton on 28 December 2015.[29]

In July 2015, Stoke agreed a £12 million fee to sign Shaqiri, but the deal fell through when he did not agree to the move before a deadline imposed by the club.[30] The deal was revived a month later, however, with Shaqiri agreeing to personal terms and undergoing medicals.[31] Everton had also expressed interest in him but only wanted a loan deal, while Inter preferred a permanent move.[31] On 11 August, Shaqiri completed his move to Stoke for a club-record fee of £12 million (€14.5 million),[20] on a five-year deal.[32][33]

He made his debut eleven days later in a 1–1 draw with Norwich City at Carrow Road, assisting Mame Biram Diouf's headed goal with a free kick.[34] On 28 December, Shaqiri recorded his first goals for Stoke, a first-half brace in a 4–3 win at Everton. The second of these two goals was a half-volley over Tim Howard, from Bojan's pass.[29]

International career

Shaqiri in action for Switzerland in a November 2015 friendly against neighbours Austria, guarding the ball from the challenge of Julian Baumgartlinger

Shaqiri made his debut for the Switzerland under-21 side on 11 November 2009 in a 3–1 win against the Turkish under-21 side in a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier. He scored his first goal for them on 11 June 2011 in the 2011 Under-21 Championship opening game against the Danish under-21 team.

Shaqiri was promoted to the Swiss senior team in 2010, making his debut on 3 March 2010 in a 1–3 friendly loss against Uruguay. He was included in the 2010 World Cup squad, after receiving a surprise call-up from manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. Shaqiri scored his first goal for them on 7 September 2010, a long range left-footed shot, in a 1–3 loss against England in a Euro 2012 qualifier. He netted a hat-trick in another Euro 2012 qualifier on 6 September 2011, as Switzerland came from behind to beat Bulgaria 3–1.[35]

Switzerland also tried to select him to participate in the 2012 Olympic Football tournament, but he opted to stay at his new club for pre-season training.[36]

In June 2014, Shaqiri was named in Switzerland's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the team's opening match, Shaqiri was named man of the match by FIFA as the Nati defeated Ecuador.[37] He earned the same title a mere ten days later in the Swiss team's third and final group match, scoring a hat-trick against Honduras to ensure Switzerland a spot in the round of 16,[38] where they lost to Argentina.

Shaqiri scored three times in the Swiss team's successful qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, with all of his strikes coming against Lithuania. He recorded a brace on 15 November 2014 in a 4–0 win over them in St. Gallen,[39] and in the reverse fixture the following 14 June, he netted an 84th-minute winner in a 2–1 victory.[40]

Outside football

Shaqiri is a Muslim[41][42] who celebrates Christmas[43] and can be seen praying during games.[44]

Shaqiri was chosen to be on the cover of FIFA 15 in Switzerland next to Lionel Messi.[45]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 April 2016[46][47][48]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Basel II 2007–08 Swiss 1. Liga 20————20
2008–09 Swiss 1. Liga 178————178
Total 198————198
FC Basel 2009–10 Swiss Super League 32451—10[lower-alpha 1]2—477
2010–11 Swiss Super League 29520—11[lower-alpha 2]2—427
2011–12 Swiss Super League 31940—6[lower-alpha 3]0—419
Total 9218111—274—13023
Bayern Munich 2012–13 Bundesliga 26453—7[lower-alpha 3]11[lower-alpha 4]0398
2013–14 Bundesliga 17631—4[lower-alpha 5]03[lower-alpha 6]0277
2014–15 Bundesliga 9110—4[lower-alpha 3]11[lower-alpha 4]0152
Total 521194—152508117
Inter Milan 2014–15 Serie A 15121—3[lower-alpha 1]1—203
Total 15121—31—203
Stoke City 2015–16 Premier League 2631040——313
Total 2631040——313
Career totals 20341236404575028054
  1. 1 2 All appearances in Europa League
  2. ↑ ten appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League one appearance in Europa League
  3. 1 2 3 All appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. 1 2 One appearance in DFL-Supercup
  5. ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearances in 2013 UEFA Super Cup
  6. ↑ One appearance in 2013 DFL-Supercup,Two appearances in 2013 FIFA Club World Cup

International

As of match played 18 November 2015[49][50]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Switzerland
201091
201183
201273
201361
2014127
201592
Total5117

Honours

Club

Basel[51]
Bayern Munich[51]

Individual awards

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 7 December 2013. p. 5. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Squad – Player Details". Fcb.ch. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Xherdan SHAQIRI". FIFA. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "2014 World Cup superlatives: From the best nickname to the most likely to put a hole through a goalkeeper". Yahoo. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri biography". FootballTop.com. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Rico, Simon (22 December 2012). "Football : Xherdan Shaqiri, le meilleur ambassadeur suisse du Kosovo". Le Courrier des Balkans (in French). Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Joueur FM11 : Xherdan Shaqiri" (in French). 6 November 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Dreijahres-Profivertrag für Xherdan Shaqiri" (in German). FC Basel 1893. 2 January 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "St. Gallen 2 – Basel 0". Fcb.ch. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "Basel 4 – Xamax 1". Fcb.ch. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Champions League – Stunned United crash out after defeat at Basel". Yahoo! Europe. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  12. ↑ "Jetzt hat Basel den Titel auf sicher" (in German). fcb.ch. 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  13. ↑ "Matchtelegram FC Basel 1893 5:3 FC Luzern" (in German). football.ch. 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "Bayern snap up Shaqiri". ESPN. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Bayern's capture of Shaqiri a coup". Sports Illustrated. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  16. ↑ "SSV Jahn Regensburg 0 - 4 Bayern". ESPN. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  17. ↑ James, Andy (5 December 2012). "Bayern power past BATE to finish top of Group F". UEFA.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  18. ↑ "SHAQIRI RESCUES POINT FOR BAYERN". DFB. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  19. ↑ "Bayern Munich 1–1 Borussia Monchengladbach". ESPN. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  20. 1 2 F.C. Internazionale Milano S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2015 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
  21. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri: Inter Milan sign Bayern Munich winger". BBC Sport. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  22. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri: Bayern Munich winger interests Stoke City". BBC Sport. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  23. ↑ "SHAQIRI: "ONE OF THE BIGGEST CLUBS IN THE WORLD"". F.C. Internazionale Milano. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  24. ↑ "Inter 3-1 Genoa: Palacio, Icardi and Vidic score in Nerazzurri victory". Goal.com. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  25. ↑ "Serie A, Empoli 0-0 Inter". inter.it. 17 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  26. ↑ "Inter Milan 2-0 Sampdoria: Lukas Podolski and Xherdan Shaqiri combine in Coppa Italia victory for Roberto Mancini's side". Daily Mail. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  27. ↑ "Shaqiri: "Pleased with my goal and the victory"". inter.it (FC Internazionale Milano). 15 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Six goals shared at Celtic Park". inter.it (FC Internazionale Milano). 19 February 2015.
  29. 1 2 Reddy, Luke (28 December 2015). "Everton 3-4 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  30. ↑ "Stoke City pull out of £12 million Xherdan Shaqiri deal". The Daily Telegraph. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Xherdan Shaqiri passes medical ahead of £12m Stoke move - sources". ESPN FC. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  32. ↑ "Shaqiri signs in club record deal". Stoke City FC. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  33. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri: Stoke City sign Inter Milan winger for £12m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  34. ↑ "Norwich 1-1 Stoke". BBC Sport. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  35. ↑ "Shaqiri treble keeps Swiss hopes alive". UEFA.com. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  36. ↑ "Olympics-Shaqiri, Xhaka excluded from Swiss soccer squad". reuters.com. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  37. ↑ "Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador". FIFA. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  38. ↑ "Honduras 0-3 Switzerland World Cup 2014 MATCH REPORT: Xherdan Shaqiri scores a hat-trick to secure Swiss progress". Daily Mail. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  39. ↑ Holyman, Ian (15 November 2014). "Patient Switzerland see off Lithuania". UEFA. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  40. ↑ "Switzerland win in Lithuania with late Xherdan Shaqiri goal". The Guardian. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  41. ↑ Uersfeld, Stephan (30 June 2014). "World Cup players to forego Ramadan". ESPN. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  42. ↑ Hope, Craig (11 June 2014). "Muslim stars such as Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Karim Benzema could be affected with Ramadan set to begin during World Cup for first time since 1986". Daily Mail. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  43. ↑ "Zauberzwerg Shaqiri: So feiert der Moslem Weihnachten". YouTube (in German). bolzurich. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  44. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri - Muslim Player - Praying To God". YouTube. THEGOODISME. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  45. ↑ "FIFA 15 Swiss Cover". fifplay.com. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  46. ↑ Xherdan Shaqiri profile at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  47. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri". kicker.de (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  48. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri". inter.it. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  49. ↑ "Xherdan Shaqiri - national football team player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  50. ↑ Xherdan Shaqiri | National Football Team Player 22 January 2015
  51. 1 2 "X. Shaqiri". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  52. ↑ "Zwei weitere Nachwuchstitel für den FCB". FC Basel 1893. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  53. ↑ "SFAP Golden Player 2012". goldenplayer.ch. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  54. ↑ "Best Young Player 2012". goldenplayer.ch. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xherdan Shaqiri.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.