Yksel Osmanovski
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yksel Osmanovski | ||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Malmö, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position |
Winger Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Malmö FF (U21 coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1984 | Malmö BI | ||
| 1985–1986 | IFK Malmö | ||
| 1987–1995 | Malmö FF | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–1998 | Malmö FF | 58 | (16) |
| 1998–2001 | Bari | 85 | (14) |
| 2001–2002 | Torino | 9 | (1) |
| 2002 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Torino | 13 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | Malmö FF | 45 | (5) |
| Total | 217 | (36) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2006 | Sweden | 14 | (2) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Yksel Osmanovski (Macedonian: Иксел Османовски) (born 24 February 1977) is a Swedish former footballer, who played as a striker. His Turkish parents originate from the region of Prespa Lake, Republic of Macedonia. He is the first Muslim to represent Sweden in football.[2]
Early life
Born in Skrävlinge, Malmö, Osmanovski grew up in Rosengård, where fellow Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović also grew up. In an early interview, Zlatan said that "within a few years, I will play in Italy, and eventually the national team. I want to follow in Yksel's footsteps. We know each other, even if he is four years older than me. I got his autograph when he started playing for Malmö FF, when I played in Malmö BI. When he came to Rosengård and played and dribbled with us kids, we were all shouting "Yksel, Yksel, Yksel!" - Ibrahimović, in 2000.
Career
Club career
He played for Malmö BI and IFK Malmö as a child, but joined Malmö FF in 1987 where he eventually made his debut in 1995. He gradually became a star in the Swedish league, and was bought by Italian Serie A outfit Bari. After three seasons he moved on to Torino, but struggled to capture a first team place. He therefore returned to Malmö FF in 2004 after a stint at Bordeaux.[3][4] There he was part of the team that won the Allsvenskan league title, although Osmanovski himself did not receive a winner's medal, because he took part in too few matches. Still he played the crucial role, in stopping a ball on the goal line against title rivals Halmstad BK. Had it gone in, Malmö would certainly not won the league title, but thanks to a 2–2 draw, they kept themselves within a shot.
In February 2008, Osmanovski announced his retirement from professional football, having not had his contract with Malmö renewed.
International career
He has played 14 international matches for the Sweden national team,[5] and was a squad player for the Euro 2000.
Coaching career
On 14 January 2013 it was announced that Osmanovski would return to football, working as U21 coach for his previous club Malmö FF.
References
- ↑ "Yksel Osmanovski profile". Malmö FF official website. Archived from the original on 4 September 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
- ↑ http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/sport/0005/20/yksel.html
- ↑ http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur6679.html
- ↑ Yksel Osmanovski – French League Stats at LFP.fr (French)
- ↑ http://www.sr.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2835&artikel=1908238
External links
- Yksel Osmanovski at National-Football-Teams.com
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