Arjan Beqaj

Arjan Beqaj (born 25 August 1975 in Prizren) is a former Albanian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is now the goalkeeping coach at Anorthosis Famagusta.

Arjan Beqaj
Personal information
Full name Arjan Nexhat Beqaj
Date of birth (1975-08-25) 25 August 1975
Place of birth Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Liria Prizren
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1995 Liria Prizren
1995–1997 Partizani 37 (0)
1997–2003 OFI Crete 129 (1)
2003–2006 Ionikos 83 (0)
2006–2010 Anorthosis Famagusta 94 (0)
2010–2011 Olympiakos Nicosia 5 (0)
2011 Ermis Aradippou 0 (0)
International career
1998–2010 Albania 43 (0)
Managerial career
2011–2016 Anorthosis (goalkeeping coach)
2016– Cyprus (goalkeeping coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In a career spanning 19 years he played for seven clubs in four countries. He is also a former Albanian international, earning 43 caps from 1998 to 2011.

Club career

Early career

Beqaj began his profession career in Kosovo with local side Liria Prizren in 1992. He then moved to Tirana, Albania at the start of 1995 to attend university, where he was to play for Partizani Tirana. He played in Albania for two and a half years as he left in 1997 to join OFI Crete after being spotted playing for Albania U-21s.[1]

Greece

He spent six seasons at OFI Crete where he played 129 league games for the Greek side and even scoring a goal in the 2000–01 season.[2] Beqaj then signed for Ionikos where he made 83 league appearances in three seasons before ending his nine-year stint in Greece.

Anorthosis Famagusta

Beqaj was one of the most important players that helped Anorthosis reach the group stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in history in the 2008–09 season.[3]

The team started their campaign in the first qualifying round where they faced Armenia's Pyunik. It was an easy task for Anorthosis who won both matches with Beqaj keeping two clean sheets.[4][5] In the next round against Rapid Wien, Beqaj kept a clean-sheet in the first leg but was beaten three times in the second leg but nevertheless Anorthosis progressed 4–3 on aggregate.[6][7]

Beqaj was named man of the match in the second leg of third qualifying round against Olympiacos,[8] making several vital saves in a 1–0 narrow loss which was enough to clinch to qualification to group stage after a 3–0 win in the first leg.[9] By doing so, Anorthosis made history by becoming the first Cypriot team to ever qualify for the Champions League group stages.

International career

Beqaj was born in Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia (in present-day Kosovo), but is an Albanian international and has become Albania's first choice goalkeeper since legendary Albanian goalkeeper Foto Strakosha, who retired from both club and international football in early 2005.[10]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[11]

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Albania League Albanian Cup Europe Total
1994-95Partizani TiranaSuperliga2020
1995-96180180
1996-97170170
Greece League Greek Cup Europe Total
1997-98OFI CreteAlpha Ethniki4040
1998-99320320
1999-00270270
2000-01281281
2001-02200200
2002-03180200
2003-04Ionikos280280
2004-05270270
2005-06280280
Cyprus League Cypriot Cup Europe Total
2006-07Anorthosis FamagustaFirst Division260260
2007-0827050320
2008-09100110210
2009-10190190
2010-11Olympiakos Nicosia5050
2010-11Ermis Aradippou0000
Total Albania 370370
Greece 21212121
Cyprus 880880
Career total mnmnmnmn

International

Source:[12]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Albania 199820
199920
200040
200120
200230
200340
200400
200500
200630
2007110
200850
200900
201050
201120
Total430

Honours

Club
Partizani Tirana
Anorthosis Famagusta

Individual

References
  1. "Beqaj, Lamtumire Futboll" (in Albanian). FSHF. 2011-08-16. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  2. (Video). "Beqaj Scores". Youtube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  3. Andreas Vassiliades (28 August 2008). "Anorthosis: A Club Without A Home Finds A Place To Play". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  4. "Anorthosis 1-0 Puynik". UEFA.com. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  5. "Puynik 0-2 Anorthosis". UEFA.com. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  6. "Anorthosis 3-0 Rapid Wien". UEFA.com. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  7. "Rapid Wien 3-1 Anorthosis". UEFA.com. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  8. "Olympiacos 1-0 Anorthosis". UEFA.com. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  9. "Anorthosis 3-0 Olympiacos". UEFA.com. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  10. Strakosha retirement
  11. "Arjan Beqaj". Scoresway. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  12. "Arjan Beqaj - national football team player". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  13. "Dhjetë sportistët më të mirë shqiptarë të vitit 2008" [The ten best Albanian sportspersons of 2008] (in Albanian). Telegrafi.com. 25 December 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
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