Astrit Selmani

Astrit Selmani (born 13 May 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Allsvenskan club IFK Göteborg, on loan from Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Born in Sweden, he represents the Kosovo national team.

Astrit Selmani
Selmani with Hammarby IF in 2021
Personal information
Full name Astrit Selmani
Date of birth (1997-05-13) 13 May 1997
Place of birth Malmö, Sweden
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 IFK Göteborg
(on loan from Hapoel Be'er Sheva)
Number 22
Youth career
0000–2009 Malmö FF
2009–2013 Kulladals FF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 BK Olympic 37 (14)
2016 Ängelholms FF 6 (0)
2016 Kristianstad FC 8 (0)
2017 FC Rosengård 22 (4)
2018 Torns IF 28 (13)
2019–2020 Varbergs BoIS 51 (30)
2021–2022 Hammarby IF 39 (11)
2022– Hapoel Be'er Sheva 10 (2)
2023 → Midtjylland (loan) 3 (0)
2023– → IFK Göteborg (loan) 8 (0)
International career‡
2021– Kosovo 5 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:26, 7 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:39, 13 August 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Early career and Superettan debut

Selmani started to play football with local club Malmö FF as a youngster. In 2009, at age 12, he injured his cruciate ligament and left the club for Kulladals IF. At the age of 17, Selmani joined BK Olympic in Division 3, the Swedish fifth tier, where he made his senior debut. In total, he played 37 matches and scored 14 goals for the side. Before the start of the 2016 season, Selmani joined Ängelholms FF in Superettan, Sweden's second highest league.[1] On 3 April 2016, he made his debut in a 1–0 home win against Syrianska FC, after coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute in place of Oliver Stojanović-Fredin.[2]

Kristianstad FC

On 17 July 2016, Selmani joined Division 1 side Kristianstad FC in the third tier.[3] On 21 August 2016, he made his debut in a 1–0 away defeat against Landskrona BoIS after coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute in place of Anton Bloom.[4]

FC Rosengård

On 24 November 2016, Selmani joined fellow Division 1 club FC Rosengård, a transfer that came to effect in January 2017.[5] On 15 April the same year, he made his debut in a 0–1 home defeat against Skövde AIK, after coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute in place of Mohamed Ramadan.[6]

Torns IF

On 8 February 2018, Selmani joined Torns IF in Division 1.[7] Two months later, he made his competitive debut for the club in a 1–2 away win against Lunds BK after being named in the starting line-up.[8]

2019 season

On 21 January 2019, Selmani returned to Superettan, joining Varbergs BoIS.[9] On 30 March 2019, he made his debut against Mjällby AIF after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's only goal in a 0–1 away win.[10] Scoring 15 goals in 27 league games, he led the team to their first promotion to Allsvenskan, finishing 2nd in the table.[11]

2020 season

In 2020, Selmani captained the side in Allsvenskan, as Varberg finished 11th in their first ever season in the Swedish top tier. He scored 15 goals in 24 fixtures placing himself as the second best scorer in Allsvenskan, only behind Christoffer Nyman.[12][13][14]

Hammarby IF

Astrit Selmani is a straight replacement for Aron Jóhannsson who left the club earlier this month.

— Hammarby's CEO Henrik Kindlund shares his impressions on Selmani's transfer.[12]

On 18 December 2020, Selmani transferred to fellow Allsvenskan club Hammarby IF, signing a four-year contract.[12][13] The transfer fee was reportedly set at around 7-8 million Swedish kronor, making Selmani the most expensive acquisition in Hammarby's history.[15][16]

Selmani in action with Hammarby IF in 2021

On 20 February 2021, he made his competitive debut for the club in a group stage match in Svenska Cupen, the main domestic cup, against AFC Eskilstuna after being named in the starting line-up and provided one assist and scored his side's second goal in a 4–1 home win.[17]

On 16 May 2021, Selmani scored his first goal in Allsvenskan for Hammarby in his twelfth appearance for the club in a 2–2 home draw against rivals Djurgårdens IF.[18] Fourteen days later, he won the 2020–21 Svenska Cupen with Hammarby through a 5–4 win on penalties after a full time without goals against BK Häcken in the final, where he scored the deciding penalty.[19][20]

On 22 July 2021, Selmani made his continental debut in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round against Slovenian side Maribor after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's three goals, which were also his first hat-trick for the club during a 3–1 home win.[21] He followed it up by scoring a brace against Čukarički in a 5–1 home win in the second leg (6–4 on aggregate) of the third qualifying round,[22] before the side was knocked out by Basel (4–4 on aggregate) after a penalty shoot-out in the play-off round.[23]

Selmani featured in the final of the 2021–22 Svenska Cupen, in which Hammarby lost by 4–5 on penalties to Malmö FF after the game ended in a 0–0 draw. Selmani was the one who missed the deciding penalty.[24][25]

Hapoel Be'er Sheva

On 18 July 2022, Selmani transferred to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Premier League, signing a three-year contract.[26] The transfer fee was reportedly set at around 10 million Swedish kronor.[27] His debut with Hapoel Be'er Sheva came three days later in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round against Dinamo Minsk after coming on as a substitute at 58th minute in place of Sagiv Yehezkel.[28]

Loan to Midtjylland

On 31 January 2023, Selmani was sent on loan to FC Midtjylland through the remainder of the Danish Superliga campaign, with an option to buy.[29]

International career

Born and raised in Sweden, Selmani is of Kosovo Albanian origin from Mitrovica.[30] He was eligible to represent three countries on international level, either Albania, Kosovo or Sweden.[31] On 17 March 2021, the Football Federation of Kosovo announced that Selmani had decided to represent their national team,[32][33] and was planned to get called up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Sweden and Spain, but was ultimately left out of the squad due to testing positive for COVID-19.[32][33]

Selmani was also called-up by Kosovo to the matches in June and September 2021, but due to the lack of a passport he was forced to stay as a unused substitute. On 15 September 2021, seven days after the end of the gathering in the September matches he received his passport.[34] His debut with Kosovo came on 9 October 2021 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Sweden after coming on as a substitute in the 70th minute in place of Zymer Bytyqi.[35]

On 24 March 2022, Selmani scored his first goal for Kosovo in his fifth appearance for the country in a 5–0 home win over Burkina Faso.[36]

Career statistics

Club
As of 31 January 2023[37][38]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
BK Olympic 2014 Division 3 18511—196
2015 Division 3 19900—199
Total 371411—3815
Ängelholms FF 2016 Superettan 6020—80
Kristianstad FC 2016 Division 1 8010—90
FC Rosengård 2017 Division 1 22410—234
Torns IF 2018 Division 1 281321—3014
Total 641761—7018
Varbergs BoIS 2019 Superettan 271542—3117
2020 Allsvenskan 241510—2515
Total 513052—5632
Hammarby IF 2021 Allsvenskan 269716[lower-alpha 1]53915
2022 Allsvenskan 13264—196
Total 3911135655821
Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2022–23 Israeli Premier League 1023011[lower-alpha 1]1243
Total 10230111243
Career total 2017428917624689
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International
As of match played on 24 March 2022[39]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Kosovo
202140
202211
Total51

Honours

Hammarby IF

References
  1. "Här är ÄFF:s historiska U19-lag" [Here is ÄFF's historic U19 team] (in Swedish). Helsingborgs Dagblad. 1 April 2016.
  2. "Ängelholm vs. Syrianska 1–0". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. "19-årige Astrit Seljmani förstärker KFC" [19-year-old Astrit Seljmani joins KFC]. Svenskalag.se (in Swedish). 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019.
  4. "Landskrona BoIS vs. Kristianstad 1–0". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  5. "Officiellt: FC Rosengård värvar Astrit Seljmani" [Official: FC Rosengård recruits Astrit Seljmani]. Fotbolltransfers.com (in Swedish). 24 November 2016.
  6. "Rosengård vs. Skövde AIK 0–1". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  7. "Officiellt: Torns IF värvar Astrit Seljmani" [Official: Torns IF recruits Astrit Seljmani]. Fotbolltransfers.com (in Swedish). 8 February 2018.
  8. "Lund vs. Torns 1–2". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  9. "Astrit Seljmani ansluter till Varbergs BoIS från Torns IF" [Astrit Seljmani joins Varbergs Bois from Torns IF] (in Swedish). Varbergs BoIS. 21 January 2019.
  10. "Premiärseger mot Mjällby" [Premiere victory against Mjällby] (in Swedish). Varbergs BoIS. 30 March 2019.
  11. "1–1 mot Mjällby säkrade Allsvenskt avancemang" [1-1 against Mjällby secured Allsvenskan advancement] (in Swedish). Varbergs BoIS. 3 November 2019.
  12. "Astrit Selmani klar för Hammarby" [Astrit Selmani ready for Hammarby] (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 18 December 2020.
  13. "Astrit Selmani lämnar Varbergs BoIS för Hammarby" [Astrit Selmani leaves Varbergs BoIS for Hammarby] (in Swedish). Varbergs BoIS. 18 December 2020.
  14. "Astrit Selmani" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  15. "Selmani skriver på fyraårskontrakt" [Selmani signs a four-year contract] (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 18 December 2020.
  16. "Klart: Har bestämt sig för Hammarby" [Done: Has decided on Hammarby] (in Swedish). Expressen. 18 December 2020.
  17. "Match/Hammarby–Athletic Eskilstuna" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 20 February 2021.
  18. "Händelserikt derbykryss mot blåränderna" [Eventful derby cross against the blue edges] (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 16 May 2021.
  19. "Hammarby cupvinnare efter straffdrama" [Hammarby cup winner after penalty drama] (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 30 May 2021.
  20. "Historisk och dramatisk cupfinalseger mot Häcken" [Historic and dramatic cup final victory against Häcken] (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 30 May 2021.
  21. "Tvåmålsseger i hemmamötet med slovenerna" [Two-goal victory in the home meeting with the Slovenes] (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 22 July 2021.
  22. "Match/Hammarby–FK Čukarički" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 12 August 2021.
  23. "Ett slut att glömma efter 210 minnesvärda minuter" [An end to forget after 210 memorable minutes] (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 26 August 2021.
  24. "Straffar gav MFF första cupguldet på 33 år" (in Swedish). Swedish Football Association. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  25. "Bajen golvat från elva meter i titelmatchen" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  26. "אסטריט סלמאני חתם" [Astrit Selmani signed] (in Hebrew). Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C. 18 July 2022.
  27. "Avslöjar: Astrit Selmani säljs till Israel" [Reveals: Astrit Selmani sold to Israel] (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 16 July 2022.
  28. "Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs. Dinamo Minsk 2–1". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  29. "Astrit Selmani trækker i FC Midtjylland-trøjen" (in Danish). FC Midtjylland. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  30. Kosovan Football [@kosovanfooty_EN] (22 October 2020). "Astrit Selmani in Allsvenskan 2020 for @VarbergsBoISFC; Appearances 19, Goals 9, Assists 5; His average SofaScore rating: 7.05; Born in Malmo, of Kosovan descent from the city of Mitrovica; Bring him home!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. "Selmani kan välja mellan tre landslag: "Haft turen att slippa ta beslut"" [Selmani can choose between three national teams: "Had the good fortune to avoid making decisions"] (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 10 December 2020.
  32. "Challandes publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjet e marsit" [Challandes publishes the list of footballers for the March matches] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 17 March 2021. I ftuar për këtë grumbullim ka qenë edhe sulmuesi i skuadrës Hammarby IF, Astrit Selmani, por për shkak se ka rezultuar pozitiv në Covid-19 nuk ka mundësi t'i bashkohet Kombëtares
  33. "Selmani har gjort sitt landslagsval: det blir Kosovo" [Selmani has made his decision: it is Kosovo] (in Swedish). Fotbollskanalen. 17 March 2021.
  34. "Astrit Selmani vetëm të mërkurën mori shtetësinë e Kosovës, në ndeshjet e shtatorit nuk e kishte të drejtën e lojës" [Astrit Selmani only received Kosovo citizenship on Wednesday, he did not have the right to play in the September matches] (in Albanian). Koha Ditore. 16 September 2021.
  35. "Astrit Selmani debuton me Kosovën ndaj Suedisë" [Astrit Selmani debuts with Kosovo against Sweden]. reporteri.net (in Albanian). 9 October 2021.
  36. "Astrit Selmani shënon super gol për Kosovën ndaj Burkina Fasos" [Astrit Selmani scores a super goal for Kosovo against Burkina Faso] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 24 March 2022.
  37. Astrit Selmani at Soccerway
  38. Astrit Selmani at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)
  39. "Astrit Selmani". eu-football.info. 9 October 2021.
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