Ilir Azemi

Ilir Azemi (born 21 February 1992) is a Kosovar former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Ilir Azemi
Azemi with Greuther Fürth in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-02-21) 21 February 1992
Place of birth Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
0000–2006 Motor Gispersleben
2006–2011 Greuther Fürth
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Greuther Fürth II 69 (25)
2012–2017 Greuther Fürth 52 (15)
2017 → Holstein Kiel (loan) 10 (0)
2017–2018 Holstein Kiel 0 (0)
2018 Wacker Nordhausen 8 (1)
2020 SV Seligenporten 0 (0)
Total 139 (41)
International career
2014 Kosovo 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Early career

Azemi began his career at local side Motor Gispersleben as a child where he remained until he was spotted by Greuther Fürth scouts in 2007. He joined the Greuther Fürth youth setup in the summer of 2007, joining the under-17 squad a year later where he made 24 appearances, scoring four goals. He was then included in Jürgen Brandl's under-19 side, where he scored ten goals in 23 games, which earned him a call up to the under-23 team before the end of the 2010–11 season, where he made two appearances. The 2011–12 campaign in the under-23 squad (Greuther Fürth II) proved to be his best so far at the club, scoring 15 goals in 35 appearances, where he helped his side finish sixth and he ended the season as the Regionalliga Süd fifth top scorer.

Greuther Fürth

Following Greuther Fürth's promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2012–13 campaign. Azemi joined the senior team during pre-season where he impressed with his goal scoring ability. He finished pre-season as the top scorer of all the Bundesliga sides with 16 goals, five more than second places Vedad Ibišević of VfB Stuttgart. He managed to score six goals in a 14–0 win over amateur side TV 1912 Markt Weiltingen.[1]

He signed a long term contract keeping him at the club until 2015 with the option of an extension.[2]

Holstein Kiel

On 31 January 2017. Azemi was loaned out to 3. Liga side Holstein Kiel,[3] playing 9 matches in the second half of the season.[4] On 1 May 2017, he signed contract with Kiel, which entered into force upon termination of contract as loan from Greuther Fürth.[5] Having failed to make an appearance in Kiel's successful first half of the 2017–18 2. Bundesliga season, he left in January 2017 with the club placed second in the league.[4]

Wacker Nordhausen

In January 2017, Azemi joined Regionalliga Nordost side Wacker Nordhausen.[4]

International career

The Albanian media has reported that Azemi has been called up by the Albania U21, but Azemi has declined the invitation, in that he needs time to get himself established in his club first, however he has declared that he is looking forward to becoming part of the Albania senior team in the future[6] and that wearing the red-and-black jersey is one of his primary goals.[7] On 8 October 2012, his club Greuther Fürth announced that he had accepted a recent call-up from the Albania U21.[8] In January 2013, he repeated to the Albanian media that he expects a call up from manager Gianni De Biasi, to which he will respond positively in order to play for Albania.[9] In January 2014, he confirmed his intentions.[10]

In June 2014, Azemi reiterated his interest in playing for Albania, since he wanted to be in the field against Serbia for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.[11]

Kosovo

On 2 March 2014. Azemi received a call-up from Kosovo for the country's first FIFA-permitted match against Haiti[12] and made his debut after being named in the starting line-up.

Personal life

Azemi was born in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia, but moved to Germany when he was just three years old, because of the Yugoslav Wars. Following the death of his father, Azemi has been providing for his mother and three sisters through his footballing income.[13]

On 7 August 2014, he had a car crash and was heavily injured.[14][15]

Career statistics
As of match played 17 December 2017[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Greuther Fürth II 2009–10 Regionalliga Süd 20——20
2010–11 50——50
2011–12 3415——3415
2012–13 Regionalliga Bayern 85——85
2015–16 111——111
2016–17 94——94
Total 6925—006925
Greuther Fürth 2012–13 Bundesliga 21100—211
2013–14 2. Bundesliga 2814202[lower-alpha 1]03214
2014–15 0000—00
2015–16 1000—10
2016–17 2000—20
Total 521520205615
Holstein Kiel (loan) 2016–17 3. Liga 90——90
Wacker Nordhausen 2017–18 Regionalliga Nordost 00——00
Career total 12140202012540
  1. Appearances in the 2. Bundesliga promotion play-offs

References
  1. "Klare Sache in Weiltingen SpVgg Greuther Fürth" (in German). SpVgg Greuther Fürth. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  2. "SpVgg bindet Ilir Azemi langfristig" (in German). SpVgg Greuther Fürth. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. "Offiziell: Ilir Azemi wechselt zu Holstein Kiel" (in German). 90min.com. 31 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  4. "Wacker Nordhausen angelt sich Azemi aus Kiel". kicker Online (in German). 18 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  5. "Zyrtare: Ilir Azemi bëhet me skuadër të re" (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  6. Tanku, Andi (31 August 2012). "FSHF: Ilir Azemi refuzon Kombëtaren, lojtari deklaron të kundërtën" (in Albanian). Sporti Shqiptar. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  7. Nikolli, Mario (10 August 2012). "Një 20-vjeçar mes 34 talenteve të Bundesligës". Sport Ekspres. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  8. "Heinrich Schmidtgal muss Länderspielreise absagen" (in German). SpVgg Greuther Fürth. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  9. "Ilir Azemi: Dua te luaj per Shqiperine, po pres ftesen e De Biasit". InfoAlbania (in Albanian). 18 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013.
  10. "Ilir Azemi "në sulm": S'e kam refuzuar Shqipërinë!" (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015.
  11. "Azemi: Luaj me Shqipërinë për ta mposhtur Serbinë". Gazeta Tribuna (in Albanian). 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  12. "Kosova shpall listën anti-Haiti". Albeu (in Albanian). 2 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  13. Pöhlmann, Florian (16 August 2012). "Ilir Azemi: Das Küken im Fürther Sturm" (in German). Nürnberger Zeitung. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  14. "Schwere Verletzungen nach Unfall – Azemi mit Lungenquetschung und Knochenbrüchen" (in German). SpVgg Greuther Fürth. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  15. Walsh, Jonathan (7 August 2014). "Ilir Azemi seriously injured in car crash, not life threatening says Hack". Vavel. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  16. Ilir Azemi at Soccerway. Retrieved 39 January 2018.
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