Mërgim Vojvoda

Mërgim Vojvoda (born 1 February 1995) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a full-back or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Torino and the Kosovo national team.

Mërgim Vojvoda
Vojvoda with Torino in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-02-01) 1 February 1995
Place of birth Lauša, FR Yugoslavia[1]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Full-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Torino
Number 27
Youth career
2003–2009 JS Pierreuse
2009–2010 CSJ Grivegnée
2010–2011 MVV Maastricht
2011–2013 Standard Liège
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 Standard Liège II 0 (0)
2014–2015 → Sint-Truidense (loan) 4 (0)
2015–2016 → Carl Zeiss Jena (loan) 24 (0)
2016–2019 Mouscron 76 (1)
2019–2020 Standard Liège 28 (1)
2020– Torino 83 (2)
International career‡
2014–2016 Albania U21 7 (0)
2017– Kosovo 41 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 October 2021

Club career

Early career

Vojvoda is a product of youth team systems of the different Belgian and Dutch sides such as JS Pierreuse, CSJ Grivegnée and MVV Maastricht. In 2011 at the age of 16, he joined with youth team of Standard Liège.

Loan at Sint-Truiden

On 20 August 2014, Vojvoda joined Belgian Second Division side Sint-Truidense, on a season-long loan.[2] On 8 November 2014, he made his debut in a 1–0 away win against Roeselare after coming on as a substitute at 63rd minute in place of Pierre-Baptiste Baherlé.[3]

Loan at Carl Zeiss Jena

On 22 June 2015, Vojvoda joined Regionalliga Nordost side Carl Zeiss Jena, on a season-long loan.[4] One month later, he made his debut in a 3–0 away win against VfB Auerbach after coming on as a substitute at 73rd minute in place of Sören Eismann.[5]

Mouscron

On 25 June 2016, Vojvoda joined Belgian First Division A side Mouscron.[6] As part of the deal, Standard Liège secured a sell-on clause guaranteeing them 25% of the profits of a future transfer.[7] On 30 July 2016, he made his debut as a professional footballer in a 2–1 home defeat against Anderlecht after being named in the starting line-up.[8]

Return to Standard Liège

On 27 May 2019, Vojvoda signed a three-year contract with Belgian First Division A club Standard Liège and received squad number 27.[9] Two years later, he made his debut in a 2–0 away win against Cercle Brugge after being named in the starting line-up.[10]

Torino

On 27 August 2020, Vojvoda signed a four-year contract with Serie A club Torino.[1] Torino reportedly paid a €5.5 million transfer fee.[11] He scored his first goal for the club on 3 May 2021 in a 1–0 home win against Parma.[12]

International career

Under-21

He expressed his desire to play for Albania at international level.[13] He was invited for the first time by the Albania national under-21 football team coach Skënder Gega for the Friendly match on 6 August 2014 against Qatar in Scotland,[14] but did not appear due to a visa problem.[15]

In October 2014, he was included in the list of players which called up by national coach Skënder Gega for the friendly match against Romania U21 on 8 October.[16] In the match against Romania U21, Vojvoda played as a starter and the match finished in the 3–1 loss.[17] Vojvoda was again called up to Albania U21, this time to participate in the international friendly tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 12–18 November 2014.[18]

On 27 March 2015, Vojvoda received the Albanian citizenship to be eligible for playing with Albania U21 in competitive tournaments.[19]

2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Vojvoda was called up for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification opening match against Liechtenstein U21 on 28 March 2015.[20] He made his competitive debut for Albania U21 against Liechtenstein U21 on 28 March 2015 playing the full 90-minutes match helping his side to win 2–0.[21]

Kosovo

On 8 September 2016, Vojvoda decided to leave the Albania U21 in order to play for Kosovo in the future. He said that he was open for them and that he was ready to accept if there is an invitation sent to him from the Football Federation of Kosovo,[22] On 7 November 2016, he received the call-up in a match against Turkey.[23] On 10 November 2016, FIFA gave permission for Vojvoda to play for Kosovo.[24] On 11 June 2017, Vojvoda made his debut for Kosovo in a 4–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification loss to Turkey.[25]

Personal life

In November 2020 Vojvoda tested positive for COVID-19.[26]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 14 August 2023[27][28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other[lower-alpha 1] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Standard Liège II 2013–14 unknown 0000——00
Sint-Truidense (loan) 2014–15 Belgian Second Division 4000——40
Carl Zeiss Jena (loan) 2015–16 Regionalliga Nordost 24020—10270
Mouscron 2016–17 Belgian Pro League 21010—91311
2017–18 26020—50320
2018–19 29120—80391
Total 76150—2211032
Standard Liège 2019–20 Belgian Pro League 2512030—301
2020–21 3000——30
Total 2812030—331
Torino 2020–21 Serie A 24210——252
2021–22 29010——300
2022–23 29030——320
2023–24 0011——11
Total 82261——883
Career total 2144151302312556
  1. Including other competitions, such as Thuringian Cup

International
As of match played 12 October 2021[29]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Kosovo 201760
201890
201991
202070
2021100
Total411
Scores and results list Kosovo's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vojvoda goal.
List of international goals scored by Mërgim Vojvoda
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
17 September 2019Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo Czech Republic2–12–1UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Honours

Club

Sint-Truidense

Carl Zeiss Jena

References
  1. "Torino sign Vojvoda". Torino F.C. 27 August 2020.
  2. "Mergim Vojvoda uitgeleend aan STVV" [Mergim Vojvoda on loan to STVV] (in Dutch). Standard Liège. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  3. "KSV Roeselare vs. Sint-Truiden 0–1". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  4. "Mergim Vojvoda wechselt zum FC Carl Zeiss Jena" [Mergim Vojvoda is moving to FC Carl Zeiss Jena] (in German). FC Carl Zeiss Jena. 22 June 2015.
  5. "Auerbach vs. Carl Zeiss Jena 0–3". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  6. "Les paris Vojvoda et Saric à l'Excel" [Vojvoda and Saric bets at Excel]. Lavenir.net (in French). 25 June 2016.
  7. "Vojvoda e bën hapin e madh, kalon në Mouscron" [Vojvoda takes the big step, passes to Mouscron] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 29 June 2016.
  8. "Excel Mouscron vs. Anderlecht 1–2". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  9. "Mergim Vojvoda revient chez les Rouches" [Mergim Vojvoda returns to the Rouches] (in French). Standard Liège. 27 May 2019.
  10. "Cercle Brugge vs. Standard Liège 0–2". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  11. "5.5 milionë për belgët, Mërgim Vojvoda zbarkon në Itali" [5.5 million for the Belgians, Mërgim Vojvoda lands in Italy] (in Albanian). ABC News Albania. 26 August 2020.
  12. "SERIE A, LE PAGELLE DI TORINO-PARMA 1-0: ANSALDI MVP, GERVINHO MAI IN PARTITA" (in Italian). Eurosport. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  13. Zyrtare, Mërgim Vojvoda do luajë për kuqezinjtë Panorama Sport "Në moshë të re kam qenë pjesë e Belgjikës, mirëpo dëshira ime ka qenë që të luaj për Kombëtaren shqiptare në mënyrë që ta përfaqësoj flamurin dhe shtetin shqiptar, ka thënë Mërgim Vojvoda për kosovaren "Arena".
  14. Miqësorja, U-21: Gega fton Mërgim Vojvodën Panorama Sport
  15. Zyrtare: Mërgim Vojvoda luan për Shqipërinë aSport.al "Ky i fundit ishte ftuar nga trajneri Skënder Gega edhe në muajin gusht për ndeshjen miqësore me Katarin. "Jam ftuar edhe në gusht, por për shkak të problemit me vizën, nuk kam mundur që të shkoj në atë kohë. Federata më ka kuptuar", shtoi ai"
  16. Miqësorja me Rumaninë, Gega publikon listën e U-21 Archived 20 November 2014 at archive.today
  17. Shpresat munden në Rumani, dështon "armata" e Gegës Archived 17 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Shpresat, turne miqesor ne Dubai Archived 22 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine FSHF.org
  19. "Edhe një futbollist nga Kosova bëhet me pasaportë të Shqipërisë", Gazeta Olle
  20. "Shpresat nisin kualifikimet kundër Lihtenshtajnit" Archived 17 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, aSport.al
  21. "Liechtenstein U21 vs. Albania U21", Soccerway, 28 March 2015
  22. "Zyrtare: Largohet edhe një futbollist nga Kombëtarja Shqiptare për t'iu bashkuar Kosovës". sovrani.info (in Albanian). 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  23. "Bunjaki publikoi listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjen kundër Turqisë" (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 7 November 2016.
  24. "FIFA i jep leje Mërgim Vojvodës" (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 10 November 2016.
    - "ZYRTARE: FIFA i jep leje talentit kosovar të luajë kundër Turqisë". syri.net (in Albanian). 20 November 2016.
  25. "FIFA". Archived from the original on 9 July 2016.
  26. "Torino, Vojvoda svela: "Ho il Coronavirus, ma tornerò presto"" (in Italian). Tuttosport. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  27. "Mërgim Vojvoda » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  28. "Mërgim Vojvoda". Soccerway.
  29. "Mërgim Vojvoda". EU-Football.info.
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