Bledi Shkëmbi

Bledi Shkëmbi
Personal information
Full name Bledi Shkëmbi
Date of birth (1979-08-13) 13 August 1979
Place of birth Korçë, Albania
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1990–1997 Skënderbeu Korçë
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2000 Skënderbeu Korçë 80 (4)
2000–2001 Teuta Durrës 21 (1)
2001 Ethnikos Asteras 1 (0)
2002–2004 HNK Rijeka 50 (2)
2004 Kamen Ingrad 14 (2)
2005–2006 Zaporizhzhya 22 (0)
2006 FC Kryvbas 5 (0)
2007 Teuta Durrës 13 (0)
2007–2008 Partizani Tirana 25 (3)
2008–2009 Skënderbeu Korçë 42 (8)
2010 Besa Kavajë 14 (2)
2010– 2016 Skënderbeu Korçë 130 (27)
National team‡
1995 Albania U16 1 (0)
1999–2000 Albania U21 7 (0)
2001–2006 Albania 14 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 May 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20 May 2016

Bledi Shkëmbi (born 13 August 1979 in Korçë) is a former Albanian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for Skënderbeu Korçë in the Albanian Superliga. A former Albanian international, he has previously played for Ethnikos Asteras in Greece, HNK Rijeka and Kamen Ingrad in Croatia, Metalurh Zaporizhzhya and FC Kryvbas in Ukraine as well as Teuta Durrës, Partizani Tirana and Besa Kavajë in Albania.

Club career

Early career

Shkëmbi joined his local side Skënderbeu Korçë as an 11 year old and progressed through the youth ranks before eventually being promoted to the senior side ahead of the 1997–98 season. He immediately became a first team player as an 18-year-old, featuring in 31 league games out of a possible 34, and scoring one goal in the process to help his side finish 11th in the league out of 18 teams. The following season was similar for Shkëmbi as he was an important player in the club's midfield as they finished just 2 points above the relegation zone as he played 24 league games and scored twice. He then made 25 appearances out of a possible 26 in the league during the 1999–00 season and scored once in a 7–0 thrashing of Apolonia Fier. He was then allowed to search for a new club and leave on a free transfer.

He joined Teuta Durrës ahead of the 2000–01 season, and his first game for the club was the 2000 Albanian Supercup against KF Tirana, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 loss.[1] In the league he made 21 appearances and scored once, against Tomori Berat, as his side finished 6th with his former side Skënderbeu Korçë finishing bottom and being relegated to the Albanian First Division. He was part of the Teuta Durrës side that reached the final of the Albanian Cup during the 2000–01 season, as he scored against Naftëtari Kuçovë in the first round, before starting the final against KF Tirana who beat Teuta Durrës as they had done before the season started in the Albanian Supercup, this time 5–0.[2] He made his European debut with Teuta Durrës on 10 August 2001 in a UEFA Cup second qualifying round game against Rapid Vienna, starting in the 2–0 loss as he was substituted in the 82nd minute for Erion Matraku.[3] He also started the return leg but his side lost 4–0.[4] He then left the club following their short lived UEFA Cup run, as his contract ran out.

Besa Kavajë

In January 2010, Shkembi signed with Besa Kavajë on an 18 months contract with an option to renew for another year after the expiration of it.[5] During the second part of 2009–10 season, he played 12 matches, scoring twice in the process. He left the club after the end of the season, he and Alban Dragusha were excluded from the coach Shpëtim Duro ahead of Europan clash against Olympiacos.[6]

Skënderbeu Korçë

In July 2010, he and Alban Dragusha were signed by Skënderbeu Korçë.[7] His return was strongly required by the club's fans.[8]

On 19 August 2015, in the first leg of play-off round of 2015–16 UEFA Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb at Elbasan Arena, Shkëmbi scored the opener in the 37th minute with a free kick, but it was not enough as Dinamo Zagreb reacted and won the match 2–1.[9]

On 18 May, Shkëmbi officially retired from professional football at the age of 36, ending his nineteen-year career by lifting the club's six consecutive league title.[10][11]

International career

He has been a former international player of Albania from 2001 to 2006, during which he collected 14 matches without scoring a goal.[12] He was called by the coach of that time Sulejman Demollari to participate at Tournament Bahrain where he made 3 appearances, all of them as a substitute.

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 May 2016[13][14][15][16]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Besa Kavajë 2009–10 Albanian Superliga 14200——142
Total 14200——142
Skënderbeu Korçë 2010–11 Albanian Superliga 30810——318
2011–12 22711320103610
2012–13 201720000273
2013–14 287405200379
2014–15 314632010407
2015–16 2203010110361
Total 153273281933020738
Career total 167293281933022140

    International

    As of 1 August 2015[17]

    Albania national team
    YearAppsGoals
    200230
    200350
    200420
    200530
    200610
    Total140

    Honours

    Club

    Teuta Durrës[13]
    Metalurh Zaporizhzhya[13]
    Besa Kavajë[13]
    Skënderbeu Korçë[13]

    Individual

    References

    1. ↑ Albania 1999–00 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
    2. ↑ Albania 2000–01 Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
    3. ↑ Rapid 2–0 Teuta
    4. ↑ Teuta 0–4 Rapid
    5. ↑ "Bledi Shkembi firmos me Besen!". Futbolli Shqiptar. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
    6. ↑ "Shpetim Duro perjashton Shkembin dhe Dragushen!" (in Albanian). Futbolli Shqiptar. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
    7. ↑ "Shkembi dhe Dragusha neser i bashkohen Skenderbeut ne Mavrove!" (in Albanian). Futbolli Shqiptar. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
    8. ↑ "Tifozet korcar kerkojne rikthimin e Bledi Shkembit" (in Albanian). Futbolli Shqiptar. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
    9. ↑ Ergis Tafalla (19 August 2015). "Skënderbeu-Dinamo Zagreb 1-2. "Ujqërit e dëborës" humbin raundin e parë në Elbasan Arena" (in Albanian). Telesport.al. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
    10. ↑ Ergis Tafalla (18 May 2016). "Ngriti titullin kampion të 6-të radhazi, Shkëmbi "var këpucët në gozhdë"" (in Albanian). Telesport.al. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
    11. ↑ Sotir Kora (18 May 2016). "Lamtumira e kampionit, Shkëmbi tërhiqet nga futbolli" (in Albanian). Super Sport Albania. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
    12. ↑ Bledi Shkëmbi | National Football Teams 19 August 2015, Retrieved on 19 August 2015
    13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Albania - B. Shkëmbi - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    14. ↑ "Football : Bledi Shkëmbi". Football DataBase. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    15. ↑ "Profile of Bledi Shkëmbi". WhoScored.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    16. ↑ "Profile of Bledi Shkëmbi at Scoresway.com". Scoresway.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    17. ↑ "Football PLAYER: Bledi Shkëmbi". EU-Football.info. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

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