Amir Abrashi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Amir Abrashi

Abrashi with Albania in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Amir Malush Abrashi
Date of birth	(1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Bischofszell, Switzerland
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Grasshoppers
Number	6
Youth career
2002–2005	Bischofszell
2003–2005	→ Weinfelden-Bürglen (loan)
2005–2007	FC Winterthur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2008	FC Winterthur II	16	(2)
2008–2011	FC Winterthur	58	(4)
2010–2015	Grasshoppers	127	(6)
2015–2021	SC Freiburg	93	(4)
2019	SC Freiburg II	1	(0)
2021	→ FC Basel (loan)	10	(0)
2021–	Grasshoppers	112	(0)
International career‡
2007–2008	Switzerland U17	2	(0)
2008–2009	Switzerland U19	20	(2)
2010–2012	Switzerland U21	18	(0)
2012	Switzerland Olympic	4	(0)
2013–	Albania	50	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 November 2022

Amir Malush Abrashi, born on March 27, 1990, is a professional football player. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Swiss club Grasshoppers. Even though he was born in Switzerland, he plays for the Albania national football team.

Club Career Highlights

Amir Abrashi was born in Bischofszell, Switzerland. His parents were from Gjakova, Kosovo, and moved to Switzerland before he was born. He grew up in the Canton of Thurgau area.

Starting in Youth Football

Amir started his football journey in 2002 when he was 12 years old. He joined his hometown club, FC Bischofszell. A year later, he moved to FC Weinfelden-Bürglen for two years. After that, he briefly returned to FC Bischofszell.

When he was 16, Amir and his family moved to Winterthur. There, he joined FC Winterthur, where he finished his youth football training.

Playing for FC Winterthur

Amir's great performances in the youth teams led him to the reserve team. He played his first game for them on May 16, 2007. He later became a regular player for the reserve team. He scored his first goal in a 4–1 win against FC Herisau. In the 2007–08 season, he played 16 matches and scored 2 goals.

His skills also caught the eye of the first team coach. On April 27, 2008, when he was 18, Amir played his first game for the senior team in the Swiss Challenge League. He made two more appearances that season.

The 2008–09 season was a big one for Amir. He played 24 matches and scored one goal. He continued to play well in the 2009–10 season, making 28 league appearances and scoring 3 goals. Winterthur finished 3rd in the league that year. Before moving to a top-tier club, Amir played 55 league games and 3 cup games for Winterthur, scoring 5 goals.

Time with Grasshoppers

In July 2010, Amir joined Grasshoppers on a one-year loan. He made his first appearance for them on July 25. This was also his first game in the Swiss Super League. He also played in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League for Grasshoppers.

Amir scored his first goal for Grasshoppers on October 17, 2010, in a Swiss Cup match. His first league goal came on November 28, 2010. In his first season, he played 33 games and scored 4 goals.

After his loan, Grasshoppers bought Amir permanently. In his second season, he faced injuries, including a knee injury in August 2011. He returned to play in March 2012. He played 16 games that season.

Amir won his first trophy with Grasshoppers in the 2012–13 season. They won the Swiss Cup by beating Basel in a penalty shootout. This was the club's first trophy in 10 years. He played 33 matches that season and scored 3 goals. Grasshoppers finished second in the league.

In the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, Amir played in the qualifying rounds. He scored his only goal of the season in the 2013–14 Swiss Cup. On May 15, 2014, he played his 100th Swiss Super League game. He played 40 games in total that season, a new personal best. Grasshoppers finished second in the league again.

In the 2014–15 season, Amir scored his first goal in a European competition. This happened in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League qualifying round against Lille. In December 2014, he decided not to extend his contract with Grasshoppers. He wanted to play outside Switzerland. He finished his five seasons with Grasshoppers having played 127 league games, 18 cup games, and 10 UEFA games, scoring 11 goals in total.

Moving to SC Freiburg

On June 3, 2015, Amir joined the German club SC Freiburg. He signed a three-year deal and was given the number 6 jersey.

He played his first game for Freiburg on July 27, 2015, in the 2. Bundesliga. He scored his first goal for the team on September 11. He quickly became an important player in the team's midfield. He played 33 league games that season, helping the team win the league and get promoted to the Bundesliga.

Amir made his Bundesliga debut on August 28, 2016. He scored his first top-flight goal on October 29. In December, he extended his contract until 2020.

In November 2017, Amir got injured and was out for two months. He returned in early 2018 but got injured again on March 10, 2018, with a knee injury. This kept him out for almost a year. He returned to training in January 2019 and played his first game a month later.

Loan to FC Basel

On January 27, 2021, Amir went on loan to the Swiss club FC Basel. He joined their first team and played his first game for them on January 31. He played 10 games for Basel in the 2020–21 Swiss Super League during his loan.

Back to Grasshoppers

On June 23, 2021, Amir returned to Grasshoppers with a two-year contract. He became the team captain as they returned to the Swiss Super League. His return was popular with fans, but he received four yellow cards in his first four games. He also faced more injuries in late 2021. On April 24, 2022, he helped set up a goal in a 3–1 win.

On January 23, 2023, he extended his contract with Grasshoppers until June 2024. On May 10, 2023, he was honored for playing his 200th game for the club across his two periods there. This included league, cup, and European games.

On February 29, 2024, Grasshoppers announced that Amir's contract was extended until June 2025. He played his 250th game for Grasshoppers on September 21, 2024. He agreed to another contract extension on December 10, 2024, keeping him at the club until summer 2026.

International Career

Amir Abrashi playing for Switzerland U21 in 2011

Playing for Switzerland's Youth Teams

Amir Abrashi was an important player for Switzerland's youth national teams. He played over 40 games for them. A big moment was when he helped the Switzerland U21 team finish second in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He also played in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Amir always wanted to play for the senior Swiss national team. He said, "I grew up here and I feel like a Swiss." However, there were many talented players in his position. In May 2013, the Swiss national team coach told Amir that he would need to be patient to get a regular spot. After this talk, Amir decided to play for Albania instead. He felt it was important for his career to become a national team player sooner.

Joining the Albania National Team

To play for Albania, Amir and his parents, who were from Kosovo, had to get Albanian passports. On May 24, 2013, Amir received Albanian citizenship.

In June 2013, the Albania manager called Amir up for a World Cup qualification match against Norway. On June 3, FIFA allowed Amir to play for Albania in official international matches.

Amir played his first game for Albania on August 14, 2013, in a friendly match against Armenia. Albania won 2–0. His first official competitive game was against Slovenia on September 6, 2013. He made three appearances in Albania's World Cup qualification games.

Amir Abrashi with Albania in 2016

On May 21, 2016, Amir was chosen for Albania's team for UEFA Euro 2016. He played every minute of all the group matches. Albania finished third in their group. They lost to France and Switzerland, but they beat Romania 1–0. Albania was eliminated from the tournament.

Career Statistics

International Statistics

Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Abrashi goal.

List of international goals scored by Amir Abrashi

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	25 March 2019	Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra	Andorra	3–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Football Achievements

Grasshoppers

• Swiss Cup: 2012–13
• Swiss Super League runner-up: 2012–13, 2013–14

SC Freiburg

• 2. Bundesliga: 2015–16

Switzerland U21

• UEFA Under-21 European Championship runner-up:2011

See also

In Spanish: Amir Abrashi para niños