Blerim Džemaili facts for kids
Džemaili with Switzerland at the 2018 World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Blerim Džemaili | ||
| Date of birth | 12 April 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Tetovo, SR Macedonia, Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia) |
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| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Oerlikon Zürich | ||
| 1996–2000 | FC Unterstrass | ||
| 2000–2001 | YF Juventus | ||
| 2001–2003 | Zürich | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2007 | Zürich | 111 | (9) |
| 2007–2009 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Torino (loan) | 23 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Torino | 7 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Parma (loan) | 19 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Parma | 30 | (1) |
| 2011–2014 | Napoli | 86 | (16) |
| 2014–2016 | Galatasaray | 11 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → Genoa (loan) | 27 | (3) |
| 2016–2020 | Bologna | 88 | (11) |
| 2017 | → Montreal Impact (loan) | 22 | (7) |
| 2020 | Shenzhen | 0 | (0) |
| 2020–2023 | Zürich | 59 | (6) |
| Total | 483 | (54) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Switzerland U21 | 16 | (4) |
| 2006–2018 | Switzerland | 69 | (10) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Blerim Džemaili is a former professional footballer from Switzerland. He was born on April 12, 1986. Blerim played as a midfielder during his career.
He started his football journey at FC Zürich in Switzerland. There, he helped his team win the Swiss Super League championship twice. Most of his career was spent playing in Italy. He made 280 appearances in Serie A, which is Italy's top football league. He played for teams like Torino, Parma, Napoli, Genoa, and Bologna.
Džemaili also played for the Swiss national team. He made his first appearance in March 2006. He played in over 65 international matches. He was chosen to play in the FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2014, and 2018. He also played in the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Blerim Džemaili was born in a place called Tetovo, which is now in North Macedonia. His parents, Fahrudin and Shemije Džemaili, were from an Albanian family. When Blerim was four years old, his family moved to Zürich, Switzerland.
He started playing football at a young age. At nine, he joined a youth club called Oerlikon Zürich. Later, he moved to FC Unterstrass. When he was 14, Blerim played for YF Juventus as a youth player. In 2001, he joined FC Zürich. He quickly moved up through the ranks at Zürich and joined the main senior team when he was just 17.
Blerim shared in 2021 that he had always been a fan of the Italian football club AC Milan since he was a child.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Zürich
Blerim Džemaili began his professional career with FC Zürich. In his first season, he played 30 games and scored two goals. He usually played as a central or defensive midfielder. In the 2004–05 season, he helped Zürich win the Swiss Cup.
Blerim was a strong player on the field. He was known for his accurate passes and his fast, aggressive style of play. Because of his skills, he was chosen as the team captain in the 2005–06 season. He was only 19 years old, making him one of the youngest captains in Swiss football history. Džemaili led his team to win the Swiss Super League championship in both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.
After winning both the Swiss Cup and the league title, Džemaili moved to England to play for Premier League team Bolton Wanderers.
Time at Bolton Wanderers
Blerim signed a contract with Bolton Wanderers in February 2007. This meant he would join the team after his contract with Zürich ended that summer.
The manager of Bolton at the time, Sam Allardyce, was very excited about Blerim. He said Blerim was a "fantastic player" with a lot of experience for his age. However, Blerim suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out of action for six months. He only played one game for Bolton during the 2007–08 season. This was in an FA Cup match against Sheffield United.
Moves to Torino and Parma
On September 1, 2008, Džemaili joined Torino in Italy on a loan deal. He quickly became a regular player for them. In April 2009, Torino bought him permanently from Bolton.
After playing only one game for Torino in the new season, Džemaili moved to Parma on loan in August 2009. Parma later bought his full rights in 2010 and 2011.
Success with Napoli
On June 25, 2011, Džemaili joined Napoli, another big Italian club. He quickly became a key player for Napoli. Fans liked him because he scored goals and helped set up plays. He scored his first goal for Napoli against Lecce. He also scored a late goal against Novara to help Napoli get a draw.
Džemaili played regularly in the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup). He played the entire final match in 2012 when Napoli beat Juventus 2–0 to win the trophy.
In March 2013, he scored an amazing three goals in one game against Torino, helping Napoli win 5–3. A week later, he scored again against Genoa. He also scored in a 3–0 win against Pescara. Džemaili was also part of the Napoli team that won the 2014 Coppa Italia Final by beating Fiorentina 3–1.
Playing for Galatasaray and Genoa
On September 1, 2014, Džemaili signed a three-year contract with Galatasaray, a team in Turkey's top league.
In August 2015, Džemaili returned to Italy to play for Genoa on loan from Galatasaray. In September, he scored his first goal for Genoa with a free-kick that helped them win 1–0 against Milan.
Time at Bologna and Montreal Impact
On August 17, 2016, Džemaili moved back to Italy again to play for Bologna. He played well for Bologna, scoring goals and helping the team.
In December 2016, it was announced that Džemaili would join the Major League Soccer (MLS) team Montreal Impact in Canada on loan. He officially joined them in May 2017. He had a good time in Montreal, scoring seven goals and making 10 assists in 22 games. In January 2018, his loan ended, and he returned to Bologna.
Later Career and Retirement
On January 31, 2020, Džemaili moved to the Chinese club Shenzhen.
In December 2020, Blerim Džemaili returned to his first club, FC Zürich, after 13 years away. He signed a contract for one and a half seasons. He helped Zürich win the Swiss Super League again in the 2021–22 season.
After the 2022–23 season ended, Džemaili decided to retire from professional football.
International Career
Džemaili played his first game for the Swiss national team in a friendly match against Scotland on March 1, 2006. He was part of the Swiss squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but he did not play in any games.
On September 6, 2013, Džemaili scored his first goal for Switzerland from a penalty kick. This was in a World Cup qualifying match against Iceland. In June 2014, he was chosen for Switzerland's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. He scored a goal from a free-kick in a match against France during that tournament.
Džemaili continued to play for Switzerland in UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. He was also part of the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He scored his tenth international goal in a World Cup match against Costa Rica in June 2018.
Playing Style
Blerim Džemaili was known for his energetic and versatile playing style as a midfielder. He could play in many different roles in the middle of the field.
He was good at winning the ball back from opponents. He also helped his team attack by scoring goals and providing assists. He had a strong and accurate shot from both inside and outside the penalty area. Džemaili was also known for his good passing skills and his ability to switch the play with long passes. He was a smart and consistent player who could adapt to different team strategies. He was also seen as a leader on the field.
Personal Life
In 2015, Blerim Džemaili married a model named Erjona Sulejmani. They had a son named Luan in the same year. They later divorced in January 2018.
Images for kids
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Džemaili marking Lionel Messi in a friendly against Argentina in 2012
,_Blerim_Dzemaili_(R)_-_Switzerland_vs._Argentina,_29th_February_2012.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Blerim Džemaili para niños
