Elseid Hysaj facts for kids
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Hysaj playing for Napoli in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elseid Gëzim Hysaj | ||
| Date of birth | 2 February 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Reç, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Full-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Lazio | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Shkodra | ||
| 2002–2008 | Vllaznia | ||
| 2008–2012 | Empoli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2015 | Empoli | 102 | (1) |
| 2015–2021 | Napoli | 179 | (1) |
| 2021– | Lazio | 89 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010 | Albania U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Albania U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2013– | Albania | 89 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:30, 19 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:02, 11 October 2024 (UTC) |
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Elseid Gëzim Hysaj, born on February 2, 1994, is a professional footballer from Albania. He plays as a full-back, which is a defensive position, for the Italian club Lazio in Serie A. He also plays for the Albania national team.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Elseid Hysaj was born in Reç, Albania. When he was just two months old, his father, Gëzim, moved to Italy. Like many Albanians in the 1990s, his father went to Italy to find work. He wanted to provide for his family back home. Elseid grew up in Shkodër, Albania, with his mother and grandparents. His father worked as a bricklayer in Italy.
Elseid started playing football at age 7. He joined a local amateur club called KF Shkodra. His father once mentioned Elseid's talent to a football agent named Marco Piccioli. At the time, Elseid was only 10, so Piccioli suggested waiting. When Elseid turned 14, he traveled to Italy. He tried out for several clubs, including Fiorentina. Eventually, he joined the youth academy of Empoli.
Club Career
Empoli FC: Early Years and Promotion
Hysaj first joined the senior team at Empoli in 2011. He was a substitute for a few games. His first professional match was in the Coppa Italia in November 2011. He played the whole game against Fiorentina.
He made his league debut in October 2012. Empoli did well that season, finishing 4th in Serie B. This meant they could play in the promotion playoffs. Hysaj played in these important games. Empoli reached the final but lost, so they didn't get promoted that year. Hysaj played 35 games in total that season.
In September 2013, Hysaj signed a new contract with Empoli. He scored his first professional goal in April 2014. It was a great goal, but Empoli still lost the match. On May 30, 2014, Empoli finally earned promotion to Serie A. This was a big achievement for the club.
Hysaj made his Serie A debut in August 2014. He continued to play well for Empoli. In his last season there, he played 36 league games. He was a key player for the team.
SSC Napoli: Becoming a Top Player
In July 2015, Hysaj moved to Napoli. He followed his former Empoli coach, Maurizio Sarri, to the club. Napoli paid about €5 million for him. This made him one of the most expensive Albanian players ever.
He quickly became a regular starter for Napoli. He played almost every minute of their games. He also made his European debut in the Europa League. Napoli won all their group matches that season.
In 2016, Hysaj was named one of the best young players in Serie A. Experts also called him the best right-back in the league. By the end of the 2016–17 season, his value had increased a lot. He was the most valuable player on the Albanian national team.
In October 2017, Hysaj played his 100th game for Napoli. In 2018, Chelsea tried to buy him for a lot of money. His agent said Hysaj was worth even more. This showed how highly he was rated.
Hysaj scored his first goal for Napoli in July 2020. In the 2020–21 season, he missed some games. This was due to injuries and having COVID-19.
SS Lazio: New Challenges
On July 1, 2021, Hysaj joined Lazio for free. When he joined, he sang a song called "Bella ciao." This song is linked to left-wing politics. Some Lazio fans, who are usually right-wing, were very upset. They even called him names.
In his first season with Lazio (2021–22), Hysaj played 38 games. He scored one goal. Lazio finished 5th in the league. This helped them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
In the 2022–23 season, Hysaj played 43 games. This was his most games yet for Lazio. He scored one goal and made one assist. Lazio finished second in Serie A, right behind Napoli. This meant Lazio qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League.
International Career
Playing for Albania's Youth Teams
Hysaj played three matches for Albania's under-17 team in 2010. He also played for the under-21 team. He once said that he was invited to play for Italy, but he chose to represent Albania.
Playing for the Senior National Team
Hysaj was called up to the Albania senior team in February 2013. He made his debut in a friendly match against Georgia. He was only 18 years old, making him one of the youngest players to play for Albania.
He made his first competitive debut in March 2013. This was in a World Cup qualifying match against Norway.
UEFA Euro 2016
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In May 2016, Hysaj was chosen for Albania's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. On May 28, he was captain for the first time in a warm-up match. This made him the youngest ever captain for Albania.
Hysaj played every minute of Albania's group matches at Euro 2016. Albania was eliminated after finishing third in their group. He was considered a candidate for the best young player award. This was because of his strong play in both attack and defense.
World Cup Qualifiers
Hysaj kept his starting spot for Albania's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He played all 90 minutes in the first three matches. Albania started well, winning their first two games. However, they later lost to Spain and Israel.
Personal Life
Elseid Hysaj got engaged to Fiorenza Lekstakaj in June 2015. She was Miss Albania 2013. They got married in June 2019.
His cousin, Daniel Hysaj, is also a professional footballer. He plays for an Italian club called Taranto.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Empoli | 2011–12 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| Total | 102 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 109 | 1 | ||||
| Napoli | 2015–16 | Serie A | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Total | 179 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 225 | 1 | ||
| Lazio | 2021–22 | Serie A | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 38 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 43 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 89 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 117 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 370 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 449 | 4 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 2013 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 89 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hysaj goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2019 | Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania |  Iceland |
2–1 | 4–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 2 | 8 September 2021 | Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania |  San Marino |
4–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2019–20
- Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Elseid Hysaj para niños
