Etrit Berisha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Etrit Berisha

Berisha with Albania in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Etrit Fadil Berisha
Date of birth	(1989-03-10) 10 March 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia (modern Kosovo)
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Häcken
Number	99
Youth career
1997–2007	2 Korriku
2004–2007	→ KEK (loan)
2008–2010	Kalmar
2009	→ Lindsdal (loan)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2013	Kalmar	90	(3)
2013–2016	Lazio	38	(0)
2016–2019	Atalanta	75	(0)
2019–2022	SPAL	51	(0)
2021–2022	→ Torino (loan)	10	(0)
2022–2023	Torino	0	(0)
2023–2024	Empoli	14	(0)
2025–	Häcken	2	(0)
International career‡
2012–	Albania	81	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 3 June 2024 (UTC)

Etrit Fadil Berisha (born March 10, 1989) is an Albanian professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Swedish club Häcken. He is also the captain of the Albania national team.

Berisha started his football journey at a young age with local clubs like KF 2 Korriku and KF KEK. In 2008, he moved to Sweden to join Kalmar's youth team. By 2010, he was playing for their main team. He quickly became their top goalkeeper. His great performances even earned him the Allsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2013.

In 2013, Berisha moved to Italy to play for Lazio. He competed for the starting goalkeeper spot there. He is from Kosovo but plays for Albania because of his Albanian heritage. He first joined the Albania national team in 2012. He soon became their main goalkeeper. Berisha played a big part in Albania reaching its first major tournament, UEFA Euro 2016.

Playing for Clubs

Starting Out

Berisha was born in Pristina, which is now part of Kosovo. He began playing football at age eight for a local team called KF 2 Korriku. He started as a midfielder but later became a goalkeeper. He stayed with 2 Korriku until the Kosovo War (1998-1999). After the war, he returned to the club.

Because of money problems at 2 Korriku, Berisha and other young players moved to KF KEK in 2004. He stayed there until 2007 when 2 Korriku could take youth players again. He also trained with a team in Macedonia to use better facilities.

Time at Kalmar

Berisha in training with Kalmar in 2008

In 2007, Berisha had a trial with the Swedish club Kalmar. He did well and signed a contract. He first joined Kalmar's under-19 team in January 2008. In 2009, he was loaned to Lindsdals IF to get more experience.

He moved up to Kalmar's main team in 2010. He was initially a backup goalkeeper. His first professional game was on April 28, 2010, against Örebro SK, which Kalmar won 4–1. He played well in his first season, keeping seven clean sheets in 14 games. He became the team's main goalkeeper.

Berisha even scored goals for Kalmar, all from penalty kicks. His first goal was in a Europa League qualifying game against Cliftonville. He also scored in the Allsvenskan league against Helsingborgs IF in 2012. His last game for Kalmar was on September 1, 2013, where he scored a penalty to win the game 1–0.

Kalmar's manager said that Berisha became a very good goalkeeper there. Fans liked him, especially in 2013, when he helped the club finish in fifth place.

Moving to Lazio

On September 2, 2013, Etrit Berisha officially joined the Italian club Lazio.

In his first season at Lazio, Berisha was the second-choice goalkeeper. He made his debut on November 7, 2013, in a 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage match. Lazio won 2–1. His good play led to more chances. He kept clean sheets in two more Europa League games.

In December 2013, the main goalkeeper got injured. Berisha then made his league debut on January 6, 2014, against Inter Milan. He kept a clean sheet, helping Lazio win 1–0. He continued to play well, even keeping a clean sheet in the big Derby della Capitale match against Roma. He was named the best player of that game.

Berisha played 23 matches in his first season with Lazio. He was even chosen as the best foreign goalkeeper of the year in Serie A for the 2013–14 season.

2014–15 Season

In his second season, Berisha was still the second-choice goalkeeper for league games. However, he was the main goalkeeper for the 2014–15 Coppa Italia cup matches. He helped Lazio reach the final of the Coppa Italia, where they lost to Juventus in extra time.

He played ten league matches that season. He helped Lazio finish third in the league, which meant they qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League.

Playing for Atalanta

Berisha with Atalanta in 2016

In 2016, Berisha moved to Atalanta B.C. on a one-year loan. He wanted to be a regular starter. He had a very good season, keeping 11 clean sheets. His strong performances helped Atalanta finish fifth in the league. This allowed them to qualify for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League.

He kept a clean sheet against Napoli in February 2017, making many important saves. On June 21, 2017, Atalanta bought Berisha permanently. He was rated as the best goalkeeper of the week after a great game against Sassuolo in the 2017–18 season.

Time at S.P.A.L.

On July 6, 2019, Berisha joined SPAL. He played for them until 2021.

Moving to Torino

On July 3, 2021, Berisha signed a three-year contract with Torino. He played for them for two seasons.

Playing for Empoli

On August 29, 2023, Berisha moved to Empoli. He played 14 matches for them.

Joining BK Häcken

Even though he hadn't played for almost a year, Berisha signed with the Swedish team BK Häcken on April 11, 2025. He signed a contract for the season.

International Career

First Call-ups and World Cup Qualifiers

Berisha was first called to play for the Albania national team in May 2012. He made his debut against Iran on May 27, 2012. He played the whole game and kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win. He became an Albanian citizen on June 1, 2012, so he could play in official matches.

He made his competitive debut for Albania on October 16, 2012, against Slovenia. He kept a clean sheet, helping Albania win 1–0. After this, Berisha became Albania's main goalkeeper. He played a key role in a 1–0 win against Norway in March 2013, making many important saves.

UEFA Euro 2016 Campaign

After other goalkeepers changed teams, Berisha became the clear first-choice goalkeeper for Albania. He started in Albania's first UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Portugal. Albania won 1–0, which was their first win against Portugal.

On October 14, 2014, during a match against Serbia, the game was stopped because of fan trouble. Later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport decided that Albania won the match 3–0.

On September 4, 2015, Berisha made several good saves against Denmark, helping Albania get a draw. This brought the team closer to qualifying for the Euro tournament. In the final qualifying match against Armenia, Berisha kept a clean sheet as Albania won 3–0. This win meant Albania qualified for UEFA Euro 2016, their first major international football tournament.

At Euro 2016, Berisha played in all three group matches. In the last group match against Romania, he kept his first clean sheet of the tournament. Albania won 1–0, which was their first win in a major football tournament. Albania finished third in their group and was eliminated.

2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Albania started their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign well. They won their first two matches. Berisha achieved his 18th clean sheet for Albania, breaking a national record. In a game against Israel in November 2016, Berisha was sent off for an incident during the game. He was later banned by FIFA for two matches and fined.

On October 6, 2017, Berisha captained Albania for the first time in a competitive match. He was chosen because other captains were not playing.

How He Plays

Berisha is known for being very athletic as a goalkeeper. He is also good at taking penalty kicks. He scored four goals from penalties during his time at Kalmar. He has said that his favorite player and role model is the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Awards and Achievements

BK Häcken

• Svenska Cupen: 2024–25

Individual

• Allsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year: 2013
• Serie A Foreign Goalkeeper of the Year: 2013–14

See also

In Spanish: Etrit Berisha para niños