Rudi Vata facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 February 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Shkodër, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1988 | Vllaznia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988–1990 | Vllaznia | 40 | (5) |
| 1990–1991 | Dinamo Tirana | 20 | (2) |
| 1991 | Le Mans | 18 | (0) |
| 1992 | Tours | ||
| 1992–1993 | Dinamo Tirana | 22 | (3) |
| 1993–1996 | Celtic | 45 | (4) |
| 1996–1998 | Apollon Limassol | 50 | (9) |
| 1998–2001 | Energie Cottbus | 81 | (2) |
| 2001–2002 | Rot-Weiß Ahlen | 10 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Tirana | 30 | (2) |
| 2003 | Yokohama FC | 24 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | St Johnstone | 15 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Partizani | 20 | (1) |
| Total | 375 | (31) | |
| National team | |||
| 1990–2001 | Albania | 59 | (5) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011–2012 | Vllaznia | ||
|
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Rudi Vata (born February 13, 1969) is a famous former football player from Albania. He played as a defender, which is a player who helps protect their team's goal. After he stopped playing, he also worked as a manager for a short time for the Albanian team Vllaznia Shkodër.
Contents
Club Career
Rudi's Football Journey
Rudi Vata was born in a city called Shkodër in Albania. He started playing football at a young age for his local team, Vllaznia Shkodër, and made his first team debut in 1988.
In 1991, while traveling with the Albanian national team in France, Rudi decided to seek political asylum. This means he asked for protection and the right to stay in France because of difficult conditions in his home country at the time.
His career in Western Europe began in France. He played for teams like Le Mans and Tours. After that, he joined Celtic in Scotland in 1993 and played there until 1996. He made history by becoming the first Albanian player to win a major trophy in a big European country. This happened when he won the Scottish FA Cup with Celtic in 1995.
After his time at Celtic, Rudi played for several other clubs. These included Apollon Limassol in Cyprus (from 1996 to 1998), Energie Cottbus in Germany (from 1998 to 2001), and Rot-Weiß Ahlen also in Germany (in 2002). He then returned to Albania to play for SK Tirana (from 2002 to 2003).
Rudi also had a short time playing football in Japan for Yokohama FC in 2003. After that, he joined St Johnstone in Scotland in 2004. He finished his professional playing career in 2005 after a brief period with KF Partizani Tirana in Albania.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring from playing, Rudi Vata became a sports agent. A sports agent helps football players find new teams and manage their careers. He specialized in helping players from Eastern Europe. He helped players like Garry O'Connor and Aiden McGeady move to new clubs.
International Career
Playing for Albania
Rudi Vata also played for his country, the Albanian national team. He made his first appearance for Albania in May 1990 in a European Championship qualification match against Iceland.
He played a total of 59 games for his country and scored 5 goals. His last game for the national team was on September 1, 2001, in a World Cup qualification match against Finland.
Personal Life
Family and Football
Rudi Vata is married to Anne Frances, who is from Scotland. They met when Rudi was playing for Celtic. They have two sons named Ruan and Rocco. Both of their sons were born in Scotland, and the family lives in Hamilton, Scotland.
In November 2019, his son Rocco was chosen to play for the Republic of Ireland's Under-15 team. Rocco also followed in his father's footsteps by joining the youth teams at Celtic, one of Rudi's old clubs. Rocco signed a professional contract with Celtic in July 2021, continuing the family's football legacy.
Honours
Rudi Vata won several important trophies during his football career:
Dinamo Tirana
- Albanian Superliga: 1990
Celtic
- Scottish Cup: 1994–95
KF Tirana
- Albanian Superliga: 2003
- Albanian Supercup: 2002
Albania
- Malta International Tournament: 2000
