Shkëlzen Gashi facts for kids
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Gashi in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shkëlzen Taib Gashi | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Zürich, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2007 | Zürich | ||
| 1999–2000 | → Grasshoppers (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | Zürich | 1 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Zürich U21 | 47 | (12) |
| 2008 | → Schaffhausen (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2008–2009 | → Bellinzona (loan) | 30 | (3) |
| 2010–2011 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 13 | (1) |
| 2011 | → Aarau (loan) | 15 | (5) |
| 2012 | Aarau | 26 | (17) |
| 2012–2014 | Grasshoppers | 60 | (24) |
| 2014–2016 | Basel | 41 | (25) |
| 2016–2019 | Colorado Rapids | 68 | (14) |
| 2020–2023 | Aarau | 55 | (20) |
| Total | 372 | (124) | |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Switzerland U17 | 12 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Switzerland U19 | 5 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Switzerland U21 | 10 | (5) |
| 2013–2016 | Albania | 17 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Shkëlzen Taib Gashi (born 15 July 1988) is a retired professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and forward. Gashi is well-known for his time with Grasshopper Club Zürich and FC Basel. He won the 2012–13 Swiss Cup with Grasshopper. He also became a Swiss champion in the 2014–15 season with Basel. Born in Switzerland, he played for the Albania national team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out at Zürich
Gashi was born in Zürich, Switzerland. His parents were originally from Kosovo. He grew up playing football in the Zürich youth academy. Gashi made his first professional appearance at 18 years old. This was on 12 August 2006, in a match against St. Gallen. He also played in a European game on 6 December 2007. This was an UEFA Cup match against Spartak Moscow.
Loan Spells: Schaffhausen and Bellinzona
In January 2008, Gashi was loaned to Swiss Challenge League team Schaffhausen. He played 16 league games and scored three goals. After this, he was loaned to Bellinzona for a year and a half.
Gashi played his first game for Bellinzona on 23 July 2008. He scored his first European goal on 28 August in an UEFA Cup match. This goal helped his team win 2–1 against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. He scored his first league goal for Bellinzona on 5 October. He finished his first season with 24 appearances and three goals.
Moving to Neuchâtel Xamax
In January 2010, Gashi joined Neuchâtel Xamax. He signed a two-year contract with the club. He made his debut on 6 February as a substitute. Gashi scored his first goal for Neuchâtel Xamax against his old club, Zürich.
Time with Aarau
In January 2011, Gashi was loaned to Aarau for a year. He played 15 league games and scored 5 goals. His debut for Aarau on 20 February 2011 also saw him score his first goal for them. When Neuchâtel Xamax lost its license, Gashi signed a full contract with Aarau in January 2012.
In the 2011–12 season, Gashi played 26 games and scored 17 goals. He helped Aarau finish second in the league. He also finished as one of the top scorers in the league.
Success at Grasshopper
In June 2012, Gashi signed a three-year deal with Grasshopper Club Zürich. He wore the number 10 jersey. He played his first game on 15 July in the 2012–13 season. Gashi scored his first goal for Grasshopper on 24 November. In his first season, he played 28 league matches and scored 5 goals.
Gashi started the 2013–14 season with a goal on 14 July 2013. He scored his first hat-trick on 16 March 2014 against Sion. On 4 May 2014, Gashi scored four goals in a single game against Young Boys. He finished the 2013–14 season as the top scorer in the league with 19 goals. His great performance caught the attention of many big clubs.
Joining FC Basel
On 28 June 2014, Gashi signed a four-year contract with Basel. Basel reportedly paid around €3 million for him. He joined the team for their 2014–15 season.
2014–15 Season Highlights
Gashi made his debut for Basel on 19 July 2014. He scored his first goal for the team eight days later against Luzern. He continued his excellent form by scoring in other matches. Gashi made his Champions League debut and scored his first Champions League goal. This was in a 4–0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad. He became the fourth Albanian player to score in this competition.
In November 2014, Gashi scored two goals in a match against Aarau. He scored another two goals a week later against Zürich. In a Champions League match against Liverpool, Gashi played very well. He was even included in the "Team of the Week" by UEFA.com.
In December 2014, Gashi was voted the best player in the Swiss Super League. He was also named "Best Player of the Year 2014" by the Swiss Football Association. He finished his first season at Basel with 38 appearances and 25 goals. He won the top-scorer award for the second time in a row. Basel also won the league title for the sixth time in a row.
2015–16 Season and Departure
In the 2015–16 season, Gashi continued to be a key player. He scored his first goal of the season on 25 July. On 28 October, Gashi scored a hat-trick in a Swiss Cup match.
On 1 February 2016, Basel announced that Gashi was leaving the club. He signed a four-year contract with Colorado Rapids. During his 18 months with Basel, Gashi played 71 games and scored 35 goals.
Time with Colorado Rapids
On 1 February 2016, Gashi joined Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. He had a good first season, scoring 10 league goals. He helped the team finish second in their conference. On 24 September 2016, he scored an amazing free-kick goal. This goal was later voted the 2016 MLS Goal of the Year. In the playoffs, he scored another fantastic long-range goal. This helped the Rapids win and move forward in the competition.
Gashi scored his first goals of the 2017 season on 14 May 2017. He scored two goals in a 3–0 win against San Jose Earthquakes. He also provided an assist on 28 May 2017. Gashi left Colorado on 1 March 2019.
Return to Aarau and Retirement
On 2 January 2020, Gashi returned to Aarau. He signed a three-year contract with the Swiss Challenge League team. On 25 May 2023, Gashi announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career
Playing for Switzerland's Youth Teams
Gashi played for Switzerland's youth national teams. He was part of the U-17, U-19, and U-21 teams. He played in various youth European Championships.
Representing Albania
In 2013, Gashi decided to play for the Albania national team. He received his first call-up in August 2013 for a friendly match against Armenia. On 14 August 2013, Gashi became an Albanian citizen. He made his debut against Armenia on the same day. FIFA officially approved his change of national team on 9 October 2013.
First Competitive Matches
His first official international match was against his birth country, Switzerland, on 11 October 2013. He played as a starter in this game.
UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers
Gashi played for the first time in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying tournament on 29 March 2015. He came on as a substitute against Armenia. In the 81st minute, Gashi scored his first goal for the national team. This goal helped Albania win 2–1. He also helped with a goal in the last qualifier match against Armenia.
Euro 2016 Tournament
On 21 May 2016, Gashi was chosen for Albania's team for UEFA Euro 2016. He played as a substitute against Switzerland. He had a good chance to score but the goalkeeper saved his shot. He was an unused substitute in the next two matches. Albania finished third in their group. They were eventually eliminated from the tournament.
Personal Life
Gashi lives in Switzerland.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Zürich U21 | 2005–06 | 1. Liga Promotion | 21 | 4 | — | — | — | 21 | 4 | |||
| 2006–07 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | 18 | 4 | |||||
| 2007–08 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 47 | 12 | — | — | — | 47 | 12 | |||||
| FC Zürich | 2006–07 | Swiss Super League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2007–08 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Schaffhausen | 2007–08 | Swiss Challenge League | 16 | 3 | — | — | — | 16 | 3 | |||
| Bellinzona | 2008–09 | Swiss Super League | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 24 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 39 | 5 | |||
| Neuchâtel Xamax | 2009–10 | Swiss Super League | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| 2010–11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||||
| Aarau | 2010–11 | Swiss Challenge League | 15 | 5 | — | — | — | 15 | 5 | |||
| 2011–12 | 26 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 29 | 18 | |||
| Total | 41 | 22 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 44 | 23 | |||
| Grasshoppers | 2012–13 | Swiss Super League | 28 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 6 | ||
| 2013–14 | 32 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 20 | |||
| Total | 60 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 72 | 26 | |||
| Grasshoppers U21 | 2012–13 | 1. Liga Classic | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Basel | 2014–15 | Swiss Super League | 31 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 39 | 26 | |
| 2015–16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 18 | 6 | |||
| Total | 41 | 25 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 1 | — | 57 | 32 | |||
| Colorado Rapids | 2016 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 10 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 34 | 11 | ||
| 2017 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 | ||||
| 2018 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | 21 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 68 | 14 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | 73 | 15 | |||
| FC Aarau | 2019–20 | Swiss Challenge League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 318 | 104 | 21 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 366 | 118 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Albania goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gashi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 March 2015 | Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania | 6 |  Armenia |
2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
Honours and Awards
Zürich
- Swiss Super League: 2006–07
Grasshopper
- Swiss Cup: 2012–13
Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2014–15
- Swiss Cup: runner up 2014–15
Individual Awards
- Axpo Super League Footballer of the Year: 2014
- Footballer of the year : Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer 2016
- MLS Goal of the Year Award: 2016
- Swiss Super League Golden Boot: 2013–14 (19 goals), 2014–15 (22 goals)
See also
In Spanish: Shkëlzen Gashi para niños
