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 | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004–2005 | Switzerland U17 | 12 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Switzerland U19 | 5 | (2) |
| 2006–2009 | Switzerland U21 | 10 | (5) |
| 2013–2016 | Albania | 17 | (1) |
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Shkëlzen Taib Gashi (born July 15, 1988) is a retired professional football player. He played as a midfielder and a forward. He is famous for playing with Grasshopper Club Zürich and FC Basel. With Grasshopper, he won the Swiss Cup in 2013. He also became a Swiss champion with Basel in the 2014–15 season. Even though he was born in Switzerland, he played for the Albania national team.
Contents
Shkëlzen Gashi's Club Career
Shkëlzen Gashi was born in Zürich, Switzerland. His parents were originally from Kosovo. He started his football journey at the Zürich academy.
Early Years at FC Zürich
Gashi made his first professional appearance at 18. This was on August 12, 2006, in a Swiss Super League match. He played for the last 13 minutes against St. Gallen. Later, in December 2007, he played in his first European game. This was an UEFA Cup match against Spartak Moscow.
Loan to FC Schaffhausen
In January 2008, Gashi was loaned to Swiss Challenge League team Schaffhausen. He played 16 league games for them and scored three goals. After this loan, he went back to Zürich.
Loan to AC Bellinzona
In July 2008, Gashi was loaned again, this time to Bellinzona. He played his first game for Bellinzona on July 23, 2008. He scored his first European goal for them in August, helping his team win 2–1. This win helped them move forward in the UEFA Cup.
He scored his first league goal for Bellinzona in October. He played 24 games in total for Bellinzona in his first season. He scored three goals. Gashi played his last league game for Bellinzona in January 2010.
Playing for Neuchâtel Xamax
In January 2010, Gashi joined Neuchâtel Xamax. He signed a two-year contract. He played his first game for them in February against Zürich. He scored his first goal for Neuchâtel Xamax against Zürich in a 3–3 draw.
During the first part of the 2010–11 season, Gashi did not play much. He only appeared in one game as a substitute.
Time with FC Aarau
In January 2011, Gashi was loaned to Aarau for one year. He played 15 league games and scored 5 goals. He scored in his debut game for Aarau in a 5–3 win. 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 was also the second-highest scorer in the league that season.
Success at Grasshopper Club Zürich
After his contract with Aarau ended, Gashi signed a three-year deal with Grasshoppers in May 2012. He wore the number 10 jersey. He played his first game for Grasshoppers on July 15, 2012. He scored his first goal for them in November, helping his team draw 1–1. In his first season, Gashi played 28 league games and scored 5 goals. Grasshoppers finished second in the league.
Gashi started the 2013–14 season with a goal. He scored against St. Gallen in a 2–0 win. He also scored against his old team, Aarau, in a 4–2 win. Gashi played in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.
He continued to score goals in the UEFA Europa League and Swiss Cup. On March 16, 2014, Gashi scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Sion. He scored four goals in a single game against Young Boys on May 4, 2014.
Gashi finished the 2013–14 season with 19 league goals. He was the top goal scorer in the league. His great performance caught the attention of many big clubs.
Joining FC Basel
On June 28, 2014, FC Basel signed Gashi on a four-year contract. Basel reportedly paid about €3 million for him. He joined the team for their 2014–15 season.
2014–15 Season Highlights
Gashi played his first game for Basel on July 19, 2014. He helped his team win 2–1 against Aarau. He scored his first goal for Basel eight days later against Luzern. He continued to score in other games, showing his strong form.
He made his Champions League debut and scored his first Champions League goal. This was in a 4–0 win against Ludogorets Razgrad. He became one of the few Albanian players to score in this competition. Gashi scored two goals in a game twice in November. He was praised for his performance in a Champions League match against Liverpool. UEFA.com even included him in their "Team of the Week."
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. This was because he was the top scorer in 2013–14 and continued to score many goals for Basel.
Gashi continued his excellent form in the second half of the season. He scored two goals in a game three times in March and April. He finished his first season at Basel with 38 games played and 25 goals scored. He won the top-scorer award for the second time in a row, with 22 league goals. Basel won the league for the sixth time in a row that season.
2015–16 Season and Departure
In the 2015–16 season, Gashi continued to be a regular player. He scored his first goal of the season in July against Grasshoppers. In October, he scored a hat-trick in a Swiss Cup game.
On February 1, 2016, Basel announced that Gashi was leaving. He signed a four-year contract with Colorado Rapids. In his 18 months with Basel, Gashi played 71 games and scored 35 goals.
Playing in the USA with Colorado Rapids
On February 1, 2016, Gashi joined Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. He was a Designated Player. He had a good first season, scoring 10 league goals. He helped the team finish second in their conference and have a long playoff run.
On September 24, 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 in May against San Jose Earthquakes. He also provided an assist in another game. Gashi left Colorado on March 1, 2019.
Return to FC Aarau
On January 2, 2020, Gashi returned to Swiss Challenge League team Aarau. He signed a three-year contract.
On May 25, 2023, he announced that he was retiring from football.
Shkëlzen Gashi's International Career
Playing for Switzerland Youth Teams
Gashi played for Switzerland's youth national teams. He played for the Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 teams. He played in competitive youth UEFA European Championships.
Playing for Albania
In 2013, Gashi decided to play for the Albania national team.
In August 2013, he was called up to the Albania team for a friendly match. This was against Armenia. On August 14, 2013, Gashi received Albanian citizenship. He needed permission from FIFA to play for Albania. This was because he had played for Swiss youth teams. On the same day, he made his debut against Armenia. FIFA officially gave permission on October 9, 2013.
First Competitive Games
His first competitive international game was against his birth country, Switzerland. This was on October 11, 2013. He played in the starting lineup for this match. He also played a full game in a friendly match against Belarus.
UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers
After being a substitute for three games, Gashi played in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers. This was on March 29, 2015, against Armenia. He came on as a substitute at half-time. 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 May 21, 2016, Gashi was chosen for Albania's team for UEFA Euro 2016. He was part of the final 23-man squad.
Gashi played as a substitute against Switzerland. He had a chance to score but the goalkeeper stopped his shot. He was a substitute in the next two matches. Albania lost to France and won against Romania. Albania finished third in their group. They were then 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 | ||||
| FC 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 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
Team Achievements
- 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)
Images for kids
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Gashi in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Shkëlzen Gashi para niños
