Valon Berisha facts for kids
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Berisha with Red Bull Salzburg in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valon Berisha | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 February 1993 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Malmö, Sweden | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
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Current team
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LASK | ||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2009 | Egersund | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 2009 | Egersund | 31 | (11) | ||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Viking | 56 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 2012–2018 | Red Bull Salzburg | 167 | (31) | ||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Lazio | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2020 | → Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Reims | 37 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Reims B | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 27 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2024– | LASK | 36 | (3) | ||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Norway U15 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2009 | Norway U16 | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2010 | Norway U17 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2010 | Norway U18 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2011 | Norway U19 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Norway U21 | 18 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2013 | Norway U23 | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Norway | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2016– | Kosovo | 49 | (4) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 March 2025 |
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Valon Berisha (born February 7, 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. He currently plays for LASK in the Austrian Bundesliga and for the Kosovo national team. Valon was born in Sweden and grew up in Norway. He used to play for Norway's youth and senior teams before choosing to represent Kosovo.
Contents
Valon Berisha's Club Journey
Starting Out in Norway
Valon Berisha was born in Malmö, Sweden. His family came from Podujevo in Kosovo. He grew up in Egersund, a town in Norway, and started playing football at his local club, Egersunds IK.
When he was 14 and 15 years old, Valon had trial periods with big English clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Aston Villa. Manchester City and Aston Villa even offered him contracts, but he decided to stay in Norway. At just 15 years old, on June 20, 2008, Berisha played his first senior game for EIK.
Playing for Viking FK
In March 2009, Berisha joined Viking FK. He made his top-league debut in Norway on March 21, 2010. He scored his first professional goal on October 31, 2010, for Viking. It was a fantastic shot from far away that was even nominated for "Goal of the Season."
In 2011, Valon became a regular starter for Viking. He often played on the left side of the field but also moved into his favorite central midfield position. On June 19, 2011, Valon and his younger brother, Veton, made history. They became the first brothers to play together for Viking in 22 years!
Time at Red Bull Salzburg
In July 2012, Valon Berisha signed with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. He quickly made an impact, helping his teammate score goals in his first game. He scored his first goal for Red Bull Salzburg the very next week. Many of his goals for the club came from powerful shots outside the penalty box.
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During the 2017–18 season, Salzburg had their best run ever in European competitions. They reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, which was a huge achievement for the club. Valon played in the semi-final match on May 3, 2018.
Moving to Lazio
On July 3, 2018, Berisha joined Serie A club Lazio in Italy. He signed a five-year contract. He made his debut for Lazio in the Europa League on October 4, 2018. A few days later, he played his first game in Italy's top league, Serie A.
Loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf
On January 30, 2020, Berisha went on a six-month loan to Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany. He made his debut for them two days later.
Playing for Reims
On July 9, 2020, Berisha signed a four-year contract with Ligue 1 club Reims in France. He made his debut for Reims on August 23, 2020.
Loan to Melbourne City
On September 7, 2022, Valon was loaned to Melbourne City, an Australian club in the A-League Men. He played his first league game a month later. On February 11, 2023, he scored his first goal for the club from a penalty kick. Valon played in the 2023 A-League Grand Final, but his team lost. After contributing 7 assists and 1 goal, he returned to Reims in June 2023.
On September 1, 2023, Reims announced that Valon's contract had ended by agreement.
Return to LASK
On January 8, 2024, Berisha returned to the Austrian Bundesliga, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with LASK.
International Career
Representing Norway
Valon Berisha played many games for Norway's national youth teams. He played in the qualifying games for the 2013 European Under-21 Championship, even scoring a goal against England's Under-21 team.
In January 2012, Berisha was called up to play for the senior Norway squad. He made his debut on January 15, 2012, in a friendly match. He played well and impressed coaches and the media.
Playing for Kosovo
In December 2012, FIFA allowed Kosovo to play friendly matches against other countries. In 2016, after Kosovo became a full FIFA member, Valon decided to play for them. He was given permission to switch teams. He scored a goal in his very first game for Kosovo on September 5, 2016. It was a penalty kick that helped his team get a 1–1 draw against Finland in a World Cup qualifying match.
Personal Life
Valon Berisha's younger brother, Veton, is also a professional footballer and has played for the Norway national team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Viking | 2010 | Tippeligaen | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Tippeligaen | 28 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 32 | 5 | ||
| 2012 | Tippeligaen | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| Total | 56 | 4 | 8 | 2 | — | 64 | 6 | |||
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2012–13 | Austrian Bundesliga | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | 33 | 6 | |
| 2013–14 | Austrian Bundesliga | 32 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 47 | 8 | |
| 2014–15 | Austrian Bundesliga | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 4 | |
| 2015–16 | Austrian Bundesliga | 33 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 6 | |
| 2016–17 | Austrian Bundesliga | 34 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 46 | 8 | |
| 2017–18 | Austrian Bundesliga | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 45 | 13 | |
| Total | 167 | 31 | 21 | 6 | 45 | 8 | 233 | 45 | ||
| Lazio | 2018–19 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Reims | 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| Total | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 1 | ||
| Reims II | 2021–22 | CFA 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | CFA 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Melbourne City (loan) | 2022–23 | A-League Men | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| LASK | 2023–24 | Austrian Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 21 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 5 | |
| Total | 36 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 350 | 39 | 37 | 9 | 61 | 10 | 448 | 58 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 2012 | 8 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 0 | |
| Kosovo | 2016 | 4 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 49 | 4 | |
| Career total | 69 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list Kosovo's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Berisha goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 September 2016 | Veritas Stadion, Turku, Finland |  Finland |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2. | 10 September 2019 | St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England |  England |
1–0 | 3–5 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | |
| 3. | 2–5 | ||||||
| 4. | 2 June 2022 | AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis, Larnaca, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |
Honours and Awards
Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Football Bundesliga: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Austrian Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
Lazio
- Coppa Italia: 2018–19
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2019
Melbourne City
- A-League Men Premiership: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Year: 2017–18
- Austrian Bundesliga Top Assist Provider: 2016–17
- Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Year: 2016–17, 2017–18
See also
In Spanish: Valon Berisha para niños
